by Jenny Black and Jenny Watson

Manic Monday: Re-entry

2012-01-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Vacation is wonderful, isn't it?

Coming home is even better.

Except for that awkward day or two when I am back in my real life, but my brain can't quite remember how to do it.

Where did I leave off?

Where do I start?

How do I get myself back into the life that I left?

I read somewhere about a woman who always gave herself one day "off" between vacation and real life. I like that idea. I also wonder if she had children.

Here is my Re-entry for Real Life plan:

1. take the morning slow. don't get dressed. drink my coffee. have another cup. eat a late breakfast. extra snuggling and talking with the kids.

2. make a list. what comes to my mind? write it down. plan a time this week to return emails/calls (not today). plan a time to go through the mail (not today).

3. do laundry. it is the perfect chore to do when my brain is not functioning very well. fold clothes while I watch a show or two (or five-we sort of got addicted to Once Upon a Time on ABC).

4. buy food. make a run to the grocery store for the basics. (it might be good to get dressed for this excursion.) this is not the week for me to get into delicious dinners. just the simple stuff. Always preferred by my kids and perfect for the week after vacation eating.

5. go to bed early. maybe just maybe I will wake up well-rested tomorrow and my Real Life will make sense to me again.

Manic Monday: basic self-care

2012-01-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

Self-care is a popular term for women, but I have realized we often think in terms of girl's night or pedicures and although those are certainly a part of self-care, sometimes we need a reminder to do things that are even more basic.

ZZZZZZzzzzzz. Let's start with sleep. One of my favorites. Do you know how many hours of sleep you need a night? Have you given yourself space and grace to take a nap? For years, I thought taking naps meant I was lazy, now I know they are a common secret to many of the most productive (and happy!) people. Get your rest. So important. If you are not rested, it will not make a difference how cute your toes are. (To read: The Promise of Sleep.)

Food. My second favorite. I am a huge fan of treating myself to cupcakes and ice cream when I need some extra love, so I am all for treats, but I am talking about real food. Especially breakfast! Moms, wake up and eat. Eat some protein, eat some fruit, fill your tank for the big day you have ahead of you. You could be tired because you need sleep or you could be tired because you need food. Probably it's both. Pack a lunch and snacks for yourself, just like you would for kids. We need good food to function. Have treats in addition to real meals, but call treats a meal. You deserve healthy delicious food. Try to eat every 3 hours. It will change your life. I am also a big fan of juice plus, especially if your body has been fed by kid's leftovers for the past several years. (To read: The 3-hour Diet.)

Get back into your body. This body is yours. Does it feel like it belongs to you? Get inside of yourself. Remember how your legs and arms and muscles feel? Are you in pain anywhere? It is time to schedule that appointment to get that problem taken care of. In fact, schedule all those important annual exams. Get that tooth fixed. Do physical therapy for your shoulder. Take a walk in your neighborhood. Get a gym membership. Try any and every class that looks interesting. Consider yoga, spinning, boxing, or body pump depending on what is FUN to you. My personal favorite form of fitness is Zumba. You might make some new friends and that is a self-care two for one deal, right there.
(To read: Spark: the revolutionary new science of the brain and exercise.)

Water. Water. Water. What do you pour yourself (or pick up at a drive-thru) when you are feeling tired or stressed? Coffee? Diet Drinks? Wine? It is a joke in my family that if anything is wrong with anyone, my solution is drink water. It does a body good. Like miraculous good. There is some wonderful research out there, but when you understand what dehydration does to your body, you see that of course we are tired, anxious, not thinking clearly. If you can make no other changes to your life today but drinking more water, do it. My personal goal is to drink 100 oz. a day. I have a couple of water bottles that I love and I keep one with me at all times, refilling it about 4x a day. (To read: Your Body's Many Cries for Water.)

Even though you already know that sleep, food, exercise and water are essential to meet your basic needs, we are so busy driving kids around and meeting deadlines at work that these basic needs get ignored.

You cannot take care of your children, your job, or pursue your passions if you are not taking care of your basics. It takes intention.

Whatever you have to let go of to make this basic self-care possible, you must. Just ask Maslow.

december 24th

2011-12-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read the Advent Devotion.

Today, help Mom and Dad pack up the car and enjoy the drive...

Laughing all the way!"

We are taking our Christmas over the river and through the woods this year.

I had planned today to be a packing, traveling, doing kind-of-day, so I was surprised with the gift of a quiet, contemplative morning.

The sun was not even up when I smelled coffee brewing. I came down stars to the softest music, candles lit, tree glowing and my sweet husband reading by the fire. We sat in the stillness, the pause, between yesterday's grand celebration and tomorrow's big plans.

I am looking forward to our quaint Christmas in the country.

But the anticipation, the waiting, the planning, and the new traditions we have started this year make me just a little sad that it is almost over.

I have NEVER said that about the holidays before.

May you find the quietest moment this Christmas Eve to savor the thrill of anticipation.

december 23rd

2011-12-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion.

Take notice of all your blessings today.

Try to count them."

We had "Grammy Christmas" today. It is the climax of the holiday season for the kids. So many cousins. So much food. Too many presents to count. We watched a movie of our Christmas together 12 years together. We watched a movie of our Christmas together 2 years ago. They all add up to something pretty wonderful.

I have been so busy years past trying to make it through the holidays that I have missed being IN them.

It was this day last year that was Granny Black's last day on earth. Maybe we felt that this year. I am not sure what it was. But there was an awareness that what we have today, this moment and all the moments that we've shared up to this time, equals something very special.

Merry Grammy Christmas to YOU!

december 22nd

2011-12-24T06:10:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and tonight, as a family,

read The Night Before Christmas"

december 21st

2011-12-24T06:07:00.001-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion!

After you have done that ask Mom about our plans for the day."

december 20th

2011-12-24T06:05:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion

and

send an email to someone who has been a good friend to you."

december 19th

2011-12-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion.

At dinner tonight with ALL FOUR of your Grandparents,

tell each of them about a lesson they have taught you."

december 18th

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion.

As a family, talk about where you see God's Spirit in your world."

december 17th

2011-12-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion.

Tonight we will make eggnog and hot chocolate

and play games by the fire."

It takes so much planning to pull off Christmas morning. Sometimes I forget that the best moments are the ones that just happen. We had an "express Christmas" with my family last night.

We packed my (new!) car with presents. Used a Groupon for a dozen cupcakes. Did FaceTime with my brother's family in Texas. And topped off the night with dinner at a mexican restaurant.

We shared a moment that all of us will remember forever. I was smiling for days remembering our time together.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

It doesn't have to cost anything.

It doesn't have to be on the calendar for months.

My son summed the evening up when he said,

"I had my expectations really low for this night and I am having the best time!"

Tonight, we did make hot chocolate (with the packages of Starbuck's salted caramel and the magic of the Cocomotion). We lit the fire. We played our Christmas music.

My daughter won Clue on her first turn.

My husband kicked our tail in Yatzee.

I was thrilled that my kids were finally old enough to play 16 rounds of Count Down.

Our expectations took a vacation for a couple of days and we were free to enjoy each other.

december 16th

2011-12-22T10:24:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and put a surprise in the mailbox for our mailman."

I know...it is a common courtesy to give a gift to your postman/woman/person. But in years past, that has always been just one more thing on my list that I never get to. One of my friends told me that the person who delivered her paper left an address so she would know where to send Christmas tips. This is the kind of obligation that makes me bristle. My mailman has never done that.

And it is in these 8/9 days till Christmas that I start to feel the pressure that I have been not so successful at warding off with my sacred Christmas plans.

Even though all the presents are bought and wrapped, suddenly my children change their minds about what they want from Santa. Even details like their favorite color change.

Remember our Advent Mission to deliver dog treats?

Well, one of those neighbor's delivered a special gift to my daughter to thank her.

My daughter said,

"This is the best gift I have ever received."

Yes, she is known to be dramatic. And the sweet gift of candy and a teddy bear figurine, while wonderful, could not be the BEST gift, right?

She further explained, "What I mean is that all the gifts I get someone is supposed to get me (because I am their daughter/granddaughter/cousin/niece), but when someone gives you a gift that you do not deserve and they don't even know you...that is the gift that means the world to you."

Today, notice the gifts that no one was "obligated" to give to you and receive them with joy.

december 15th

2011-12-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and

Go to the Library!

Deliver a treat to our favorite librarian."

My love for the library, well, there are not enough words. I love books. I love free books. I love used books. I love reading them. I love listening to them. I love sharing them. I love returning a big stack and checking out an even bigger stack. And I love our librarian.

He knows us by name. He changes due dates for our lost cds and missing books. He knows when books are waiting for us. He knows when we are waiting for particular books. It all just feels so very Mayberry-ish.

Our stop by the grocery store to get Sir Librarian a gift was not so dear. My daughter became quite attached to a gift tin that was too small for the treats we had already found. I chose another container that she did not love and would not let her change the treat to fit in the tin. Does this seem harsh? I just wanted to get out of the store and move on with our day. She quite firmly told me that this was supposed to be from HER and that it was NOT. As if this was all a giant deception we were pulling over on our library friend.

I went into robot-mom mode and smiled blankly through the check-out line. This is not who I want to be. Not at Christmas-time. Not at any time.

Good thing we were headed to the library to stock up on books to fill the hours of quality time we have ahead of us.

A few of our finds:

The Cricket in Time Square by George Seldon

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Blast from the Past by Meg Cabot

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

May you find something to snuggle up and read as you recover from the stress of holiday shopping.

december 14th

2011-12-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's devotion and then go on a hunt for change around the house and in the car.

Deliver it to the Salvation Army bell ringer."

Sometimes I amuse myself with my grand plans.

Ok, so it doesn't sound like a grand plan. But you know, there are days when the smallest things feel daunting.

This was the last day of school. And we have worked really hard to get here. We were wiped out. All of us. I had no energy to inspire the kids to go on a scavenger hunt. I took a bath and was in my pajamas before the sun went down. The kids played way too many video games and I spent too much time on Pinterest.

We ate dinner in shifts and then I made cookies. They were really delicious. Everyone else in my house is in their own space right now. I am listening to my White Christmas Pandora station.

It seemed a good time to read today's Advent Devotion:

Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" ~John 1:22

Who are you?

What do you say about yourself?

In business, parenting, updating my fb status, figuring out how to tweet, finding my place at church, even pinning "my style"...I am constantly trying to answer those questions.

And some days it's nice to stop.

Sometime soon we will collect our spare change. We will deliver it to the jolly ones who diligently ring that bell outside of Kroger. And we will feel a little pleased with ourselves for sharing the tiniest bit of our abundance.

But tonight, I will find rest from trying to figure out what I am supposed to give. I will take a break from answering all the questions about who I am. And for today, I will practice what it means to just be.

May you know you are loved. Just for being.

december 13th

2011-12-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and after school deliver a treat to Dad at his office.

Tell him something you really value about him."

So, I wasn't prepared for school ending at 9:45 am (because of exams).

I did not anticipate the adrenaline that someone must have injected into my children in their sleep.

I can't believe I still have 12 more days of this ahead of me.

Peace on Earth.

Goodwill toward men.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Who am I kidding? I can't. Sometimes you just run out and today I am out.

The kids are in good spirits.

They loved delivering "jr. cheeseburgers with ketchup only" to their dad.

Their letters were full of things they noticed, but you don't think kids do.

Like how much they appreciate all the work my husband has been doing to get a new car.

As the day wore on, they could also clearly sense that I was in need of a break.

While I was writing, they both got all up in my space and said,

"Mom, I think you need to leave early for work today and treat yourself to a little me time.''

Of course, they really just wanted my computer for themselves. But I took their advice and gave myself a break. I tossed a book into my purse and found my way to a warm restaurant to snuggle into for a couple of hours of mindless alone time.

May you find peace today and goodwill toward (wo)man.

Treat yourself to some well-needed "me time".

december 12th

2011-12-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion and go shopping for the Ramey boys.

Try to find gifts that can easily be tucked into Todd and Laura's suitcases."

I met a lady at the gym today whose husband lost his job last year.

She said, "This wasn't the life we planned for."

A friend recently received a terrifying diagnosis. "We are sad and scared," she confesses.

Another family close to our hearts waits and waits and waits for the arrival of their 3 boys from Haiti. "The big question we always get is, 'so when do you get your boys?' We wish we had an answer to that" (ibelieveinyou).

These were the musings of my morning, when I read today's devotion:

"by paths they have not known, I will guide them" Isaiah 42:16.

How comforting to know that when we fall, scrape ourselves, trip in the dark, bump into a tree, doubt ourselves and God...we are being guided through it all.

"There is a light. No matter how dark it may become, there is a radiance that will not be denied, that cannot be ignored" (followthestar).

May you know the light, feel it's warmth, on every step of your path today.

december 11th

2011-12-12T06:23:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Look up Isaiah 61:4 in our big white Bible.

What does this mean to you?

Today, think of a way you could show your brother/sister

how important they are to you."

It feels like my kids are never home at the same time. Even though I had to work last night, I attempted an early family dinner because I wanted us to have some place of connection before everyone got into the busy week ahead of us.

With less than 30 minutes to have some quality family time, I was a little tense.

Rushing my daughter downstairs after her shower, impatiently asking my son to get drinks for everyone, and just generally irritated in the direction of my husband.

Because, dang-it, we were going to connect tonight.

I caught myself, took a deep breath, tried to listen to their conversation. I smiled and laughed at their stories, stealing glances at the clock as I counted down how many minutes we had to "relax and enjoy" each other.

We had a good 10 minutes to spare and that is when I said, "Hey guys, want to move over by the fire and do our advent devotion together?"

Even though I am usually a stickler about everyone cleaning up their own plates, I was saying, "Just leave your plate there. come on, let's get going." My daughter still had spaghetti hanging from her mouth as I pulled her over to the living room.

Are you sensing this is not going to be good?

Well, you are right.

The translation of the verse from Isaiah in our big white Bible just confused the kids. While I was trying to get them off their heads and sit properly on the couch, they got in a pillow fight. So, I get louder and louder trying to tell them what I think "binding up the broken-hearted" means. While my husband is trying to figure out if he should read the verse himself or yell at the kids or pour me a drink.

In the middle of the madness, I stand up and say good-bye.

It seemed the most gracious thing to do.

I grabbed my keys, went downstairs, and off to church to teach a class on happy marriage.

Two hours later, I came home to two kids tucked in bed and a cute husband sitting by the fire with his eggnog listening to christmas music.

I hugged the kids good-night.

Enjoyed a quiet evening with my man.

No one said, "I am so sorry about the way we acted."

"Mom, why are you such a freak?"

I have a new understanding of why it is important to "say grace" whenever two or more are gathered, especially at dinner time.

Let us whisper "grace" into our own hearts and the ears of those who are kind enough to share their homes, meals and lives with us, even when we act like a freak.

december 10th

2011-12-10T13:16:00.001-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Read the Advent Devotion and then look for an opportunity to show kindness or appreciation for someone throughout your day."

We had a packed morning beginning with a swim meet and everyone was moving in different directions the rest of the day. Today's advent mission had to be something the kids could do on their own.

I read the devotion on my iphone during some of the down time at the meet.

"Peace. One definition of peace is “normal.” It is the state that is without war and without violence. I am not sure I would claim it as normal. I look around and what I normally see is stress, anxiety, worry, and chaos. People running from one activity to the next, working on a paper and project, and studying for a test — this seems to be normal...

Can we decide that our new normal is PEACE?"

~Michelle Thomas-Bush

All I had to do was look around the giant middle school event and see the stress, anxiety, worry and chaos that surrounded me. As well as courage, excitement and the thrill of the competition. We watched friends and family cheer on the winners and celebrate the last guy to complete his laps. In the midst of all that chaos there was a sweet sweet spirit.

As my son climbed out of the water of his last race, he found out that he had been disqualified for not touching the side with both hands. We said we were really proud of him anyway. Even though he was bummed, he was also relieved to be warm and to be done, so we quickly walked out to the car to move on with our full day.

When we were driving I started thinking about the Advent Mission: to show someone kindness. I asked B if he had a chance to do that at the meet. He said he cheered on his friends but he didn't say or do anything thinking about who needed kindness.

I asked him what he would think about offering himself kindness for being disqualified.

He thought that was a great idea.

Our own anxious hearts are desperate for kindness.

Today, let us see our anxiety, worry, chaos, and stress as exhausted, confused, and overwhelmed parts of us.

Give yourselves the same kindness and aprecitation that you would give to someone else who was working so hard on your behalf. Especially during the Holidays!

december 9th

2011-12-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Want to go grocery shopping today? Neither do I. Today, let's show some appreciation to the people who help us at the store all of the time. When we get our groceries, we will deliver a gift."

It might not seem life changing to you, but when one of my friends introduced me to online grocery shopping, food changed for me and my family. I don't know if I just can't handle the stress of choosing between 34 versions of everything on my list or if that my list is just another piece of paper I can't find when I need it, if I bothered to write one...for these reasons and so many more, I LOVE Harris Teeter's Express Lane.

I can place my order online in less than 20 minutes. I am usually sitting in my kitchen, so I can look at my fridge and pantry to see what I do and don't need. I pull into the lovely drive through, push a button, say my name and a beautiful human brings out my sorted and bagged food, placing it right in my trunk.

So, all this to say, a gift to our grocery-store friend was a gift of deep appreciation for all the ways she has helped us this year.

After I got the kids from school, we went shopping for a few gifts and found a big mug gift with chocolate, hot chocolate and cookies in it. It was not our usual helper, but we were happy just the same to share a gift of Christmas with her.

As soon as my daughter handed the gift to her saying, "Merry Christmas!"

The woman said, "I will make sure and get this to the woman who is regularly here."

She shut the trunk and moved on quickly, so I trusted the gift was going to go to whoever needed a little treat this day.

This is a common theme in my life these days (The Widow's Mite/The Artist's Courage):

We offer our gifts and then we release them.

What joy to imagine the things that what we choose, create and share with another might have a purpose beyond our vision and plans.

december 8th

2011-12-09T06:20:00.001-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"It is my turn to give: Order anything you want at Sonic after school today."

I forgot to write that they should read the Advent Devotion as well. But after they opened up box #8, they went straight to the computer and I heard the now familiar music of follow the star.

On the drive to school I asked them what the devotion was about.

B (my 12 year old) : Mom, it was freaky. It was about God burning up the earth and heaven. Even the people in heaven are going to get burned up.

Me: Where was the scripture from?

B: Probably Revelations.

Me: Oh.

(thinking...this doesn't seem very Christmasy at all.)

The verse was actually from 2Peter. It is about holiness and godliness and waiting. And blazing fires.

We didn't ever make it to Sonic. For reasons connected to bad attitudes.

So, shall we call it a bad advent day? A day when God's word does not make sense. A day when we miss out on new good things because we are so angry that everything isn't going our way.

As one of my dear friends says, "It all belongs."

What else do I really have to offer God, but all of me? Today that includes my bad attitude, my disappointments, and my mistakes. Only when all of me is offered can I appreciate and receive the gift of being unconditionally welcomed and comforted by the One who is holy.

"On this Advent road, the star lights our path with hope and comfort."

Follow The Star

december 7th

2011-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar Today:

"Have a family advent time this morning or this evening.

The first week of advent is over.

What do you think so far?

Is it better to give than receive?"

Reflections on Today's Devotion:

Today is a day of giving thanks for those who paved the way for us, just like John did for Jesus.

Even Jesus had someone pave the way for him.

Another example of humility.

WE need each other.

Not having a car this week has been a gift for me on many levels.

I have spent more hours in the car than anywhere else since August.

As a result of car issues, I have had 3 days at my home sweet home.

Some of our friends let us borrow their car.

Another friend drove me around town.

A teacher drove my son to play practice.

My mom did the after school crazy car schedule for me.

I am very aware of my "neediness" these days.

While I am intentional this advent season, to encourage my children to give, it seems the lesson for me is in learning to receive.

It is new for me to welcome my own neediness.

In welcoming my need (as a blessing, not a curse)

I can graciously receive the gifts that my dear friends and family share with me.

So, is it better to give than to receive? There are precious gifts in both packages, the ones we thoughtfully place in the hands of others and the ones that are wrapped especially for us.

May you receive the joy of both giving and receiving Christmas.

december 6th

2011-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar today:

"Read today's devotion and then leave the house early to eat breakfast at Starbuck's. Remember to get your teacher's treats and tip your Barista generously!"

As a result of being a one car family, all four of us drove together this morning. It felt so old fashioned. Amazed at how fast my kids got ready.

Our time at Starbuck's was the perfect way to begin the day because both kids had their first finals. They had put in a lot of studying and been under a lot of stress. (I hate the idea of stress and kids, but such is life.) They bought cinnamon rolls for their teachers. Learned how to tip at a coffee shop (and they learned what Barista means.)

We dropped them off at school with big tests ahead of them and big smiles on their faces.

Hopefully, we will get to the devotion this evening. It is finally sinking in for me that I am the one who needs these devotions. They may or may not settle into my kids hearts, but they are helping me tremendously. I will receive them as my gift of sanity and simplicity. Surely my kids will notice and appreciate that gift of Christmas!

december 5th

2011-12-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar today:

"Think of how much your teachers do for you every day.

Write a letter to one who you are especially thankful for.

Tomorrow morning deliver it with a treat from Starbuck's

Don't forget to read today's advent devotion."

Because of school we didn't get to the advent calendar/devotion until tonight.

Nights like tonight remind me of why I have not tried to do something like this in a while.

The kids were hysterical.

We tried to get them to refocus.

We asked for their thoughts.

They told us about a girl at school who just got her braces off.

And showed us pictures they discovered while looking up the Bible verse.

They thought they were the funniest people ever.

And could not stop laughing.

I am really proud of both my husband and myself.

Because we laughed with them.

We looked at the pictures.

We let go of our agenda.

We let ourselves appreciate what was sacred about this night.

And sent the kids to bed early.

december 4th

2011-12-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion online and then make packages of the dog treats to deliver to our neighbor-pups."

The kids spent the night with their grandparents last night, so they did not open the calendar until they got home this evening. It was a good thing, too, because I had to change it.

We have been having car problems. Not just with one car, but both. This meant I was at home all day and would not be able to take them on the errand required for the activity I originally planned behind door #4. We were only able to make the dog treats yesterday, not deliver them (they were supposed to sit out overnight), so I decided to make delivery today's advent mission.

It is amazing how much you can do when you are stuck at home. At first, I was only frustrated with what I would not be able to do, including run by the store. It ended up to be such a gift, to sit at home and see all I already have. I found dinner ingredients behind some ice cream in the freezer. The gift tags to finish wrapping presents were made from index cards and old ribbon instead of the cute ones I planned on getting from target. And the mission today was simply to walk outside our front door share the gifts we had already finished that were setting on our kitchen counter .

The scripture in the devotion today begins,

"Comfort, O Comfort my people, says your God..." (Isaiah 40:1)

Comfort.

How can we experience it deeply?

How can we offer it genuinely and generously?

Sit. Still. Breathe. Look around at what you have. From the precise spot you are in this very moment. You don't have to drive anywhere to find it. You don't have to accomplish anything to get it. Right here is the only place Comfort ever promises to be.

Comfort, O Comfort.

I felt it today...

as I scrounged around for dinner ingredients,

as I hung the last ornament,

as I yelled at my kids to stop fighting over the computer,

as we tried to figure out our car situation,

as I listened to my daughter read the devotion to our family,

as I bickered with my husband,

as I sit here now, with everyone else in bed

and only the christmas lights to keep me company.

Comfort, O Comfort...to you my friends, right where you are.

december 3rd

2011-12-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar today:

"Today, after reading the Advent Meditation

Let's show some love to our neighbor dogs!

We will make homemade dog treats-apple cinnamon."

Both kids loved today's mission. They were so excited to dig in and cook up these treats. We used the last apple in our fruit bowl in this recipe. While my daughter was chopping it up, I asked the kids about the devotion today. My son re-read it to us. The advent devotion today talks about loving the church the way God loves us.

I asked them if they knew what a church is?

My daughter said, "It is a place where people gather to worship."

Then I said, "Who is the church?"

She said, "All the people who gather to worship."

I said, "So when we love others, we are actually worshiping God. Actually, when we honor anything in creation we worshiping God, even the dogs in our neighborhood."

She took in a deep breath and said, "O my gosh, Mom! Do you know what I just realized? I am worshipping God all of the time."

I said, "I can't believe we are putting a juicy Honey Crisp Apple in these dog treats."

Avery said, "Mom, we are worshipping GOD. Don't you think He deserves a delicious apple?"

Watch and wait. When I am looking, I can see that the real gifts of Christmas always come at the perfect time.

december 2nd

2011-12-02T04:56:00.000-08:00

In the Advent Calendar today:

"Read today's Advent Devotion online and then look up Acts 20:35 in the Bible.

~Why do you think the Bible says it is better to give then receive?

~Do you really believe that is true?"

The devotion today read that because of God's grace,

we are not lacking anything while we wait (1 Cor. 1:3-7).

We partially decorated our Christmas tree. And then it was time to go to bed. I looked at the tree this morning and thought, there's another thing I need to finish before I can set back and enjoy the holidays. I think it is my favorite Christmas tree we have ever had. It is tall and proud, well-lit and quite unaffected by it's spaces without ornaments. The devotion today reminds me that just because something is unfinished, it doesn't mean that it is incomplete.

So far, the theme of this time in Advent is waiting and giving. When we make a choice to give while we sit in the space between wanting and getting, we realize what we have. We notice the completeness of God's grace. We notice the spaces in other people's lives. We notice that we are not alone on this journey of waiting. There is comfort and companionship here.

My 12 year old had school this morning, my 10 year old did not. My son woke up my daughter 3 hours before her preferred waking time so that they could open the advent calendar together. I don't yet know what she thought of today (other than she is still a little ticked for not getting tiny treats in there) because she quickly returned to her snug bed. But when I asked him about the message today, he said it was about giving being better than getting.

He said, "It really is better because it just feels so good when someone likes what you got for them. But, I am a kid so it is hard for me to really BELIEVE that."

It's not just a kid thing thing, though. Over the years I have waited for many things, believing that only when I had them, I could be complete: the new house, the healthy baby, the parent to make it through surgery okay, the bank to not overdraft, the house to be clean, the book to be published, the debt to be paid off...

What better lesson to teach my children then that life is about waiting, about not always having all of our expectations fulfilled? That in the space of expectation, the lack of everything we want, grace is found.

You have no idea how much I am dying to go buy a bunch of tiny things for my daughter today. I am questioning my own plan. But I will wait in the discomfort of the incompletion (as I sip my coffee and relish the incompleteness of my Christmas tree) and trust that the gift of grace will find it's way in my home.

december 1st

2011-12-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Inside the Advent Calendar today:

"Have you ever wondered why this is called an advent calendar?

(Your latin class will help you figure it out and so will Wikipedia :)

Light a candle and read today's advent message

using the Devotional Link in our bookmark bar."

The scripture was Mark 13:35-37.

It was about keeping awake.

I asked the kids what they thought that meant. Did it mean Jesus doesn't want us to sleep? They thought He was saying to stay awake so you don't miss Him.

I like that. Not missing out on sleep, of course. But staying aware, above the stress and shopping lists, the decorating and the cooking, so that I don't miss the presence of God working in and through my world.

When my son was telling my husband about what we read, he said, "We read about staying awake to God and not letting ourselves be distracted by commercialism." (huh.)

My daughter said, "So are we going to get any candy today? Any presents?"

I said, "You did get a present."

And I mean it. It is always hard to do to the thing for my kids that may not be the next dream come true moment for them. But their lives are pretty dreamy. An opportunity to teach my children about the things nearest and dearest to my heart is a gift of christmas that I can easily forget to share with them when I am busy trying to make all their Christmas morning wishes come true.

a sacred December

2011-12-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

It's hard to find tiny things to fit in our Advent Calendar. And, although I love the idea of little treasures to count down until Christmas, along with Happy the Elf hiding cleverly each day, and the chocolate calendar count down, and the lego calendar, and the 3 adorable Playmobil calendars, well...it just becomes too much.

In years past, we have had candy, christmas book titles, little stamps, little ornaments, notes that led them to different pre-christmas presents like luggage for a trip or pajamas.

This Christmas my kids are 10 and 12 years old. I decided this was a good year to use the Advent Calendar to help us as a family find the sacred in this holiday. As I last posted, it is a struggle for me to not lose myself, my patience, my joy in this season of expectation.

One thing we will be doing is visiting this website each morning: followingthestar.

I will post each day what the kid's find in the advent calendar and how it all works out.

Great Expectations

2011-11-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

The word of the day:

expectation, noun.

1. the act of expecting or state of being expected; anticipation.

Ex. the expectation of a good harvest.

(SYN) hope.

2. something expected or looked forward to.

expr. expectations, good reasons for expecting something; prospects.

Ex. He has expectations of money from a rich uncle.

Here I am, going along in my little world of growth and grace, and then SLAM-right into the great wall of expectations. All of my heart's freedom, strength, and anticipation turn on me and suddenly, I am the one people are looking to with expectations. This is my 13th year of playing Santa and being Christmas Morning Mama. I feel like the only way to get through it is to hold my breath, click on one more link that drains my credit card, and dream of January.

But, I absolutely cannot stand any season of my life to go to waste. How can I access peace of mind while rushing through department stores with "Peace on earth. Good will to men" playing in the background? If there is any truth I know, it is that true love, joy, peace, patience, etc. have no power at all if they are delicately balanced on my circumstances.

Giving and receiving gifts has become an obligation for me. Without all of the materialism and commercialism (and probably some more isms I don't even know about), finding a present that is a tiny representation of how I feel about someone is a precious opportunity. Opening my heart to receive what someone has thoughtfully chosen for me with graciousness is a lesson. To give and receive, not from a place of meeting expectations, but of sharing the smallest piece of God's goodness, is just about the most appealing thing I could be doing with my life right now.

So, Christmas, I've got something to say to you:

You will not steal my joy, you cannot have my peace. I will not even let you try my patience.

For the rest of these December days, I will be open to discovering and sharing the real gifts I have been given, and my heart and my hands will be open to receiving them.

(I wrote this 4 years ago on My Messy Sanctuary, but it is my Christmas devotion every year.)

Manic Monday: do you have time for a story?

2011-08-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Do you have time for a story?

My amazing friend asked me this question when I dropped by her house for just a few minutes yesterday morning. Of course, I did not really have the time. I made the time. Because Christina's stories are always worth the time.

Her question made me think how many days I rush through, even the really fun fabulous days of summer, without paying attention to the story it is telling me.

Other days, the story that needs to be told will not wait for me to finish writing my grocery list. It won't even wait for me to get dressed for the day. It demands to be told RIGHT NOW.

This is my first Manic Monday in many many weeks. Today was the day I was going to finally get to just a few things on my Manic list. I was on my back porch, drinking my coffee, still in my jammies, relishing one of the last long mornings of the season, when my daughter ran out to tell me that she needed my help. Her hamster, Lily, was missing.

Please note the picture above. See how there is a place for my daughter to play? An area of uncovered carpet. No. That space was not there this morning. Not a smidge of carpet in sight. Just a lot of dolls, stuffed animals, clothes, and tiny treasures for a cute chubby orange hamster to hide and crawl over and under for hours upon hours.

My son and I ran upstairs to help Avery. We locked ourselves in the bedroom, hoping to trap Lily in one space. Being the mother of the year that I am, I started to solve this problem by blaming my daughter for her messy room and her desire to have a hamster in the first place. Thankfully, I remembered my reading from More Language of Letting Go yesterday. Melody Beattie said that when we have problems, we often spend our energy on blaming ourselves and others for those problems instead of using the energy we have to solve the problem. (Thanks, Melody!) Because I was mad.

We all decided to work together to solve this problem. Which meant we had to clean up that room. We stayed focused, got all those toys off the floor. Once in a while we spied Lily's adorable face and all three of us humans, on our hands and knees, chased her all around the room. We cautiously moved furniture as not to crush that little beast. We tried to create barricades. She was unstoppable. Uncatchable.

After an hour and a half, we just had to leave the room. Avery thought to put Lily's cage on the floor and put some food all around it. With a hope and a prayer, we closed the door and went to Sam's to get some groceries.

The entire day, I had to live with the fact that there was a hamster running free in my house and there was nothing I could do but wait...wait for it to go back to it's house, wait for it to run into bed with me, wait for it to be dead in the toilet.

After HOURS of comforting a little girl who at 10 already suffers from all of the fear, pain and regret of a mom who failed her little one, I finally heard a glimmer of hope in Avery's voice as she called down to that she heard a noise in the back of her closet.

We tiptoed into her room, slowly and carefully pulling everything out of there. That little critter is so fast and squrimy. We could not catch her...but look where she caught herself:

Inside the candy claw machine. Seriously the best place anyone could be!

She threw quite a fit while we got her back into her actually cage, which included peeing all over me. She initially escaped because she has figured out how to use her little body to push up the side of the cage. We have now duct taped her cage closed. It is all so exhausting.

I really wanted to write a status update about our adventures with Lily today. But I didn't want to make my story as few words as possible. Would I have liked this story to fit into 140 charters or less? Yes. Yes, I would. But real stories aren't head lines. They are filled with blame and frustration, thrills and fears. They take hours and days and weeks and years to tell themselves. I want to make time for the stories my life has to tell.

And I want to hear your's too.

Manic Monday: what do I really value?

2011-06-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

All of the natural routines and norms of my life fly out my car window in the summer. There seems to be a party every night. A quick trip here and there. Repacking before even having a chance to unpack. Can't figure out when to buy groceries because they are going bad while we hop and skip around town meeting friends, swimming, staying out as late as possible.

Going to the gym?

Paying bills?

Planning meals?

That all seems SO last season.

Do you remember that summer between 9th and 10th grade? When the boys turned into large, low voice creatures? It was only 3 short months and they morphed into another human all together.

Growth spurts, hormonal shifts, late night conversations that change your life. I think that is what summer is all about. A break away from all routine that can provide us with new insight into ourselves, into our desires and, for me, a fresh perspective on the life I am living.

I have created this life. Some of it intentionally and more than I care to admit, quite a bit of it I created passively. Letting things creep into my life that are not me. And they have taken over. I have beautiful shelves and storage spaces in my house full of things that don't matter to me. And yet there is no place left for those things I value. I find them in stacks and piles, underneath the recycling. (The recycling that never gets recycled.)

Tuesday, June 21st at 9:30, we will be hosting the PLAYshop that is based on Chapter 4 in Unwritten Travels: Your Travel Guide. It could not come at a better time for me. This summer, my values are shifting as I learn more who I really am. This season of life requires a different focus on some values that have been dormant for a while.

Won't you join us?

To register for the PlayShops email us at UnwrittenTravels@gmail.com. include your name, email, mailing address, phone number, and the session number(s) you want to attend. Each session has a 5 person minimum and a 12 person maximum.

Payment must be received in order to hold your place.

Click HERE to send your payment for your PlayShop. Click on the PLAY tab and you will click on the note that says "Reserve your spot."

Summer PLAYshops

2011-05-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Session Four – Why do you waffle and waver?

Why aren’t you "fulfilled?"

Why do you have conflicts with others?

Tuesday June 21, 2011

9:30-12 AM

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: The Mooreland House, Brentwood TN

(directions will be sent with registration confirmation)

Life is full of tough choices.

When you become intentional about your values you can begin to live in harmony with who you are created to be. In this PlayShop you will identify the personal rules you live by and the rules you have for others. You will take a look at your personal compass and see how it is directing your life.

Session Five – Where did you come from?

Where do you want to go from here?

Tuesday August 23rd, 2011

9:30-12 AM

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: The Mooreland House, Brentwood TN

(directions will be sent with registration confirmation)

Your past does not have to define you, but it is where your story begins. If you try to get through life with out an appreciation for the entire experience of your background, you will stop your own growth and pass on the same story to the generations that come after you. In this PlayShop you will determine how your past has prepared you for your present and decide what legacy you want to leave. Today is someone’s yesterday. Examine your beginning to see how it impacts your now. Redeem it for your future.

Payment must be received in order to hold your place.

Click HERE to send your payment for your PlayShop. Click on the PLAY tab and you will click on the note that says "Reserve your spot."

We cannot wait to get started on all the fun with you.

Soul-Searching PLAYshop

2011-04-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Where is my purse? Where are my keys? Where is that water bottle I just had in my hand?

We have to search for what is urgent.
If we can’t find our keys, we can’t go to work; so we search.

We even search when we don’t really know we are doing it.

We listen to a report on the news about an issue.

We search our hearts and our minds instinctively to decide how we feel about that.

At Playshop session three, we searched.

We searched for ways that we could connect with our Spirits. We searched inside to begin to find out what we believe about spiritual things. It may not seem like an urgent thing. You can go about your day with out doing it. But whether we realize it or not, we are instinctively searching our souls throughout the day. Those decisions we make about the issues are tied to what we believe about God. The messages we are telling ourselves about ourselves are tied to what we believe about who we are created to be. Soul searching is urgent.

Those of us who have begun the search can promise you that.

And speaking of promises, you may just remember some that you have forgotten, and you may just be surprised to see how some of the promises of your heart are beginning to come true as you live in the truth you come to know in the Spirit.

We also painted.

We stopped our minds from racing with thoughts of our to-do lists even if only for a minute or two. We learned from each other. We left with new tools to use so that we can begin to listen to something other than the surface static that tends to fill our minds.

We had fun.

Who says searching has to be boring?

Remember going to slumber parties and having scavenger hunts. Playshop session three is like that. It’s like a slumber party for a few hours where you go on a scavenger hunt to find items that are inside you. Everybody wins, and everyone ends up with a prize.

Manic Monday: the mom list

2011-04-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

Is your brain as full as mine? I know it is.

We wake up with that list already running ahead of us. We have insane ideas of how much a human can actually accomplish in a day. We have the things to do and the things we thought we were going to do, but they rarely factor in time and energy for realizing our car is out of gas, or someone suddenly needs to be dropped off on the other side of town, or we are out of an essential ingredient for dinner.

So, while I am navigating my days and the many many unplanned needs that come up throughout a day, I am wondering if you can imagine what my brain does with the small bits of information that come out of my little people's mouths all day every day?

Like...

Mom, I need index cards for Thursday.

Mom, pizza day is Tuesday, I need money.

Mom, I don't have any socks that fit me.

Mom, you promised Michaela would get to sleep over this year and the year is almost over!

Mom, when are you going to pay me for that job I did last week (or last month or last year)?

I really care about my kids. I also know that these little things are really important. So I listen and I nod my head and I say to them, "Okay. I'll get to that." But the problem is that there is NO ROOM left in my brain to actually retain that information. I promise, it is not for a lack of caring, it is for a lack of brain space.

Thankfully, my refrigerator has some space on it. A few months ago, we created the mom list. At the top it says,

ATTENTION: MOM

Then, the kids (who have all sorts of extra brain room) are responsible for writing these things down on that list.

My job is to check in with that list every week and get those things accomplished. I can't tell you how helpful this is.

1. My kids don't have to repeat the request (again and again and again) in hopes that it finally makes it to my memory.

2. Getting these things done is really not that hard, and usually it is only one or two errands that otherwise would have been several trips if I took requests one at a time.

3. It makes my kids responsible for what they can manage (they have to get it to the list).

4. It makes me do a little check in every week with what they are needing. Sometimes those needs are physical, but sometimes those needs reflect something else. Like asking for a date with me or with their dad.

You might be wondering, but what about those things that don't come up until the night before? These are some things I ask myself:

~Is it a reasonable request and something I can run to the store or borrow from a neighbor RIGHT NOW?

~Is this REALLY going to be the worst thing in the world for my child to not have index cards or buy something at the bake sale tomorrow?

~Is my child at an age where it is time to begin learning the simple lesson of, "If I forget something, Mom will not always be able to magically make it all happen."

Eating a bologna sandwich rolled up on a hot dog bun while everyone else is eating pizza will not shatter my child's self-esteem. And it won't shatter your child's either. We all have limitations of time, money and energy. Being a mom is not about making your child's life easy, but about helping your child learn the skills for managing life when everything doesn't go as planned.

When my kids are throwing these requests out to me while I am on the phone or navigating directions while driving, it is easy to miss what they are really trying to communicate. There is a new security now offered to my kids. Now they know that even though I can't get to it right this second, I will get to it eventually, or maybe they will find another solution in the meantime.

It is a good lesson for them and for me.

Manic Money: my secret relationship

2011-04-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a user.

I run through my days, my errands, my meals and swipe my card at every stop. "Would you like your receipt?" the clerk or machine always asks.

"No," I say
and sometimes I admit to them my reason why,
"Because if I don't keep the receipt it doesn't seem like I've really spent the money."

While we have an idea of a budget and we have most of our bills set up on auto pay from our account, for the most part, I have chosen to remain in denial about money.

I use it of course. I spend it on all the things I need and want. All the things that must be purchased to run this home, this family, this life.

"Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence" (from Wikipedia).

My first step in getting honest about my relationship with money has been a simple one. I now ask for a receipt for everything I purchase. I not only look at the total but I allow it to find access to my brain. That's it. Nothing major. Just a nod of acknowledgement at this resource I depend on all of the time.

Today, I went through all of my receipts. Not for the purpose of balancing my checking account (I am not THAT serious yet!), but for getting a visual picture of not only how I spend my money, but how I spend my time and my energy.

Just a few of the uncomfortable facts that have kept me in denial about money:

1. Money is a limited commodity and sometimes there may not even be enough for my needs, much less my wants.

2. Meeting someones expectation especially when it comes to birthdays and holidays is often more important to me than paying that overdue medical bill.

3. My anxiety over not having enough space, time, understanding or MONEY finds a little relief in purchasing something that symbolizes comfort to me.

This secret relationship is a deep and complicated one.

How can I hate money and love what it gives me?

How can money be important to me and at the same time not be controlled by it?

How can I be a responsible "user" and not be stressed out all of the time about where it is going and that there never seems to be enough?

There are more questions that answers so far. But I am hoping that if I start respecting money, it might show me some respect right back (by not flying out of my bank account).

Manic Monday: grocery shopping

2011-04-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

I wish I felt a little more like Pavarotti when it came to food. I wonder if he made the meal plans, did the grocery shopping, carried the food into the house, put all the groceries away. Then cooked, served and cleaned up all of these meals he enjoyed so much.

Of course, I LOVE eating. If it is really good food. But I don't often make really good food. So mostly when I do love eating it is because I was eating out. somewhere. else.

When a week gets started before I have made it to the grocery store, our family ends up eating out meal after meal after meal. Which means we all enjoy the food, but our bank account does NOT. Wow, it adds up fast!

So, today's Manic Monday Mission was to plan some delicious and healthy meals, buy the groceries and actually cook the food that I buy. It sounds simple enough, doesn't it? So, why is it so hard? Because meals get lost or preempted by everything else on my to-do. And it is a big thing to get lost, because everyone (including myself) is always hungry.

I have a few sources that help me:

Harris Teeter Express Lane
Do you know about drive-thru grocery shopping? If you hate grocery shopping (like me) or you just don't have the time to go to the store (or you would rather spend the time you do have horse-back riding, reading, or napping), you can place your orders online and pick them up for a $5 fee. This service has CHANGED my life. Go buy it. Go try it. Do it. Now.

Cook Your Meals the Lazy Way
I found this cook book in a clearance bin for $3.97 several years ago and it still remains one of my favorite recipe books. In fact, tonight I made the Cauliflower Curry (with chicken instead of pork) and it was yum. There are so many recipes I go back to in the book. They are always simple, tasty and the writers are quite funny.

Quick Pork Curry with Cauliflower

2 medium onions
3 T. oil
4-6 cloves garlic (pressed)
1lb. pork cubes
1/4 c. curry paste
1 head cauliflower
3 c. water
1 beef stock cube
2T. tomato paste

1. chop the onion
2. heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. add onions and garlic. cook until brown.
3. add pork and brown, stir in curry paste.
4. break the cauliflower directly into the pot. add water, stock cube and tomato paste. raise the heat and bring to boil.
5. cover loosely, lower heat and cook for 20 minutes. serve with white rice.

Some other fun food books that I found at the library this week:

1. Relax, It's Only Dinner
by Cheryl Merser -
She wrote this for people just like me, who get a little freaked out at cooking dinner every night and crazy freaked out at having company for dinner. Ms. Merser is also very funny and cares only about making good food without much of a fuss. I got some really great ideas from this clever book.

2. the art of eating in: how I learned to stop spending and love the store
by Cathy Erway -
This is a story of a woman who lived in New York and stopped eating out and began cooking food for herself and her friends for every meal (something unheard of in NY where there are some apartments that don't even have kitchens). Although she includes some recipes, the most enjoyable part of the book for me was hearing how differently she had to think, plan and socialize in order to eat in.

So, for this week, all is good in our refrigerator and pantry. It really is one of the nicest things in life when there is food in the house and dinner on the stove. Even if I am the one who gets it there.

Manic Monday: Are you a mouse or an eagle?

2011-03-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

In her happy happy book, The Joy Diet, Martha Beck writes about the necessity of being able to alternate your perspectives between Eagle Eye and Mouse in a Maze.

Eagle Eye is when you are able to see the big picture, what you are really working for, what life is really about. When you look at your day/week/month/year from the Eagle perspective, you have a mission for yourself, for your time. Eagles love vision statements.

Mouse in a Maze is being able to see the obstacles and details of this moment, this step, at this time, this thing that needs to get done. Mice love to-do lists.

Our personalities are usually bent in one direction or the other. But, according to dear Martha, if we really want to live happy, joyful lives, we need to be flexible moving through our maze while also rising above it to see where we are really going.

Manic Mondays are essential for me because I have to have scheduled disciplined time to manage my to-do list. It is my natural bent to ignore paperwork and instead work on mission statements, creative projects and help others set and reach their goals.

I have awe-inspired appreciation for my friends who are good at getting things done. In fact, I could not do my life without their skills supporting me in my visionary life. But, if checking it off your list is the way you mostly manage your life, you may need to schedule structured time into your week to stop and look at what significant purpose you are moving toward. Where I have to teach myself to put down my books and my journals, other people may need to dedicate time and focus to picking up some books that inspire them, or commit to journal for even 20 minutes each week.

Be encouraged in your strengths! You are doing good things and getting good things done but don't let those strengths steal your joy. I am thrilled to have found this fun Beck-inspired journal : click HERE for some simple fun ways to keep joy in your life regardless of if you choose to take your journey by foot or by flight.

Where is your stronger skill set?
Are you good at getting things done?
Are you a pro at seeing the big picture?
Who can you ask to help you with your weaker skill?
How can you use your skills to help support someone else?

Manic Monday: losing an hour...or more

2011-03-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me
at once." ~Ashleigh Brilliant

Anyone seriously feeling the loss of that hour?

I usually feel at least an hour behind, so I sort of feel like everyone else joined my boat today. Except some people don't seem phased by the LOSS OF AN HOUR at all. As if they have so well-managed their lives that even a depletion of one of our precious 24 hours does not rock their world. I do not write this blog for them.

This week I received an email that changed my life. It was only 3 short sentences.

"I only check e-mail once a week.
If your email is a timely manner, please call or text me.
Thank you."

WHAT? WHAT?WHAT?
(If you know that song, that line will be more fun for you :)

Isn't it amazing when you witness someone else living a life that you did not even know you were allowed to live? Check my email once a week? For real? Could I continue being productive? Could I stay connected? Could I get everything done that I am "supposed" to be getting done with out checking my email, um, every 15 minutes?

First of all let me say, I love email. I love the internet. I love my iphone. I love blogs. I love facebook. I am even beginning to love texting. (although, I still can't figure out the twitter.)

When I was a teenager, I lived in a isolated environment. When I was a stay-at-home mom with my babies, I was very isolated. I don't do isolation. I am the kind of person who begins to wither away when I lose touch with the big wonderful world out there.

I love people and I love the opportunities that technology offers me to stay connected with my friends and family even though we have crazy busy lives and we live scattered all over the world.

BUT
and in case you didn't get the message, that is a BIG BUT...

staying connecting is exhausting. Staying means you never get a break. Staying means you walked into the world of being connected and you took off your coat and shoes and you decided to stay. In fact, you decided to change into your comfy clothes and snuggly slippers and you really stayed. connected. all of the freaking time.

Every text, every email, every phone message, even the messages between other friends that have nothing to do with me bling through on my phone. And if they are not blinging at me, I am checking to see if I missed anything while I was going to the bathroom or blow drying my hair.

I would worry that you might think me neurotic (me? neurotic?) except that I know I am not alone. This is, in fact, the world we live in. And I thought everyone lived in this world until I received that profoundly simple email this week.

I am on a Manic Monday Mission to explore how I could use my beloved technology for all of the ways it enhances, improves, and simplifies my life without letting it steal more hours from me than day light savings time.

Manic Monday: all the time I need

2011-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

"We never shall have any more time.

We have, and we have always had, all the time there is."

~Arnold Bennett, How to Live on 24 hours a day

(found in Slow Down and Get More Done by Marshall Cook)

I was awake before the kids this morning. For some reason I thought it would be the perfect morning to create a flyer for my business. Only to realize I needed some serious graphic design skills that I do not have. Then I thought I should update some information on my web site. And I sort of deleted my website. But then I found it. Right at the time that I was supposed to be headed out the door to officially start Manic Monday doings. I had forgotten to eat, was still in my pajamas, and I had not even started to prep and plan the day for my kids.

Oh, the mess I am! I quickly got dressed and gulped down a protein drink. I must have ran up and down my steps 8 times remembering, forgetting and then remembering again all the things I needed to have on hand to actually get my to-do list done today.

How did it get to be 12:41 pm already?!?

Well, here I am. Thankful beyond belief for a space in my schedule, not only to get things done, but time to figure out what it is that I really need to get done.

Some of the tips I am learning on how to focus and accomplish things in my crazy life:

1. when I think of projects, ideas, etc. write them down on a list, don't dive right into the project
2. look at my calendar and find spaces of time to dedicate to those particular projects
3. write down people's names next to those projects in which I may need their expertise
4. do some research and know exactly what I want before I purchase products and services
5. realize that there are only so many hours a day (even on Manic Monday). I can choose to use this time to work on a project OR catch up on several little things on my to-do list. I cannot do both.

Today is a little to-do list kind of day.

To do Today:

1. send of an important payment
2. make some bank deposits
3. calculate mileage for 2010
4. schedule a time and list resources for creating flyer
5. follow up on several emails regarding new office space
6. read today's chapter in Five Minutes on Monday

Although I am kind of "wishing it was Sunday because that is my fun day," I am also learning that (in Hebrew) the word for work is also the word for prayer.

"Both {prayer and work} are seen as instruments of personal and social change which, when operated in harmony, reinforce each other. Just as we pray for the blessing of spiritual sustenance, we work for the blessing of physical sustenance."
(from Five Minutes on Monday by Alan Lurie)

Whether you are spending your Manic Monday working on a big project or attending to important details, I pray that your work brings harmony and sustenance to all areas of your life!

Manic Monday: write my story

2011-02-21T06:45:00.000-08:00

"Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer." ~ Barbara Kingsolver

Over Christmas break my kids got into a discussion on the best memories of their childhood. It was a very sweet time to listen to the little things that meant the most to them, but it was also amusing to me to think that my 9 and 11 year old were reflecting on their childhood as if it is over. When does our life become our story?

Unwritten Travels was created (and titled accordingly) to provide a context for writing the story of your life. We are so busy living and doing and becoming that sometimes we don't realize our life has been weaving a story behind us. The other Jenny and I love calling out those stories in women. We can't wait to hear your story and we can't wait for that "aha" moment when you realize the story your life has been telling you, telling the world. It is a beautiful moment. It is why we do what we do.

So, imagine my surprise when the other Jenny asked me to tell my story to a group of women next week. I immediately starting trying to figure out what do other people would want to hear from me. I am thankful to come across Ms. Kingsolver's quote this morning. She is challenging me to tell my story because it truly is all I have to offer.

To do today:

~write my story!

Here is some inspiration from Chapter Five: A Walk Down Memory Lane
just in case you are feeling brave enough to write your story today.

Manic Monday: what I can Love about today

2011-02-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

"In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities."
~Janos Arany

Valentine's is my favorite day of the year and not one I would normally spend "getting things done" but, it is Monday so I decided just because I don't LOVE what I have to do today, I can LOVE where I am and what I drink while I cross off those pesky things on my list.

All things Manic today are getting done at Starbuck's with a cup of Verona in my hand.

To do Today:

get information about a new insurance (almost as lovely as taxes)
send out a reminder note about our upcoming PLAYSHOP!
(Our first PlayShop of the year is only ONE week away!)
review my schedule for the week
confirm appointments
reschedule dentist and carpet cleaner (because I had overbooked my week)
prioritize Manic Monday Missions for the rest of February

My computer is now running on reserve battery power.
Next week I will add bring all power cords to my list!

Much Love to You and Yours Today!

Manic Monday: balancing budgets and taxes

2011-02-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

"Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.
Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it.
That is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear."
~Dale Carnegie

I could hardly type the word budget with out gulping. Numbers scare me. I don't really know how to make sense of them. Unfortunately, they are woven into every area of my life. I must make sense of them. Without my numbers in order how do I know if I have met my goals for last year? How can I know if it is even possible for me to accomplish what I have set out for myself this year?

Today's Manic Monday Mission is to get all of my income and expenses organized and ready for April. This is also the day I review my budget for this year and create a regular "check in" for balancing all of my accounts.

One of the questions I asked myself last week was "Who can I contact to help me?" The things I fear doing the most are the things I am not good at. Rather than put them off until the night before (paying extra fees, of course), I will seek out support and wisdom from professionals who can help me.

I have a wonderful tax man. And I have (gulp) scheduled an appointment with him. But, I also need help getting ready for the tax man. So, I have called my wonderful friend who is very good with numbers and very patient with me. She is coming over this week to hold my hand as we wade through the piles of paper that I fear the most.

To do Today:
1. get all papers in order to review and analyze on Wednesday.
2. thank God for friends who are good at things that I am not!
3. be done with the thing I fear the most this first week of February

PlayShop Schedule for 2011

2011-02-05T14:20:00.001-08:00

Who Needs a PlayShop?

Women who want to give of themselves without losing who they were created to be.

Women who want to connect with other women in a way that is meaningful, life-giving and fun.

Women who answer, "I don't know,"

when asked, "What do you want? What do you need? What do you love?"

Don't let the word PLAY fool you! You won't believe how much you will learn about yourself while having a very good time. You might even practice some Laugh Therapy!

This year we are offering several PlayShops through the year in the

Nashville/Brentwood/Franklin areas.

Read through the descriptions below and find the sessions that speak to your challenges, your personality and your longings.

PlayShops are led by Jenny Black, MMFT and Jenny Watson, Life Coach.

Session One: Who Are You?

Tuesday, February 22nd

Choose from the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: Brentwood (directions will be sent at registration)

You know about your physical DNA, now discover the DNA of your desires, your heart, and your soul. Find out what you love and what makes you smile. Get the answer to the questions you’ve asked yourself for years. “So that’s why I do that!” "So that’s why I feel that way!” "So that’s why that bugs me so much!” This PlayShop will give you a place to connect with yourself so that you are able to be your true Self in your relationships, your work and your community.

Session Two – When can you fit it all in?

Tuesday, March 15th

Choose from the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: Brentwood (directions will be sent at registration)

Is your life so full that it is spilling all over the place? Discover how to show up in your own life. We will take a look at the 24/7 that you’ve been given. Learn to schedule what you love into your day. Who are the people that you want to make time for? Learn the difference between “Time Management” and “Choice Management.” In this PlayShop you will become aware of just how extraordinary even the ordinary can be!

Session Three – What do you believe?

Tuesday, April 12th

Choose from the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: Brentwood (directions will be sent at registration)

What do your beliefs actually mean to your life? The quiet places of your soul are easy to rush past in the busy-ness of life. Find out how and why to create sacred space so that your soul can thrive. In this PlayShop you will investigate what you really believe about the creator of your soul and identify the promises that are written on your heart.

Session Four – Why do you waffle and waver?

Why aren’t you "fulfilled?" Why do you have conflicts with others?

June (exact date TBA)

Choose from the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: TBA

Life is full of tough choices. When you become intentional about your vaules, you can begin to live in harmony with who you are created to be. In this PlayShop you will identify the personal rules you live by and the rules you have for others. You will take a look at your personal compass and see how it is directing your life.

Session Five – Where did you come from? Where do you want to go from here?

August (exact date TBA)

Choose either the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: TBA

Session Six* – How can you connect what you now know about yourself with the demands of real life?

September (exact date TBA)

Choose either the 9-12 AM session or the 6-9 PM session

Cost: $55 (includes themed snack and supplies)

Location: TBA

*prerequisite for this class: must have already attended a PlayShop

You know what you want. You know what you need, but you can't figure out how to fit YOU in between meetings and laundry. In this PlayShop you will develop a vision for your life and learn how to get the support you need in order to make your vision a reality.

Session Seven: PlayShop Leadership Training

October (exact date TBA)

9am-3pm (there will be an afternoon lunch break)

Cost: $325 (includes snacks, supplies and complete curriculum)

Location: TBA

*prerequisite for this class: must have already attended a PlayShop

You think you would be great at leading a PlayShop. In this PlayShop Leadership Training, you will get all the information and the curriculum that you need to start leading PlayShops (and share the fun!) in your community.

To Register:

send an email to Unwrittentravels@gmail.com
include your name, address, phone number and which sessions you are attending.
visit UnwrittenTravels.com (click on PLAY to find the links) and make your payment online.
your place in our PlayShops will be reserved once payment has been received. (Limit 12 persons per session).
you will then receive confirmation of your PlayShop Session with all necessary information for your particular session.

Manic Monday: do the right thing

2011-01-31T06:49:00.000-08:00

“If you really want to advise me, do it on Saturday afternoon between 1 and 4 o'clock. And you've got 25 seconds to do it, between plays. Not on Monday. I know the right thing to do on Monday.” ~Alex Agase

This morning I find myself a bit jealous of Mr. Agase.

He knows the right thing to do on Monday?

He is not pulled in eighteen different directions knowing that they all NEED to be done and something that SHOULD have been DONE will be left UNDONE at the end of this day?

These January Mondays have been flying up in my face faster than I can check my list to see what is most essential for me to do. I don't even feel like I have had the mental space to make a to-do list.

Last night as I was on my way to bed,
I walked past the pathetic potted plant in my library
(oh, that's right I have the stuff to re-pot it, must put that on my list),
went to give my kids one last kiss good-night
(oh, I must remember to rent that steam cleaner and clean that nasty stain),
and then I saw the box of hair color on my bedroom floor
(when am I going to get around to coloring my hair?).

"See,"
I said to myself,
"These are the kinds of things you need to write on your Manic Monday list."

So I went into my office and looked under piles for my big blue sketch book that holds my brain. I turned to the Manic Monday Page and oh dear...we need to get a Jen(s)&Tonic sent out, and I must renew my professional membership, and there are those library books that are overdue...

Today, I am going to believe that planning is better than doing. I need to get my list in order. I need to see how I can create space in my life to get these things done (both the urgent and the important). Maybe I will get to one of these to-do things today, but I am confident that the best use of my time will be to set out a plan for February.

Maybe I will make every Manic Monday have a theme?

1st Monday: budget, finances and giving
2nd Monday: business and professional life
3rd Monday: home and family
4th Monday: personal development
(the occasional) 5th Monday: anything that doesn't fit into one of these categories.

What really needs to be done?

What can I delegate?

Who can I contact to help me?

How can I create a calendar/schedule that supports my goals and vision

(instead of making me crazy rushed and busy)?

Manic Monday: make my bed

2011-01-24T13:58:00.000-08:00

"When the solution is simple, God is answering."
~Albert Einstein

Have you ever eaten scrambled eggs and brain? I think I have. Or maybe the image was so vivid, that I imagined myself seeing it, eating it, gagging...what a lovely image I have painted for you. I hope you are still reading.

I have had one severe case of scrambled brain since the beginning of December. Today's Manic Monday task had to be something simple. Something that would make me feel accomplished with minimal work. Something that set the tone for my day. It had to be something that made me feel pampered and refreshed.

Aha!
Make my bed.
Do you make your bed every day?
I suppose if I did it would not feel like such an accomplishment.
Or maybe it does feel this wonderful every single time and that is why one would make her bed daily.

Maybe.

My brain is still a scrambled mess, but my tidy bed invites me to take the next simple step toward clarity: an afternoon nap. (No, I don't care that it will mess up my throw pillows.)

To do today:
~make my bed
~take an afternoon nap in my fresh clean sheets

Manic Monday: support a cause

2011-01-17T17:20:00.000-08:00

There are many embarrassing on my to-do list. Not that the actual things on the list are embarrassing (okay, a few are, but I don't want to gross you out.) It is the amount of time that they have been on my list that qualifies me for some kind of impressive procrastination award.

Have you ever heard of Snow Leopard Trust? If you have then you are way ahead of me. One day, ummm 3 or 4 years ago, my daughter was determined to save the snow leopards. She saved her own money, found loose change around the house and car, and she shared her concern with friends and family who also donated.

This is the kind of thing a mom like me dreams her child will do some day. I was amazed and proud and also extremely busy. I did manage to keep all that change in a special place (pat back) and then I actually deposited it in my bank (pat back again) so I could make the donation online.
And then I completely forgot about it.

Occasionaly, my daughter would say,
"Did you ever give that money to the snow leopards?"

And I would say,
"Oh yeah, I will try to remember to do that this week."

To do Today:

~place online donation to the Snow Leopard Trust

Folks, if it were not for Manic Monday those poor little snow leopards would never see the money my sweet daughter saved up for them.

And because of Manic Monday, it is done!

Manic Monday: rethinking normal

2011-01-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

normal |ˈnôrməl|

adjective
conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected

I wonder how many NORMAL weeks actually happen in my life. You know, days without sick kids, snow, holidays, dentist appointments, traveling, trainings...
Oh yeah, this is normal, isn't it? What is usual, typical and expected around here is the unexpected.

To Do Today:

1. get kids report cards turned in
2. organize schedule (and brainstorm plan B) for this week
3. help daughter with journals that are due (if she does in fact have school tomorrow)
4. get kids organized for (fingers crossed) school tomorrow
5. figure out how I am going to be okay if (gulp) my kids don't go to school tomorrow

How do you deal with life when it doesn't go your way?
Does routine bring out your best?
Or are you the queen of spontaneity?
Are you able to adapt when plans keep changing?

Any tips or hints for surviving cabin fever would be appreciated.

Manic Monday: Etch A Sketching

2011-01-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

"In the late 1950's, a man by the name of Arthur Granjean invented something he called, "L'Ecran Magique," the magic screen, in his garage." ~from Etch A Sketch History

Oh, how I love January.

It is that wonderful time of year where I feel like my life gets shaken clean. I have 12 months to create something that did not exist last year at this time.

So, this first Manic Monday of the new year has a broader purpose than simply getting things done. (Especially since I am on vacation :)

This is the Monday of all Mondays. The Monday that impacts how the rest of my Mondays the rest of this year. Today I will be working on my goals for 2011.

I am a moving ahead kind of person, so although goals are easy and fun for me, it takes me some discipline to look back on 2010 and take notice and pride in what was accomplished last year.

To-do Today:

1. list accomplishments, both big and small from last year
2. ideas for how to make the good things from last year GREAT
3. list 25 goals for 2011
4. choose 1 goal to focus on in January

The only thing more fun to me than setting my goals for the new year is to hear about your dreams and goals.

What are you most proud of accomplishing this year?
What is one thing you would like to see happen in 2011?
What kind of support would help you to accomplish these things?

Can't wait to see the sketches we all create.

Happy New Year!

Manic Monday: all is calm

2010-12-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Music is the silence between the notes."
~Claude Debussy

My world has never had so much volume than in these past few days. Christmas was full of laughter, music, food, and so many people I love dearly. Yet I wake up this morning to complete silence. My son is sick. My daughter is with her grandma and my husband is away at his grandma's funeral. This is one of those times when the music of my life is made sacred by the silence. When I realize how very rich I am.

Tonight we are having a big family party to celebrate my brother and his beautiful new wife. In just a few hours, it will be so manic around here. But in this quiet moment, I know that my life is not made up of a million things to check off of my to-do list. It is made up of a million people who love me and who I love. We cook together, clean together, play games together, we sing together. We celebrate life together.

To do today:
~remember Granny
~dispense medicine to my sick boy
~vacuum floors
~process credit card information
~love well

My prayer for you today is that you know you how much you are loved. That you realize your to-do list is not what defines you. I hope that you (and I!) can look up from our lists to see all the love that surrounds us.

Manic Monday: impossible things

2010-12-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
~Lewis Carroll

After 10 days of travel and conferences, today was the day things were supposed to get back to normal. And if you are in Nashville, you know that this Manic Monday is anything but ordinary. There are 4 inches of snow on the ground. All the kids are out of school and this kind of adventure, layered on top of the anticipation of Christmas, has both of my children functioning at 10x their normal intensity. Squeals are louder, crying is longer, fights are more fierce, needs are more needy. It feels a bit more like panic Monday to me.

Where on most Mondays, my to-do list feels daunting, today, it feels like a lovely, calm place to escape the chaos right outside my office door.

Snow days, like sick days and vacation days and special holidays require me to downshift letting go of my plan and opening myself up to a different day then I had anticipated.

So this Manic Monday, the impossible dream (that I had even before breakfast) was that I would get back on top of my life today. Friends, that is not going to happen.

My agenda got hijacked. And it is time for me to surrender. Before I could even get those words typed out, my son had just finished a pot of homemade hot chocolate and all the neighbors that were sledding outside were ready to thaw out. A new plan quickly developed.

Manic Monday To Do:

1. make 2 more batches of hot chocolate
2. get the fire place warmed up
3. remove 10 pairs of boots
4. put all wet clothes in dryer
5. set out legos and crayons/coloring books
6. sit back with my dear neighbor and watch 10 happy kids enjoy this snow day

All the neighbors just left to go have lunch in their own respective houses. My daughter said this was the best day of her life. My son said, "Thank you for doing all that, Mom."

Mind you, I am still in my pajamas. Still working on that first cup of coffee. I wasn't ready for this day, but this day was more than ready for me. Although this office is a lot more peaceful, I am glad I got pulled out into the chaos. Because that is where my real life is...
impossible as it sometimes seems.

Manic Monday

2010-11-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Manic Monday: a little manic on Monday. free to be Me the rest of the week.

Okay, so I am a little manic on Mondays.

For years, I thought if I was only smarter, more systematic, that if I created enough structure and organization in my life, I could...

keep my house clean
get all my kid's school projects, forms, applications, etc. in on time
pay my bills regularly
keep my house filled with groceries
have a meal/menu plan
save money with coupons
stick with an exercise routine
register my car
call the insurance company
live on a budget

then I would be free to...

play with my kids
sit and have coffee or a glass of wine with my husband
write a book
get a Master's degree
start my own business
pick up a hobby
run a playshop
meet up with friends for lunch
host a holiday dinner party

Being a Real Grown-up in Real Life has way too many details for me. Not only are those "have to's" necessary but they are also extraordinarily boring to me. I would wake up every day with this long list of things I hated doing and the list never ended. So, I never was free to move onto the list of dreams. And that =depression for this Jenny.

One day, I decided to start dreaming. In spite of the dozens of books I have on Organizing my Real Life, I had to acknowledge who I really am and THAT woman is not me. I moved on to the part of my life that was LIFE to me. So I went back to school, I met with the other Jenny to work on Unwritten Travels, I started writing a blog. In the mean time, I discovered an exercise that is now one of my favorite things about my life, I tossed a load of laundry in here or there (helped that this was the year my kids and hubby were old enough to wash their own clothes) , the dishes kept getting clean and my children somehow got fed.

Let me tell you, it is fun to be me. So fun, in fact, I lost all sense of structure in my life. I continued to miss due dates on bills, drove around with expired tags for a couple of months, never got the kids signed up for sports in time, forgot to schedule that dental cleaning, and my family ate out all of the time.

That's when being me doesn't feel so fun. It feels like I am trying to do what I want to do while being haunted by the unwritten list of what I need to do. Thus explained my stress, anxiety, and overall crankiness.

Enter Manic Monday. One day. One hour (sometimes as many as 3) dedicated to getting things done. Not because I love making a list or checking things off. Not because having everything in order brings me a deep feeling of contentment. But because I need to be free to live my LIFE.

So, here I am. Looking another Manic Monday in the face. Can I tell you how much I dread this? I have to walk smack into the middle of my stress and anxiety and not walk out of it until at least one of those daunting tasks is complete.

Today I will:

schedule the dr. appointment to get Avery's stitches taken out
organize child care for my kiddos when I am in training next week
schedule my hair appointment

What? Those things don't seem daunting to you? Well, they don't seem so scary to me anymore either. That is the magic of Manic Monday.

freestyle

2010-11-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

freestyle |ˈfrēˌstīl|
adjective
denoting a contest or version of a sport in which there are few restrictions on the moves or techniques that competitors employ : freestyle wrestling.
noun
a contest of such a kind, in particular a swimming race in which competitors may use any stroke.

When bathing suit shopping last summer, I narrowed my options down to two: one that looked really cute and one that was very practical for swimming. I, of course, choose the cute one. Because what I really needed was a bathing suit that worked well for sitting on the side of the pool, laying out while reading a good book or visiting with a friend.

I have never been in need of a practical bathing suit because I don't swim. Now, I can swim. Like in order to keep my head above water. But, I don't know how to swim laps. And apparently I have always wanted to because I signed my kids up for swim team so that THEY would have a skill I wish I had.

This summer, I watched my kids succeed and fail as they pushed themselves beyond what they believed they were capable of doing. I was able to visibly observe their self-esteem growing as they overcame their fear of embarrassment and the exhaustion of an hour of practice while also developing a skill they can use for the rest of their lives.

Now we go to the indoor pool on a regular basis, where both of my kids jump in the swim lanes with all the older folks and do their own little exercise routine. I have watched them with great pride and pleasure as well as giving them little tips on how they could improve (keep your legs straight, take bigger breaths, etc.).

I surprised myself last week when I had the desire to jump in the pool and do some laps with my kids. I am a sit in the hot tub kind of girl. I am not a jump in the cold water kind of girl. But I REALLY wanted to swim laps. So, I asked my kids if they would teach me some basic techniques that I could begin practicing. We started with freestyle. That sounds like me, sort of create your style kind of stroke. How could I mess this up? Plus, it looks so easy and relaxing when the kids do it.

I did my streamline like they told me and then began kicking and moving my arms. I was just about to take my first breath when I smashed into the lane beside me. I popped my head up and saw that both of my kids and the life guard on duty were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe. The life guard actually said, "Did you mean to do that?" All of them were hoping that I was trying to be funny, because they wanted to be laughing with me, not at me. So, I laughed along with them...and then continued to bang into the side of the lane three more times. My daughter said, "Mom, you are really good with your legs. How about we try a stroke that only uses legs." I said, "Shouldn't I keep trying this first stroke until I get better?" She said, "Well, it is really your arms that make you look so funny." (Not banging into the side of the lane?)

I was embarrassing my kids more than I was embarrassing myself because I couldn't see what I looked like. So, I told the kids to go play in the big pool while I practiced. Guess what? I didn't get better. The life guard had to stop watching me in order to stop laughing. Even if I was able to get my legs and arms to move the right way and stay in my lane, I still couldn't figure out how to breathe. I was exhausted about 3/4ths of the way to the "finish line."

I have never been the kind of person who is good at something right from the start. There are few things in my life about which anyone has ever said I was "naturally gifted." This meant that whenever I tried something new, instead of feeling better about myself, I often felt worse. I began believing things like, "I'll never be good at anything." and "Other people can do those activities for fun because they don't look like fools while doing them."

The older I get, the happier I am that I have a long history of embarrassing moments in my life. Being used to that feeling, I am able to see all of the reasons why my "freestyle moment" was a good moment instead of slapping an I'll never do that again! label on it.

I got in the water with my kids.

I was able to offer them an opportunity to be the expert on a subject I knew nothing about. I gained a new respect for their talent and their perseverance.

I will check in with myself before tweaking my kid's performance especially when I have never tired to do what I am asking them to do.

I showed them that even at 35 years old with a strong self-confidence, I get embarrassed and people laugh at me.

Best of all, I loved it. There was a quietness and a focus under that water that was wonderful. I loved it so much that I am going to try it again. And I hope that every time I try something new, I will bring that much laughter into the world.

super-heros, super moms and me

2010-10-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

I am not a super-hero.

I have always detested the term “super-mom” mostly because I will never be one. I want to be a mom but I also want to be alone for some time every day. I want to work and I also want to play. I want to be learning something new every day and I want to have a life of adventure. I want to spend no time cleaning or cooking but I want my house to be clean and I want to serve healthy meals to my family each evening. I want to wake up early and stay up late, but I also want a goodnight sleep. Did I come up with these unrealistic expectations of life all by myself? Or do you have them, too? Because the to-do list that goes along with this life is something only a super-hero (or Jenny Watson:) could accomplish.

This is why I love The Sight-Seeing Chapter: taking a fresh look at your life. There is no such thing as a plan I can create and then stick to for the rest of my life. Just as my roles, responsibilities, and resources are evolving every season, so must my perspective and my plan. What’s working in my life? What is not working? How can I set up a life that supports the person I want to be? The marriage I want to have? The family I want to grow (just to be clear, I mean grow-up not grow in numbers) and not go crazy between now and then?

As I wrote out my daily schedule, squared my exhausting moments, triangle-d my exhilarating moments, heart-ed my relational moments, and circled my alone times, I discovered the theme of my summer to be SQUARE-CIRCLE-SQUARE-CIRCLE. Which translated means exhausted/recovering/exhausted/recovering. The other morning when my husband was leaving for work he said, “Will you please take a nap today?” He was really hoping I could stay awake for our stay-at-home date that evening. I am often too tired to enjoy my favorite moment of every day which is when my husband and I finally get to connect after the kids have gone to bed.

In her book, A Weekend by the Sea, Joan Anderson writes that our time management goal is “to stop doing time and start being in time.” I want to live the days that have been gifted to me. I want to enjoy my children. I want to be fully present for my husband, my friends, and my clients. I want to celebrate important moments of life. I want to notice the simple pleasures that sparkle around my busy days. I want to know God more fully today. I want to be as much me as God created me to be.

This picture is from a serious of art cards I made for myself. I stick them next to my rear view mirror where I see them often. I use them for journaling, praying, hoping, and getting perspective. This was my first art card. A super-mom, no doubt. So why did she inspire me? Well, I noticed this little smirk on her face. And it made me realize that a super hero knows her purpose. She is practical about her strengths and her limitations. She knows what her kryptonite is and she stays away from it.

Being a real hero means letting people believe whatever they want to believe about you, while you know what is really important, when to take action and when you have to sit back and recharge.

Thoughts to Journal...

What’s working in my life?

What is not working?

How can I set up a life that supports the person I want to be?

For the relationships I want to have?

For the people I want to nurture?

Daisy Chain

2010-09-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

You walk into a store and your heart starts beating faster the minute you walk in the door. Research says men are visually stimulated, but researchers just haven’t tested women who have just seen pieces of clothing that scream, wear me and you will have fun and feel beautiful!

The Daisy Chain is a fabulously unique boutique. Walk around the mall. Go in every store, and then go to The Daisy Chain. You will not find these brands anywhere else in town, or at least I haven’t. But it’s not just the clothes. It’s way more.

Do you ever look at celebrities and think, “Oh how I wish I had a stylist who could help me find clothes that are right for me. I need help developing a personal style. Wish I could afford that!”

Well, you can because it’s free at this store.

The staff range in age from high school students to mature women, but what they have in common is that Courtenay Jackson, the store owner, has empowered them with her own vision. She envisions a place where moms and teen daughters can shop together and both find treasures that look great on them. I know there are many of us who hate having a sales person follow you around while you are shopping. But, this is a no-pressure zone. The staff has an uncanny way of looking at the pieces you are choosing, discerning your taste and then comes the best part. They actually help you find the pieces that fit your style and fit your body.

Since you know there are two Jennys that write on this site, I feel it necessary to divulge which one is writing this article. Jenny B. could put on a sack, tie a rope around it, and she would look amazing, but this article is written by Jenny W. Let’s just speak the truth here, at my age and slight pudginess, it is harder for me to live out externally the hot babe that I am internally. I have even gone into the dressing room at The Daisy Chain with my girdle underwear that I bought off of a TV infomercial, and the staff there has treated me like I am a beauty.

My wardrobe is becoming more and more filled with signature pieces from this store. When I am out with friends they will see things and comment that the item “looks like me.” I have a style. When I really want to look my best, I consistently pull out the items in my closet from my Daisy Chain shopping experiences.

While you will pay more for clothes here than at TJ Maxx or many places in the mall, the value is huge. Do you have many articles in your wardrobe that fit and are fine, but you don’t get excited about wearing them? The items you invest in here will be your “go to “ items. They are high quality. I am building a wardrobe year by year, still wearing the first items I bought seasons ago. You get a personal stylist with your purchase, and they carry jewelry, shoes and handbags, so you can get everything in one place.

The store is small, but there are 100’s of items because Courtenay purchases one item in its available sizes, so you know you won’t see everyone in the same piece. Shirts range in price from $30.00 to $80.00. Dresses go from $70.00 to $140.00. But if you get on the store’s mailing list, you receive monthly coupons that can be used on two items per month. If you want to receive the coupons, find out more about the store and check it out in greater detail, go to www.daisychaintn.com, and then become a facebook friend.

While the clothes in themselves could be considered wearable art, that isn’t actually the only art in the shop. The Daisy Chain has gifts from dishes to stationary, each of which is also unique.

So, go to the store to renew your exterior. While you are there, purchase a copy of Unwritten Travels to revamp your interior for a whole new you. You will walk around town and hear people whisper, “Who is that? She must be someone famous.” Just smile, look great and either leave them guessing, or be kind and send them to Courtenay.

what's inside?

2010-09-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, we took the dare! Melinda made the suggestion that we reveal to you the inside of our fridge. Make sure to check out her blog.

The fridge that will inspire you to whip up a snack:

my 3 favorite things (jenny w.) - fake cucumber slices chilled to put on my eyelids
leftover spaghetti that tastes even better the second time around.
pepperjack cheese and garlic stuffed olives

I am almost embarrassed about my refrigerator. It really isn't that messy ever, but it because I'm into "systems." Every Wed. morning our trash comes, so every Tuesday night or Wed. morning, I throw out anything old and kind of visually inventory what we have. Also, have a separate frig in the garage and a separate freezer in the pantry, so I am set on refrigerator and freezer space.

And here's the fridge that will inspire you to order out:

So, here's mine (jenny b)...I hope you will still come over to my house for dinner sometime:

My 3 favorite things:
hint water (no sweetener just a hint of raspberry/lime or cucumber)
trader joe's turkey bacon
coke zero

What is the most surprising, disturbing or unusual thing inside your fridge?

Come on, we showed you ours :)

Spruce~Inspired Living

2010-06-12T09:59:00.001-07:00

Walked in to a store one day, and immediately my blood pressure went down. At the same time, my senses were heightened in the loveliest way. If it’s true that, “it’s in the details” then there is a store in Brentwood on Church Street that is doing “it” right.

Walk in to hear a playlist of jazzy, folksy, music that sounds how I sound in my fantasy life. Passing by one display of bath products I literally had to sit down on one of the many pieces of furniture available for purchase just to soak up the aroma for a while.

Noticing the tag line after the store’s name, I realized that Unwritten Travels and the store, Spruce share an ideal – inspired living. I had to meet the person who was obviously inspired when they opened this store and was pleased to talk to one of the owners, Alicia Helm.

Alicia and her business partner, Ashley met while renting space in the same location to sell products that brought beauty into a woman’s life. They were both drawn to home décor and gifts and their tastes were very similar. They call their style “transitional.” I just call it lovely, comfortable and inviting but not fussy. They decided they would open their own place for other women to rent space to sell beautiful things. As they grew and their vision developed, they decided as of March 1^st of this year to switch to doing their own buying for all of the products they carry, resulting in a store with an identity all it’s own.

Spruce has gifts - wedding gifts, baby gifts, stationary, yummy candles and bath products for your best friend. They have furniture, paintings and unique things that my grandmother would have called knick-knacks, but seem like necessities that you can’t live without when you are in the store. A favorite of mine is the beautiful hourglass that looks like blown glass with black sand inside. Surprisingly affordable too!

You could shop other places and check things off of your to-do list, but if you want to feel like you are treating yourself while you are running an errand go to Spruce. While there, decide to spruce up your life by purchasing a copy of Unwritten Travels. Whether you are buying a gift for someone else or for yourself, the experience at Spruce is actually a gift you are giving yourself in itself. Can you purchase an inspired life? Give it a try. The surprise will be a pleasant one.

what's inside YOUR purse?

2010-06-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

In Jenny Black's Purse:

Wallet (ID, check cards, check book, pens, money)

Cell Phone

Keys

Broken button

Toss up game

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Tide stick

Wax candy

Tic tacs

Two check books

Pouch with pencils, pens, paperclip white out, eye makeup brush, emory board

Moose Farkle

Perfume sample

10 pens

2 highlighters

a plastic fork

two zotz, one zots wrapper

b-12 folic acid

white out pen

nike ipod shoe thingy

Sudafed PE sinus headache

An extra pen cap

A Tampon

3 store receipts

Hole puncher

Lip gloss

Blush brush

2 binder clips

a green wizzy whistle

old grocery list

purple sharpie

empty ibuprofen bottle

bouncy ball

hair band

bits of trash, pebbles,

a white rock

business cards

In Jenny Watson's Purse:

Six lipsticks

Car Keys

Cell Phone

A Nail File
Gum & Mints

Business Cards in a Very Cute Case

A old-fashioned telephone/address book

A Camera

My to-do list

A box of pens, pencils and a highlighters

A wallet

with my checkbook in it

A credit card/store bonus card holder –
receipts and bank deposit slips tucked in

A polkadot cosmetics case –
It holds reading glasses,
Band-aids, hand lotion,
ibuprofen,
a pre-pasted toothbrush,
a little flashlight,
plastic utensils,
a tape measure,
and dental floss!

new & improved website

2010-05-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

Unwritten Travels.com

We are so thrilled to finally have our new website up and running.

For two women who are NOT technically savvy, this process has taken us longer than we originally hoped. Although this is our new and improved website, like anything new it probably has its glitches and typos. If you see them, let us know so we can fix them.

Hope you have fun clicking through our pages...
visit us @unwrittentravels.com

after the rain

2010-05-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of my life. Anyone who still has their life and their loved ones is feeling thankful right now. So many in our community have lost so much. Although our house stayed safe and dry and we had water and electricity, I was separated from my kids during the worst part of the flood. We had very spotty Internet/phone connection, so only once in a while were we able to get through the line to find out they were okay. In fact, they were more than okay, happily playing with cousins at the grandparent's house.

Both of my kids had minor issues when they were born. My son had to be swooped away to have his lungs cleared. My daughter had the cord around her neck when she was coming into the world. That moment the nurses and doctors said my babies were okay and placed them in my arms, those were the best moments. Ever. Like yesterday. The grandparents delivered my exhausted, dirty children to me and even though they are so very big now, I wanted to hold them forever. I even sneaked into their room in the middle of the night for some extra snuggling.

I wake up this morning READY to do SOMETHING to help in all of the devastation that surrounds me. I have been wondering how I can help, what can I do that would be truly beneficial to my community.

If you are familiar with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you know that some of our basic needs (the foundation upon which the rest of our existence is built upon) are: breathing, water, food, sleep, excretion, employment, resources, housing, safety.

This brings me to one of my favorite books, The Only 127 Things You Nee {a guide to life's essentials}. The author, Donna Wilkinson, says your foundational needs are a healthy body, a good night's sleep, regular exercise, clothing, shelter and safety. You are probably very aware right now of the people around you who do not have their basic needs met. Being the amazing women we are (with tender hearts and a powerful desire to help), I bet you, like me, can't stand not being in the midst of the relief. Right now, I am on the edge of my seat waiting for my kids to wake up so that we can find out how to help in the Bellevue area.

And then I remember the words I tell women every day, the words inspired by my friend Melinda in her blog, Secure Your Own Mask First, "When traveling with small children, please secure your own mask first." Precious women who I know to be the caretakers of the men, women and children of this world, as you are assisting those traumatized by the circumstances around us, you MUST secure your own mask first.
What does this mean for you (and, yes, for me)?

If you are one of those not directly affected by the flood, if you still have shelter and clothing... then take care of your body,
eat healthy food,
get exercise
(don't push your body beyond it's capacity, an injury will make you completely unable to help),
and get a good night's sleep.
Make sure your children are getting the same.

The recovery from this disaster will take a very long time. Let us not use up all of our resources by Day 2. Don't let yourself get so exhausted that you can't even help yourself. Remember in times like these there are always layers of need.

Right now we are in the Heroic Phase. This is a time where we are struggling to save whatever and whomever we can. It is a time of great fear, anxiety and shock and it usually lasts up to a week.

In the next 3 to 8 weeks, we will be entering the Honeymoon Phase. An overwhelming gratitude for what we have, what we have been spared from, a new appreciation for any walls and floors we can call our homes. During this time relief efforts will be at the highest.

Then hits the Disillusionment Phase, which will probably last until the rest of the year. Reality will set in, outside help will diminish, insurance issues will become frustrating. We will struggle with the fact this town will never be the same, that our many losses can never be recovered. There will be much grief, anger, sadness and isolation.

For years after this one, we will be in the Reconstruction Phase. Life will begin to feel normal again. We will be proud of our city, what we have overcome and the progress we made working together as a community.

(Check out more information on these phases of disaster relief from Georgia Disaster Relief. )

So, my message to you today is don't wear yourself out being the hero (unless, of course your job/skills lend you to being a helper during this first and short phase of disaster recovery). Save your resources, especially your emotional ones, for the long haul.

Guess what else we all need?

According to Wilkinson, The next layer of "essentials" are love and connection, a sense of control, mindfulness and acceptance, the ability to be real, physical and mental exercise, a sense of oneness and connection, time for reflection, a sense of awe and wonder, a sense of purpose, and meaningful ritual.

There is nothing like a disaster to give us the opportunity and drive to pursue these "above and beyond" essentials. Remember there is a time and seasons for everything. Pay attention to what phase you are equipped to serve and when you need to store up so you are ready to give when it is your time. It is not selfish to take care of our self it is ultimately self-less, so that you are fully equipped when your time to serve presents itself.

P.S. I wrote this entire blog to myself.

under construction

2010-03-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

We are making some changes on our website.

You will NOT be able to place an order online until further notice.
BUT you can order Unwritten Travels by sending us an email at: unwrittentravels@gmail.com
and we will process your order that way.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

our beloved books

2010-03-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

"She knew my life through my books."
~Jeanine (PlayShop Girl)

The Assignment was to bring a book (or two or three) to the PlayShop that has impacted, changed or clarified your values.

Here's what we came up with:

Complete Idiots Guide to Organizing Your Life

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

30 Days to Live

Tired of Trying to Measure Up

I Know This Much is True

What Happy People Know
(there is also What Happy Women Know)

American Dictionary of the English Language

Future Grace

Return of the Prodigal Son

When the Heart Waits

Eat, Pray, Love

The Little Prince

Addicted to Mediocrity

Laneburg (not yet available for purchase)

Committed

Other Favorites:

How to Talk so Your Kids Will Listen and Listen so Your Kids Will Talk
(looks like there is even a Teen Version)

Drama of the Gifted Child

The Bluest Eye

Traveling Mercies

Co-Dependent No More

The Dance of Anger

Families Where Grace is in Place

Tell us about a book that has inspired your life in the comment box.

day 13: the family pack

2010-03-13T19:41:00.001-08:00

Today officially began Spring Break for us and we decided to vacation at home this year. We went to the Discovery Science Museum today so I filled my lunchbox to the brim.

Lunch for 4:
Strawberries
Yogurt (low-fat vanilla for grown-ups, Collision for kids)
Cucumber Slices
Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches
Honey Crisp Apples

WE also decided, instead of spending 3.00 a pouch on dip-n-dots, that we would go to the grocery and stock up on ice cream for the entire week. I just slurped down a root beer float. Have to balance out all this healthy eating.

day 12: grab and go

2010-03-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

No picture yesterday (day 11) because (please don't hate me) I was at the spa.

For the entire day.

For a massage, a facial, a manicure, a pedicure and....lunch. Oh, and it was a beautiful lunch set in my own private dining area with a glass of white wine. It was bliss. I am realizing I did not understand about bliss until yesterday. Now I know. And I want more bliss.

So, now you understand why I was in some kind of dream-like haze on Friday morning
enjoying an hour in my journal, savoring my coffee, watching the episode of "Gray's" I missed last night and loving the fact that the kids were still sleeping when I looked at the clock and then had to run out the door.

So, It was a grab and go day. Open up the fridge. What can be thrown into my lunchbox today?

Mini Cheese
Leftover tacos al carbon (still wrapped in foil from Las Palmas)
Leftover salad from last night (stored in a gallon size baggie)

day 10: brown rice

2010-03-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week, I made a batch of brown rice (i do not love brown rice because I can't figure out how to steam it just so), It was fine and it served as a basis for my lunches this week. I would add leftover meat, cheese, veggies, etc. and viola, a nutritious meal on the go.

Today in my lunchbox:
Rice and Veggie Medley
Yogurt&Strawberries
Spinach&Carrots

day 9: two cuties for lunch

2010-03-09T17:14:00.001-08:00

When I began this resolution, it didn't occur to me that I would eat at home. At the same time I started packing my lunches, I also tried to be more intentional about un-scheduling my days which means I have been home with good food in my house. This is a modern day miracle people. Thus day 7 & day 8, I was eating left over beef stew homemade by my very own mama.
(thanks, ma.)

In my lunchbox today:

2 cuties-sweet little clementines
2 servings of mixed green salad and Italian dressing
2 servings of rice and chicken
2 servings of vegetables (artichokes, red onion, broccoli) with mini fresh mozerella
snack pack of sweet baby pickles
2 coke zeros

This was my first lunch shared with a friend. It was the other Jenny, of course!
And my favorite lunch so far.

day 6: my polkadot cooler

2010-03-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

This is my first weekend since beginning my lunchbox resolution and this morning I realized I had not really thought that through. We were at home for lunch so I really wasn't sure what could I pack in my lunchbox. And I wanted to pack something. Because I like it being day 6 on March 6. Its the little things that help me make to sense of my world.

Well, it is a GORGEOUS day and people all over town are smiling because the skies are blue and the sun is shining! We spent the morning at the park, so I decided to use my lunchbox as a cooler.

In my lunchbox today:

4 Capri Suns
2 Coke Zeros
Lots of Ice
(next time I will have a freezer bag to contain the ice as it melts...)

Hope you are enjoying the beauty.

day 5: in my lunchbox

2010-03-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

It is Friday, and we are coming to the end of things to put in our lunchboxes around here. I am not the queen of grocery shopping, so I am quite proud of myself for having enough food to fill 15 lunches this week. The kids also packed a lunch every day for the first time ever.

This is what I scraped up:

Avocado-this time with lime and kosher salt
Carrots-to dip in the avocado
Yogurt-with granola and craisins to mix in
my beloved Coke Zero

day 4: in my lunchbox

2010-03-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

Sandwich: boars head honey turkey and vermont white cheddar on whole grain wheat

Avocado Delicousness: avocado, green onions and fresh squeezed lemon juice
(eventually spread the avocado dip onto my sandwich)

Yogurt: low-fat vanilla with walnuts and craisins

Coke-Zero: ran into Starbuck's and they gave me a cup of ice with a lid and a straw

You cannot imagine how much I look forward to eating my lunch. Okay, maybe you can.

day 3: in my lunchbox

2010-03-03T14:29:00.000-08:00

Fruits and Veggies: grapes, a little bit of spinach and some carrots

Cheese: mini babybel light

Gnocci: leftovers from dinner earlier in the week

Yogurt: low-fat vanilla, with almonds and craisins

I don't have a picture of the food because I started eating it up before I could get the picture.
I was that hungry.

day 2: a snack pack

2010-03-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you how much fun I had carrying my lunchbox around Brentwood?
It, of course, inspired better lunches for my kids. They were having so much fun packing their own lunchboxes last night. They have NEVER been the kids with the best lunch. Until today.

Because I have been invited to eat at The Green Apron (my friend, Christina's house) for lunch today, I am packing a snack in my polka dot pack. We are on week 3 of our PLAYshop and today we will have coffee, fruit and nuts as our morning treat.

In my lunchbox:

grapes-in season and on sale at Kroger

half and half-i can't take my coffee without it!

day 1: in my lunch box

2010-03-01T07:44:00.001-08:00

Did I say I needed to go to the grocery store? When I took a peek into my less than stocked fridge (behind several containers of spoiled food that I could have packed for lunch last week)
I found the ingredients to pack this
in my lunchbox:

salad: romaine lettuce, carrots, walnuts, craisins, green onions with a splash of balsamic vinegar and honey

polenta: baked with roasted red pepper, spinach, red onions, garlic and asiago cheese

yogurt: organic, low-fat, vanilla

drink: i always have a bottle of water in my bag, but today I added a coke zero as my happy treat (along with a cute little valentine's napkin)

my lunch box resolution

2010-03-01T04:39:00.000-08:00

Two months into 2010 and I am making my first resolution. Not for the year, but for the 30 days of March. This year is just really beginning for me. My new motto is "March is the new January." Here I go.

I have lunch issues. Rarely am I home during the lunching hour. I am out and about and suddenly starving so I drop in on one of my favorite restaurants, maybe meet a friend, and proceed to spend anywhere $8.00-$18.00 every week day. That ends up being between $200-$500 a month. I could have a new car for that amount of money! I am essential eating a car payment. For a very nice car.

You should know, I did attempt to stop eating out a few weeks ago. It did not work. I am the kind of person who needs accountability. And I have to make it fun. Thus I am posting every day this month what I pack in my pink and green polka dot lunch box. (I found this Fit and Fresh product at TJ Maxx for &12.99.) As you can see below, inside of my lunchbox is a container with a substantial space below an ice pack and two smaller containers above it.

What am I packing in my lunch box today? I don't know. I really need to go to the grocery store. I was going to go on Saturday, but I had a free day and Kroger didn't sound like my idea of fun. I was going to go yesterday, but I got really tired, too tired for that kind of shopping.
Today, I must go because old ham and American cheese are not the kind of thing that inspires the beginning of a resolution.

So, I will check back into today with my menu for Day #1. I know, you can hardly stand the suspense.

Also, I need your ideas. What do you pack in your lunch? What delicious and healthy food do you suggest for my lunch box? Let me know if you pack a lunch this month and maybe we can have a picnic.

59 Seconds

2010-02-01T08:25:00.000-08:00

Monday: Thanksgiving- Think back over the past week and list 3 things for which you are grateful. Tuesday: Terrific Times - Think about one of the most wonderful experiences of your life. Write a description of that experience and how you felt. Wednesday: Future Fantastic -Spend a few moments writing about your life in the future. Imagine that you've worked hard, acheived, and become the person you really want to be. Your personal and professional life feel like a dream come true. Thursday: Dear... think about someone who is important to you. Write a short letter to this person describing how much you care for them and the impact they have had on your life. Friday: Reviewing the Situation - Think back over the past 7 days and make a note of 3 things that went really well for you. Jot down a sentence about why you think each even turned out so well.

These are from the Daily Journal Assignments in 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman. I made 5 different index cards, one for each assignment, to keep in my journal. Hope you have as much fun with this as I think you will.

10 Reasons

2010-01-14T07:42:00.001-08:00

...why the Unwritten Travels Work(PLAY)shop will be the best $ you spend all year:

1. Six weeks of fun and inspiration for less than you'd pay for 1 hour of therapy.

2. It's scientifically proven that money can buy happiness!
(When you spend it on experiences that connect you with others)

3. Access to your very own Life Coach.

4. Finally getting an opportunity to spend time with the kind of people you wish you could spend more time with.

5. Free childcare for your kids while you are having fun with grown-ups
(and you won't even have to sweat).

6. You will be having so much fun that it will surprise you that you are learning so much about your amazing self.

7. You will receive one free session of counseling/life coaching to give to one of your friends.
(Hey, they don't have to know you got it free.)

8. You will realize you aren't the only one who doesn't have it all together, and just maybe that won't even be the goal.

9. There might be snacks. Enough said right there.

10. It is only possible to invest yourself into your life once you have invested in yourself!

Work(PLAY!)shop: Coming in January!

2009-12-17T08:32:00.001-08:00

Begins January 26-March 9 (no class Feb 16)

Meets every Tuesday from 9:30-11:00
6-week course
@Maryland Farms YMCA (Brentwood, TN)
Cost: $75/members, $100/non-members
Book included!
email us to register: unwrittentravels@gmail.com

December Scavenger Hunt

2009-12-15T06:17:00.000-08:00

advent, noun.
a coming or arrival, especially of something infrequent or unusually important.

Don't you love finding the perfect gift? It makes Christmas for me. I can't wait to see that person open that gift on December 25th. It is easy to rush through all of the to-do's of the holiday and forget to notice those things you may love very best about this season of Merry and Bright. Take some time to look for the little gifts this month has for you.

~a canned food drive or a salvation army volunteer ringing their bell with a smile
~a fire in a fireplace
~a cookie plate left for Santa
~a menorah being lit
~friends sharing a laugh
~children writing letters to Santa
~a person bundled up in the cold

Write a story, take a picture, sing a song about what you see.
Post your treasures in the comment box or on your blog (make sure to leave us a link).

Merry Christmas!

Souvenirs from November

2009-12-05T05:57:00.001-08:00

Every family has their specialty and my family's, more specifically, my Mama's pies are legendary. She is an award winning pie-maker. It is the crust, it is the apples from upstate New York, it is the unsalted butter and only the highest quality of vanilla. This year we had Pecan, Apple, and Pumpkin pies served with ice cream, fresh whipping cream and Starbuck's Thanksgiving Blend coffee.

This was the first year in our new house and our first time to ever host
Thanksgiving Dinner.
I was determined to be a real grown up and roast a turkey all by myself. I used a rosemary-orange recipe and woke up at 6:00 am to begin the cooking. In my fear of under cooking the giant bird, I (you guessed it) made something more like turkey-jerky. I loved every bite. And I was happy Mom brought a turkey, too.

We had 16 guests for dinner and everyone brought so much food. In addition to the classic turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and green been casserole, we had corn pudding, macaroni and cheese, blueberry salad, fresh cranberry-orange sauce, and yeasty cinnamon rolls.
Our family has grown so big and it is not often that I get to spend a whole day with both of my parents, my brother and my sister. Now it seems like we were only living together under one roof for a few years. I become especially mindful of the brevity of this time with my little ones and abundantly grateful for the every day opportunity to make new memories.

*Announcing the winner of the November Scavenger Hunt: Korisa Burden @craftykorisa.blogspot.com. Congratulations!!!*

November Challenge: Scavenger Hunt

2009-11-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to take notice~
take a picture, write a poem or a story, and/or post a thought regarding one or more of these November souvenirs:

1. Baked pies
2. Loved ones preparing food
3. Family and Friends around the Thanksgiving table
4. Holiday card photo shoot
5. Leftovers in the fridge
6. Funniest or most meaningful quote/story from your Thanksgiving weekend
7. Homes turning on Christmas lights

We cannot wait to see what you find. We will be sending a little fall treasure to the reader who discovers our favorite souvenir of the month.

If you have a blog, post it on your blog and leave a link in the comments.
Otherwise, leave your treasures directly in the comment box or email them to us at unwrittentravels@gmail.com.

Just like the number

2009-11-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

We received the most beautiful review from blogger Angie Six on her blog Just Like the Number. Here is a little bit of what she said about Unwritten Travels:

"There are lots of books out there to help nudge you along toward finding your true purpose or passions. I've never seen one like this, though. It's more like a whimsically illustrated journal. And while there are definitely passages for you to read and reflect upon, the bulk of the book is recording your thoughts and reflections. It's a guide, for sure, but you are in charge every step of the way."

To see more of Angie's beautiful blog and read the rest of her review visit: justlikethenumber.com

Out On the Town

2009-10-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

If you are in the Nashville/Brentwood area this week, we will be out on the town
Thursday and Friday (two days, two different locations).

Thursday, stop in and see us at...

The Market Street Festival

Thursday
October 8th
Noon to 8:00 pm
Directions to Brentwood Academy

And then on Friday, drop by and visit us at...

The French Market:

Friday
October 9th
4:00-7:30 pm
Directions to Fellowship Bible Church

Hope to see you there!

Discussion Questions: Chapter Six

2009-07-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

1 – Read the story from John 4:7-30. Note how Jesus asked the woman He met at the well introspective questions about herself. He pointed her to the truth, and then she went back to her life. Look at what she did in verse 29 and the result in verse 30. Brainstorm together how you each can share your experiences going through this book with others in your city.

2 – Have you experienced any resistance from others around you as you have tried to make changes in your self and in your life? Share some of these with each other.

3 – What is one thing that you ABSOLUTELY have to have in your life? What is one thing that you want to RID yourself of?

4 – After sharing some of the questions from page 154 with someone else, what was a surprise you found. How did this help?

5– Discuss the differences between being selfish and taking care of yourself.

6 – Share a hero you listed on page 159. What is it about their life that you admire? How can you emulate them?

7 – Think long term, small changes. Have each person share one resolution from page 160. Take a minute to list something you can do right now to begin to fulfill the goal. Commit together to a time- table to accomplish that one thing.

8 – Before you come to the discussion today. Stop at a store that sells paint. Select a paint sample strip with your favorite color on it. On the back, write down your name. Beside it write a definition of yourself. Keep this as a concrete souvenir, a bookmark from your journey.

9 – Either as a group or individually, send an email to unwrittentravels@gmail.com. Tell us how the book impacted your life. What part did you like the best? The least?

Discussion Questions: Chapter Five

2009-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

1 - Bring in your favorite childhood snack to share during this time together. If anyone has any really funny childhood pictures, bring them along.

2 – Go around the group and give a one-word answer. When you first thought about taking a look at your past, did you feel mainly positive or negative?

3 - Now look on page 132, which word do you most relate to when thinking about your past? Grace, Appreciation, Resilience, Redemption Give a brief description of why this word resounds with you.

4 – How did your role in your family of origin affect your life as an adult?

5 – Can you describe one way you can see God’s hand in your past? Your present?

6 – Write notes to yourselves to paste in your book on page 142. On the note list three things you can be thankful for about your past.

7 – Share something that a family member has done or said to you to make you feel loved and accepted. After listening to each other’s stories, pick one idea to share with someone you would like to bless in your family.

8 – What was your favorite song from your past that you put on your soundtrack?

9 – What life lesson do you want to make sure you pass on to future generations?

10 – Share one of the moments of pure joy that you listed on page 144. Compare. Did any group members share similar moments? Are these moments something you can recreate as an adult? To do with your friends? With your children? Plan a joyful time to experience.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Four

2009-07-16T13:18:00.001-07:00

1 – Share your top two or three values with each other.

2 – Give examples of how these values have impacted your life.

3 – Any values conflict? Any values help or hurt the fulfillment of your goals?

4 – Read your descriptions of yourselves from page 118.

5 – Trade addresses. Sometime this week mail a postcard to a partner from the group. On the postcard, tell them something you admire about them as you have become acquainted more intimately.

6 – Encourage each other. After each person who feels comfortable share one entry from page 121, write down the new perspective they are trying to develop with someone they love. Commit to pray for each other during the next week.

7 – Share your ideas from the Road Trip on page 123. Write down some ideas from the group that you want to try.

8 – Read some of the laws you have written on pages 124-125. Have one person be the recorder and write a “Ten Commandments” list for your group. This can be serious or humorous.

9 – What real law do you HATE? Why?

10 – Write down three words or phrases that describe how you would like to be remembered. Share one thing you will do NOW to be sure you are described in this way.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Three

2009-07-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

1 – During your meeting today, try to note any time you begin to lose focus and think about something unrelated to your time together. If you begin to think about what you need at the grocery store, etc. stop and share. You may be surprised how hard it is to concentrate on your time together.

2 – Share what you noticed about your thoughts when you tried to stop and be quiet. What did this show you about your self?

3 – When you tried to stop thinking about all of the external stuff, did any deep desires come to the surface?

4 – Think about what aspect of God’s character most attracts you to Him. Some need God to be a righteous judge, some a father. Discuss.

5 – List something that has changed about your spiritual beliefs.

6 – From page 90, discuss how you think that someone’s thoughts about God affect their thoughts about who they are.

7 – From page 92-94, the Ecclesiastes passage, have each person in the group share one of their entries describing a “time” in their life.

8 – Discuss the season of life you are in right now.

9 – Think of some ways you have been forgiven. How can this help you to forgive others?

10 – Share your poems from page 102. Have everyone share his or her new names.

Discussion Questions: Chapter Two

2009-07-16T13:15:00.001-07:00

1 – This may feel uncomfortable at first, but practice makes things easier. We are all good at pointing out our faults physically. On page 37 you were asked to list a feature about yourself that you love. Go around the group and complete this sentence out loud: The feature I love about my physical appearance is _____________________.

2 – Write a definition of yourself. Answer the questions: who, what, when, where and why as best you can. Act like you are writing a character description for a novel, the character is you. Read your definitions to each other.

3 – Share one of your ideas to reduce the impact of time eaters in your life.

4 – Page 46 asks – “Does your life look like the life you hoped it would be 10 years ago? Think forward. How do you hope you will be spending your time differently 10 years from now?

5 – Share how the to-do list worked for you.

6 – Share some ideas you discovered that could change your ordinary day into your extraordinary day.

7 – Everyone share one free idea to do with your family or friends from page 53.

8 – From page 54, discuss some of the things you have done to make your life work that you had no training to do. Share some of the areas from the “Road Trip” on that page that you want to learn more about. If someone in your group has expertise or book referrals about your topic, use each other for resources.

9 – Share your experiences from intentionally listening to someone.

10 – What did you feel grateful for after taking a look at your self, your home, your schedule and your family and friends?

Discussion Questions: Chapter One

2009-07-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

1 – Why do couples go on a honeymoon after their wedding? What is the purpose? What did you feel when you thought of a honeymoon with yourself?

2 – Page 4 states “The things you love say something about you…listen.” Why is it important to know what you like and dislike? Is this superficial? Selfish? Necessary? Why? How does this relate to fulfilling your life purpose?

3 – Did anything surprise you about yourself as you completed this chapter? Did you see yourself as a unique creation? Look at the person on the right, share one thing you learned about your unique self with them. Listen to their revelation. Make sure you’ve listed those things on page 21-22.

4 – Write down one of your wishes from page 15 on an index card. Trade cards with a member of your group. Use their card for a bookmark. Pray and hope with each other that your dreams will come to fruition.

5 – Share some of your morning and evening rituals. Pick out a new idea to try.

6 – Was there anything you realized you disliked but were doing unnecessarily due to someone else’s expectations? (Page 17 & 18)

7 – You may want to provide colored pencils or markers to do your creative excursion together.

8 – Ask a few people to bring in CDs of their favorite songs. Listen to them together. (page 13 & 14)

9 – One of the main things women yearn for is to be heard and to be known. From completing this chapter you should know yourself better. Have each person in the group pick one of these questions and answer it out loud.
What do you do?
What are you good at?
What do you want?

10 – Allow a few people to read their souvenirs from the chapter out loud.

spotless

2009-05-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Where, O where, is my spot?

I can show you the kitchen, the family room, the dining room, the kid’s rooms, the master bedroom and certainly the laundry room. But where is my spot? On some days it is easier to find hidden pictures of Waldo than it is to find a spot just for me in my own house.

We recently moved into a new house. In this house, I have my very own room, my study, my little get-away. Even with the actual space available to me, I have not taken ownership of it. I do not have the resources (time or money) to create an official place of my own. Or at least, that is how it seems. Last weekend, as I sat working on these pages, I made a list of things I could do with no money and very little time.

1) clean junk/trash/other people’s stuff out of the office

2) choose a paint color/color scheme for the room

3) find a wallpaper for focal wall

4) vacuum the room

5) create a basket of necessary treasures (markers, pens, scissors, tape, chocolate)

My mom gave me full access to our attic when I was 11 years old. It was my hiding place. My baby sister’s old crib became a little couch for me. Some old lamps and suitcases made an eclectic reading area. Once in a while, I invited a friend (or a brother, if he was on his best behavior) to visit, but most of the time, it was just for me—to read, to think, to figure out who I was in this new phase of my life.

When I was up in that attic, I was not concerned with the perfect décor for my space. I was delighted at the junk I could arrange and re-arrange into a cozy corner where I could be whatever I wanted to be.

In order for me to truly inhabit this new space of mine in my grown up world, I had to take on that same perspective I had as a child. In one corner, I have a bookshelf. Each shelf houses a different aspect of my life. By the window, I have my desk (inherited by my husband’s grandmother). We happened to have an extra mattress that is now piled high with a quilt from my grandmother and the pink fairy sheets that my daughter has outgrown.

Sunday afternoon, I opened my windows, listened to the rain and had a rest on my lounge chair. My room is not what I hope it will be, nowhere close to perfection, but it is comfortable and peaceful—which is exactly the kind of spot I need right now.

What steps (big or small) have you taken toward designing your own spot?

your favorite things

2009-04-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

The way to love life is to love many things.
~Van Gogh

I started Unwritten Travels today. For the first time since our book was cut and pasted into a binder, I am filling in the blanks of my very own copy.

Even though I am overcommitted (spell check doesn't recognize that word, but I looked it up in the dictionary and that is the correct spelling. Maybe my computer is using the red pen on my life, underlining that word to remind me that it is unhealthy and unproductive to be overcommitted.), my house has a protective layer of dust and soap scum on all surfaces, and I am headed to a bridal luncheon in just a few minutes (for the stunning Elizabeth Mc Knight, doodler extrodinare of all things Unwritten), I actually sat on my back porch and filled out the list of my favorite things.
(Yes, that was one sentence. I need a blog editor.)

It almost felt obsene.
What buisness do I have thinking about my favorite things on a day like today, in a month like this month, where there is too much to do and not near enough time or energy to do it?
But I did it anyway, because if I weren't me, I would be lecturing you on taking time for yourself ESPECIALLY in the hardest times. So I listened to me telling you that this is good for you
~healthy actually, like eating vegetables, wholegrains and drinking lots of water.

And it was.
I felt this tired part of myself stretch her little arms out, look up for the first time in a while, and remember that she matters.

My favorite color: this yummy blue (the little sticks).

My favortie article of clothing: pink polka dot skirt that I am wearing tonight.

My favorite sport: zumba (according to my definition of sport, anyway)

My favorite book: I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
and anything by Marisa de los Santos. I wrote her last year on National Author's Day and she wrote me back the kindest letter.

My favorite shoes: I am wearing them right now. Strapy floral wedge sandals. They make me smile every time I peek at my feet :)

My favorite gift(s) received: my camera, my engagement ring, my grandmother's ring.

Thankfulness overwhems me as I reflect on the many things I love about my life.
Well, my timer went off to alert me that I must get on with the day.

What have you learned about yourself from filling out Your Favorite Things?

showing off

2009-04-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

What are my dreams?

Who am I?

Am I who I want to be at this time in my life?

How can I give my life to others and still hold on to my unique self?

These are some of the questions we asked hundreds of women to ask themselves this weekend at the Southern Women's Show in Nashville, TN.
We found the best way to describe our book is an activity book for real life.
Jenny Ann did a fantabulous job designing and building our booth.

We had a big glass Dream Jar with pieces of paper for women to write down a dream they have for their life. Some women did not have a dream.
We told them they NEEDED our book.

Many women inspired us by their stories, their dreams, and the difficult and wonderful decisions they are making for good in their lives. We talked to a woman who had survived four different types of cancer. A financial adviser (with a name like a superhero) who realized that people did not need more money, they needed a vision for their life (and he thinks our book can help). A woman who did not think she was smart enough to get her Master's Degree, but she pressed on and now she has her dream job as a librarian.

Thank you to ALL who came by and visited our booth.
Special thanks to The Lisas, Linda, Mary Kay, Angela, and our sweet husbands, Steve and Adam.

Nashville Southern Women's Show 2009

2009-04-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow begins a big fun time for Unwritten Travels. Thursday through Sunday we will be hosting a booth at the Southern Women's Show. It would be a thrill to see you there. We are in booth #1003.

below E

2009-03-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

There is this gauge in my car, right above the steering wheel. It has a little red bar that points somewhere between an F and an E, letting me know how much gas is in my car.

Well, it attempts to let me know. It tries.

It just doesn't get my life.

What if I did live that kind of life? Where each morning, I peacefully walked to my car (alone), slipped my travel mug into my cup holder (that still knew how to hold cups), turned on music (that I loved) and paused to check my gas level. What if I had the kind of life that made room for thoughts like, Hey, I've got some extra time and I'm almost below a 1/4 tank, I'll stop and get some gas on my way to wherever?

This morning, my son was calling me out the front door (giving me a minute by minute countdown), while I was prodding my slow and steady daughter to move her lovely little self out the door. I thought I gave them their lunch money, but just as we are pulling out of the driveway, we discover the checks never made it to the van. Back into the house to get the checkbook. Once again, almost late to school.

Stop and check how much gas I have?

Whatever.

Until the morning my car doesn't start. Genius.

I'm out of gas. So, I call a friend who picks my kids up and takes them to school. They are tardy, of course. Good friends help when you are in a pinch. They also don't laugh (okay, they don't laugh too long) when you tell them you forgot to fill up your tank (again).

My life has been c r a z y.

But there is a point when life's circumstances start to seep into my mind, heart and soul and, pretty soon, it is not just life that's crazy, but me. Crazy, exhausted, angry, impatient, and sick. Without a little red bar, and absolutely no warning light to alert me, I suddenly realize my tank is empty.

I wonder, how long I have been running on fumes. The difference between my van and me, is that I can keep going even on empty. I can go for quite awhile. Until I can't anymore.

Yesterday was that day for me. The day that I dropped my kids off at school, and (after filling up my car), came home and took a morning nap. There were a thousand things I needed to do yesterday (and I eventually got to most of my list) but nothing good or productive could come from me until I got some rest.

The world is not going to stop and wait for us to fill up.

Check in with your tank. What do you need right now?

Some of my favorite things to do when I am weary: sit for an hour with my coffee, soak in a lavender bath, get in bed an hour (or two) early, and watch an old movie instead of cleaning one afternoon.

You think we could be as kind to ourselves as we are to our cars? No car can run on empty and neither can we. Good-bye, guilt and unrealistic expectations. Hello, Sanity! It's good to see you again.

an unwritten season

2009-03-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I have journaled, taken pictures of my daily life, or celebrated a small moment just for me. This has been a time of getting sick, getting better, doctor appointments, dental visits, getting sick again, antibiotics, and lots of cough syrup.

Who wants to document moments that are less about living and more about surviving?

This is how I define an unwritten season: A time in my life that I want to put in the past, so I can live the life I really want...somewhere...out there...beyond today. I want to wait for one of those days that I get to hike through the woods with my family, find a delightful treasure at the flea market, or go on a romantic date with my husband. Those are the days I want to write about. Those are the days I want to represent my life.

If I wait for the perfect days, I won't write. I will have no snapshots. There are disappointing things about the best days, and beautiful moments even in the midst of the worse ones. Often, the richest seasons of my story have resulted from struggle, disappointment, failure and defeat.

We get bogged down by life. Motherhood. Marriage. Change. Making ends meet. Real life can be exhausting. It is easy to disappear in our own lives and forget that everyday is our story, everyday is our life. Beautiful stories are not made of perfect moments.

Yesterday, while cleaning out bobby pins and cough drop wrappers from my bedside table, I found a packet of flower seeds. They aren't blooming anytime soon (I haven't ever successfully grown anything from seed). But they reminded me to slow down and smell the daisies today-even if they are only seeds.

traveling companions

2009-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Thoughts from one woman who is taking the journey:

"Unwritten Travels is years worth of therapy in a book that’s so intriguing and introspective you’ll be excited to learn (or remember) the next thing about yourself. Don’t deny yourself this fun book. You will find some simple things to add into your life that will simply, easily brighten your days. And, it’s just too fun.

This book is for anybody who spends more time thinking about others than themselves. It’s just for you. It’s just about you. It’s fun and it’s surprising because it leads you to learn or maybe remember something about yourself that helps you do what you gotta do day to day – but a little more joyfully. No major life overhauls necessarily, but little things that only you know and appreciate and need to work into your life just because it brings you some joy.

Mostly I liked this book because it was just fun to complete. It made me think. It made me remember. It made me act on some simple things that easily brighten my day. I documented some things about me that taught my husband things he didn’t know before.

I made changes to my life after reading this book. I made simple, easy additions that cost me my pocket change, but didn’t significantly subtract from my precious, precious TIME. These are things that would not likely be understood by others, but they bring joy to me. So, there’s new joy in my life because of this book. I bought a reading light and used it, I put linen spray on my sheets, I light candles with matches not butane, I clean my toothbrush tray more often, I use lamps instead of overhead lighting, I take the two seconds needed to spray some perfume each morning, and guess what – no one in my realm of responsibility is suffering. No one in my family is neglected. No one at work or home is bothered by these things. I wonder if they really even notice I’m doing them. I am better for making time to do these things. I’m better on the inside where everything else (how I treat people, how I think, what I think, why I do things), gets decided. I’m reminded I can make these gestures of kindness to myself with only positive impact to the people I’m trying to do my best for and with. Don’t deny yourself the chance to do the same. Just don’t."

~Angela Vaden (Franklin, TN)

on air

2009-03-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

Being on Debbie's show was one of my favorite things I have ever done. I know, that sounds dramatic (my daughter gets it from someone...), but I am telling you, it was one of my top 10 best life experiences.

Stress and anxiety are two things I am quite comfortable combating. Taking exams, writing papers, meeting deadlines, paying my bills, getting lost in rush hour traffic--those things can completely unravel me. I thought, for sure, that being interviewed on a live show would be terrifying, in that bungee-jumping kind of way.

Maybe it is because Debbie Alan is such a generous and enthusiastic person. Jenny W. says that when Debbie smiles you feel her joy all the way to your toes. How could we not feel comfortable with that level of encouragement? Maybe it is because Jenny W. was jumping of the cliff with me and she manages to make even the most intense situations hysterically funny. Our interview felt more like hanging out and laughing with a couple of friends for 45 uninterrupted minutes.

The only moment where I was truly scared was when Debbie asked me about our website. There were some dark hours in the days leading up to Monday morning. Our website had some kinks that our little brains did not believe we could solve. Without a place to order our books, we could not go on Debbie's show (and sell our book). Like we said in the interview (like Jenny W. said as she rescued me from drowning in silence), our website is in process. Today you can order our book, but keep checking, because it is getting better by the day.

I still have not listened to the interview. But, I am sure that if we could figure out how to get our book on amazon and how to set up a paypal account, I can surely figure out how to handle the weirdness that comes with listening to my less that cohesive thoughts streamed online.

Special Thanks to Jen, Christina and Sandra for calling in. You are brave and kind friends to join us on a LIVE broadcast. Your questions were wonderful and sparked great discussion. Thank you to Steve, Linda, and Keoni for being there to take pictures and cheer us on.

In case you missed it the first time... you can listen to our interview about Unwritten Travels
on OntheHomeStretch.com:

discovering what we loved...

and

stay at home moms join forces with a new passion and purpose

and

does journaling give you the jitters?

empty boxes

2009-03-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

When I first started working on this post a few days ago, it was to announce to you that we had sold our first box of books. Would you believe, only 10 days after the arrival of Unwritten Travels, we have 3 empty boxes? It is so fun checking our website and seeing people we have known from childhood, supportive family members and friends sharing in our celebration by placing orders for books. We are still awaiting our first stranger order.

Thank you, dear loved ones, for helping us empty these boxes!

On The Home Strech

2009-03-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

On Monday, March 9th @ 10:15-10:57 am CST, we are going to be interviewed about our book, Unwritten Travels on "On the Home Stretch with Debbie Alan."
Check out the show's schedule for details.

You can listen to our interview (during that time) at: http://www.OnTheHomeStretch.com.
You are also welcome to call in for a live interview.
The number to call in LIVE is: 877-474-3302.

We hope you are able to join us for this exciting time in our journey. Thank you for the many ways you have supported us through the process of writing and publishing Unwritten Travels.

Many blessings on the dreams you are pursuing today!

the missing link

2009-03-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and checked our website. Excitedly, I see that the “About the Authors” link is up, but the link to purchase the book is not activated yet. It will be at any moment!
I love our website so far. One purpose of the site is to provide the ability for people to buy our book. Currently, you can look at it, learn about it and learn a little about us, but you can’t buy it through this site. One part, one link, is not doing its job. It’s like that every day in the world. We are all created for a purpose. Our purpose is many times revealed in the dreams, passions and hopes we have for ourselves.

When any one of us isn’t fulfilling our purpose,
something in our world is not as good as it could be.

Hopefully, many women will discover or remember their purposes, dreams, passions and hopes through playing through the pages of Unwritten Travels. Hopefully, they will be able to take some practical steps to begin to live their lives in accordance with these discoveries.

I can’t wait to see what happens. – Jenny Ann

boxes and boxes of books

2009-03-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Our due date finally arrived!
Here we sit, proud, proud Mommas gloating over our newest baby.
5,000 babies to be exact.

How to purchase a copy (or 5 copies*) of Unwritten Travels:

1. From our web site: unwrittentravels.com

2. You can send a check for the amount of $24.99* to
Unwritten Travels
P.O. Box 2783
Brentwood, TN 37024

3. Buy a copy* from us in person (we will always be carrying around books with us).

*For a limited time only (I have always wanted to say that)
you can buy 4 copies and get the 5th copy FREE.