Starting Now: 2013

Friday, February 1, 2013

1. Absolutely love and am so grateful for Friday night payday budged meetings with Andy. Progress, always moving forward!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

1. An impromptu quickie lunch with a friend.
2. Climbing up the slides with Lily at the park after school and watching her spin down the grassy hillside, gaining momentum like a figure skater, made us both laugh and smile. Definitely something to be grateful for.
3. Seeing someone accomplish something they set out to do, and learned in the process.
4. Seeing a picture text of one of my aunts out celebrating for her birthday today.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

1. Thankful that my coworkers and I are safe after a fretful afternoon with a shooter on the loose in a range too close for my comfort.
2. Grateful for the courage of Gabby Giffords and so many more working to prevent, or at least reduce unnecessary violence caused by guns and other avenues that impact how society views violence.
3. Thankful for my brother's positive attitude today even despite a setback of not getting a hoped for job offer.
4. Good news from a friend that will help her and her growing family continue to live debt free.
5. Seeing far away family enjoy their birthday via Facebook.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Wednesday, January 29, 2013

1. Grateful for our own hot water, and to my incredibly talented, brave and loving husband for fixing the hot water heater. As I said earlier, I don't know any other man who can paint the girls' nails, make a mean Bolognese, and fix a hot water heater all nearly in a day! He sure is full of surprises, that man of mine!
2. A mother at work today coming to terms with her grief and daughter's death while surrounded by caring people.
3. Learning to see things in a different light, such as my approach to work projects, eases my stress and boosts my confidence.
4. Hearing Andy tell the story of our engagement.
5. Picking up a dear friend from the airport.
6. Another dear friend's baby safely turned head down in preparation for delivery.

Monday, January 28, 2013

1. Bringing a friend a smile, getting one just as big in return, and my heart swelling in the process.
2. Hot water. Definitely have an appreciation for this now that we don't have it while we're waiting for a part for the hot water heater to arrive. Showers and bath time at families homes has been incredible, truly a treat!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Starting Again

Hello Karen! Welcome back to the page dear friend! It's so nice to see you back to writing, reflecting, practicing gratitude and doing something positive!

Exhale of release and thanks... Ahhh... I needed that little pep talk, self, thank you!

I am returning to my starts here for the purpose of keeping my mind healthy, in hopes to each day hold the preciousness of life in my heart, and to feel that each day I am contributing to something positive - either within, or given out to the world.

This is for today; for everyday, thanks to a Facebook friend post:

And my favorite moments of gratitude for today:

Time together as a family at the park, the desert scenery fresh after an AZ winter rain storm all weekend, spontaneous kisses from my dear girls, and root beer floats.

Welcome to Starting Now

Starting Now, I am starting to finish. Always prolific in my starts, I give birth to many ideas that flutter like a baby bird leaving the nest for the first time. In what feels to be the thick of my life (see "About Me"), there is no better time than now to take flight, to make my finishes as abundant as my starts. I no longer have limitless time or desire to clean up the mental and physical chaos created by starting many things and not fnishing one.

It is my hope that in starting now (for there is only now) and starting here on the page, that I will reach through the initial excitement of a thought, a project, a relationship just beginning, etc.... I will abandon my fear of yet another fallen start, sorrow heavy on my mind and in my heart to instead, give strong wings to my start, life to my lungs, and clarity to my psyche as I soar from one project to the next.

A bit lofty, I realize, but in starting this blog, I am creating accountabilty for myself to show up at the page every day. To show up is to write every day. Create. Improve every day. Learn. Hone the idea, thought, project, progress every day. Grow. And perhaps, learn from others who care to share their ideas on starts and finishes, as together, we spur a community of finishers able to relish in the life and gift - to ourselves and those we share our lives and gifts with - of what we finished, and what we start anew, again, now.

The idea is that as I embark on a start, I will track it here to its finish. Add thoughts if you like, or share your own starts, what you learn along the way, ideas for improvement and efficiency, how you enjoy the journey. For I realize that life is not simply about finishing, but the journey along the way. Yet, I am learning that to finish (something, anything, if even just for today it is folding the laundy and putting it away), boosts my confidence and becomes the catalyst for the birth and life of another start. Another contribution to our beautiful world.

My Life

Mother to Lily and Emmy, two young girls alike only in their adoring, interesting, active, sensitive, loving, creative ways; wife to Andy who has an uncanny resemblance of characteristics to the ways of our girls and who is a recovering (at least that is my wish!) non-finisher like me; caretaker of our human-like Irish red and white setter named Molly, and;

Breathe, ahhhh

Active participant in our lives filled with work, school, deadlines I struggle to meet, homework, cooking, appointments, relationships, laughter, sometimes screaming (we’re all working on that), play, bills, travel, gymnastics, walks with the dog, reading, managing technology and schedules, exercising our independence and learning to work together (and the balance of the two), trying to make healthy choices, and, did I forget anything?

Yes! In honor of my first start, breathing fully (I often forget to do this) and practicing gratitude. Thank you breath, for you give me life!