Oh what a beautiful morning!

Today I am really enjoying the sunshine and blue skies. Princess and I sat on the front step and had lunch together and the smell of the spring air was dizzyingly wonderful. It's a smell I have always loved; heat, earth, growth. True intoxication at it's finest. It has been a day to stop and breathe it all in.

Our health insurance has an online wellness center that has a lot of little classes you can take. Last week they sent me an email reminding me that if I wanted to win a weekend getaway, I'd better get busy and finish my Stress Management Lifestyle Improvement Course pronto. I could use a weekend at a spa, let me tell you, so I've been doing a some here and there the last few days.

I am currently on Phase 2 Step 1, and yesterday it talked about how to assess your personal stress level and take a balanced approach to the everyday stress in your life. Paraphrased (this is what I wrote down and put up on my desk so I can memorize it):

1. Appraise
Does the situation threaten me OR does it provide and opportunity that could turn into something good?

2. Letting Go
Can I let go? Is the situation out of my control OR can I do something about it?

3. Be Rational
Is this a hassle or a HUGE EMERGENCY?

Going through these three steps whenever a person, place or thing begins to cause stress in your life seems like a lot of work, but it also seems as though it might actually help sort the daily wheat from the chaff and make my life easier.

The first instruction was really an interesting thing to me. I am great at reflecting back on something and realizing what a fabulous lesson it was; I am not as good at being grateful for a trial in the middle of it. I think I would like to be and so I am going to work on that. Cultivating flexibility and the talent of seeing a bigger picture and purpose in our mundane struggles makes good sense to me.

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.
~G. K. Chesterton

My First EVER Blog Give Away!

Okay, I am Courtney's number five, so it's all here fault :) Here goes:

The first five people to respond to this post will receive something made by me. HOMEMADE!The item will be my choice made just for you!

Restrictions and Limitations:

1. I have complete creative freedom.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done within the next 6 months.
4. You have no clue what it will be.

It may be personalized note cards. I might bake something. I might not think of anything until 6 months from now...The catch? You must re-post this on your own blog and offer the same to 5 people who comment.

The first 5 people to leave a comment telling me they are in (and posting their favorite color), will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift from me! Be sure to post a picture of what you get! Anyone past the 5th comment will be entered in a drawing for another item!

The quote below is an interesting one, and depending on how you see the world you can replace the first word with lots of things. I like Divine Providence myself :)

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast;

in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.

--Ovid

In spring there is a renewal of all things...

Including my determination to keep up with my blog :) So here's an update to get you started. Since December:

**The contest I entered on New Year's eve? I won first place and they've chosen a couple of the other submissions I sent in to publish as well. I am stunned. I am ecstatic. I am grateful. They'll be published in the Fall 2009 issue of Segullah. Segullah also invited me to join their staff as a member of the poetry board.

**I entered another poetry contest, a local one, with word coming about that next month probably. I'm not confident about it, but I loved the idea so much I had to send something in. The winners have their poem engraved on plaques and posted in a "poetry garden" on the grounds of the public library for a year and they and the honorable mentions get the poems places on the city buses!

**I entered ScriptFrenzy and am failing miserably at it so far.

**The kids are growing. The kids are amazing. Princess is getting ready to be popcorn in her spring dance recital. Bear loves to say "I'm a pirate: aarrrggghhh".

**I finally opened an actual eBay store front called 8pizza and am loving how much simpler it is to deal with than the onesie twosie stuff I have done for years! Here is the first of some very nifty promotions I'll have coming up: sign up for my store newsletter (one email every other week and the occasional spotlight email) and get $1 off your purchase! Sign up by going to my store site and finding the Store Newsletter sign up button on the left side half way down. Free local pick up for locals and lots of "best offer" items too--don't be afraid to haggle with me just because you know me!

**My husband is not attending school this quarter and we are stunned at the time we have to hang out as a family. It's cool :)

**Night Writers (the writing group I go to) is producing its first publication; a year book of sorts that will include writing of many genres from the ladies in the group. It will be finished this week, and we are having an publication reception this Saturday evening with readings by the authors, autographed copies of Night Writer's Ink and treats. If you're interested in coming, drop me a line and I'll tell you when and where!

**Facebook has sucked me in and takes up way too much of my time, but it's sure the heck fun.

**I have lots of travel planned for the summer, and I am so excited to get to see some of you! We'll be doing a six-state road trip as a family and the kids and I will be doing some flying on our own too. Raise your hand if you want postcards!

I missed the blog. It's good to be back.