How to Fix Your Monday in One Easy Step

Friends.  Tomorrow is Monday. And Mondays are hard.

Here is my attempt at saving Monday's reputation.

I can't give you a day off, warmer weather or a longer lunch break, but I CAN give you...


a tiny baby in monkey pajamas!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 How about two more?

  How about DOUBLE THE BABY IN MONKEY PAJAMAS!

 You're welcome.

I am such a nerd/madly in love.  I have looked at these photos over. and over.and over.

Love and do they make those p.j.'s in my size?
H.

Soul officially lifted

     In some ways, this fall has been like a breath of fresh air.  Being a school teacher, the start of the school year and the changing weather is sometimes accompanied by a busy schedule and a fair amount of stress.

     I don't know if it is the changing of grade levels, other differences at work or positive life changes, but  I have fallen in love with this season.  In many ways, it feels like a weight has lifted.

However,  I also greeted October with a nagging feeling of dread for reasons I'm sure I will get to later.

Lately, my soul has been lacking.  Have you ever felt like your soul needed something, and for the love of Pete, you can't quite put your finger on it?

This morning, I looked at Scarlett, and Scarlett looked at me, and in that moment, I knew that our souls needed a Pumpkin Spice Latte (me) and a trip to The Dog Park (her). 

I was right.

I hope you guys had a great weekend.

Love,
 H.

A million ways to be kind

I have mentioned Meg Fee probably about a million and one times.  President of the Meg Fee fan club.  Yes.  Yes. A thousand times yes.  I don't know how I found her blog, but Her Story is a Long Story.

Then again, who's isn't?

Here is a tiny glimpse of what she's written about health, food, and body image lately.


     i also worked out that sometimes going to the gym just isn't in the cards. and so i get a massage instead. because there are a million different ways we can be kind to our bodies. and because when i'm ready i do return. and the pulsing and the squats and the pain of it all--well, my body likes it, even if i don't.


I think what hurts us- what really hurts us is the inability to forgive ourselves.

I skipped the gym.  I ate that donut.

So then we are horrible to ourselves.  At least I am.  There is this now-or-never mentality.

I ate a donut during Sunday School Hour and now my whole day life is ruined.

...Really?

What I love about Meg's post is that she is honest and she is brave and she is kind.

And her kindness makes me want to show kindness.  To myself.  To others.


You must read it.  You must.  

Love,
H.

Oskar's List

     I know the internet will be overwhelmed with blog posts, tweets, and Facebook status updates about 9/11.  I definitely do not want to be overly dramatic (because I didn't lose anyone on that day), but I absolutely dread this date every year.  Not that anyone actually looks forward to it, but the feeling seems to get worse as I get older.

     This time last year, I had just finished reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close which is about a boy named Oskar who loses his father in the attacks on September 11th.

   To put it bluntly, after reading it, I got a little obsessed.  I can remember spending the better part of an entire day finishing the book and then researching facts about 9/11.  Watching youtube videos.  Looking up documentaries.  The list goes on.

     I started trying to list really obscure things that would have been in the buildings at the time.  It sounded like something Oskar would do.  Someone had walked in the office and put their lunch in the fridge.  I bet someone had a houseplant on their desk.

Man, I love a good houseplant.

And listing things made me sad.

     It was sort of sick.  Really.  Not sick as in "twisted" but sick as in maybe not that healthy.  I guess I was trying to re-grieve if that's possible.  I don't know.  I think, perhaps, I was trying to make the whole thing more relatable.  I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around all of it.

     I woke up this morning with a lot of hope.  I love Cincinnati.  I love Ohio.  I adore this country.  I know we've had our mess ups.  Plenty.  But I believe we are a nation that always roots for the underdog.  We are still a nation "under God" whether people want to believe that or not.  The Bible is full of characters who have screwed up and afterwards been rescued...redeemed.

I think we are a nation in waiting.  We are waiting to be rescued by Jesus.

This weekend, I'm going to light a candle, say a prayer, and be grateful.

Be near, O God.

Source: fortheloveofprep.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Love,
H.

I spread my arms out wide, making the letter T with my body as if I was about to perform some kind of magic trick.  The water looked like glass before me as I stood in the dark, taking in my surroundings.  The turquoise sky, the stars, the moon.

Our longtime family friends recently purchased a fix-er-upper not too far from us.  The first thing they "fixer-ed up" was, of course, the gorgeous in ground pool.  What smart friends I have, I tell ya.'

So, on this night, I found myself surrounded by friends.  Some of whom I have known for 25 years.  Some for 20 and some for, "I don't remember life without them."  That's how long.

It was a somewhat spontaneous gathering.  Earlier in the evening, text messages were sent.  Voicemails left.  Calls made.  Several of us just seemed to land there.  One by one, we filed in.  We came to explore.  To be together.  To celebrate.  At this old-new-house.  Pizza was ordered.  Greetings exchanged.  Playlists were set.

It was a wonderful night, and I feel so lucky that so many of us have landed here- in this city, barely half an hours drive away from any one of us.  Most of us even less than that.

As we chatted about swimming, I decided that I have a new rule.

When the opportunity presents itself, S  W   I   M.

For the love of Pete, get in the pool.  None of this, "Do I want to get may hair wet?"  "I'll get in if you get in..."  "Do I want to drive home wet?"

Yes.  Yes you do.  God made leather car seats for a reason, now get.in.the.pool.

How many opportunities do you get to swim at night?  Especially in The Midwest.

From now on, the statement will not be, "I'll get in if you get in."

From now on, I will proclaim, "I'm getting in.  Who else is with me?"

Needless to say, a swimsuit was found.  A towel was borrowed which left me here.  Staring at the water, breathing in the faint scent of chlorine and feeling completely at peace.

For the first time in a long time, I truly believed that everything- everywhere is eventually going to be o.k.

Source: tumblr.com via Andie on Pinterest

Source: woolgatheringandmiscellany.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Love and more night swimming,
H.