New Year....New beginnings!!

Well, 2008 has come and gone and it's now time to think about making some New Year's resolutions for 2009! I, myself have always felt hopeful about the new year because it always gives me a chance to start over with a clean slate...a new beginning!

This year, I'm hoping to be able to get my finances in order, start getting healthy and taking better care of myself and to finally begin planning and executing a beginning to my business. I have finally figured out what I want to do and slowly I have been trying to figure out what comes next. I felt so confused at first because I thought I was supposed to go in one direction but in fact, I never felt comfortable with it. Instead, I started delving into my surroundings...what I felt really comfortable with and what I absolutely LOVED to do...only to discover that I had been doing a lot of those things already!

I realized that all along, I had been doing all the things that make me feel really in control...comfortable and confident that I know what I'm doing. But rather than look at it discouragingly...like I had been wasting a lot of time and effort with it...I started looking at everything that I have done in my past and present as a training period. All the volunteer work that I have been doing was all to gain some experience. Experience I would normally have had to get elsewhere and may have taken a different route. Instead, I built up my experience and comfort zone by helping out, and working hands on and building up my self confidence. For that, I'm very happy.

I like to look at all the things that I have done with my life as on the job training for what I want to do with my life and yes, I'm still discovering things about myself and am still learning but at least, now, I have a direction to go towards. I'm excited to see how far I get this year with wanting to get my business up and off the ground.

One of the exciting things that I have learned too is from the Fast Track forum that I belong to...I've learned to view things a whole lot differently than what it looks like. To actually take a whole new perspective on things...things aren't always what they seem. I have loved that forum from the moment I joined it because it was exactly what I needed to help me through...they have encouraged me, helped me discover things about myself that I wasn't aware of and have made me feel like I can honestly do anything I want to...I love that! I have never felt this way before...it's exciting to discover that I'm still learning things about myself, every day...and that's ok!

People, these days, are always in such a big hurry...I'm guilty of that too....but if we slow down long enough, you can discover some pretty incredible things about yourself...if you let it happen. I've unearthed some pretty interesting things about myself but I know that it's my journey and no one else's. No one out there will have the same life I do...no one will have the same people in there lives I do...and that there is only one me...so I get to call the shots in this one! That's ok by me!

Happy New Year everyone....hope that you all make some changes in your lives....some may be small but change is change and no matter how big or small...as long as it makes a difference somewhere...that's what matters because the world has to evolve. It can't stay the same or else it would grow stagnant!

Here's to change!

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Well, I always thought that when the kids got older, that things would slow down some...boy was I wrong! It's actually a different kind of busy! And we even have one less kid in the house since our daughter moved away and has made a life for herself as a dental hygienist!

I've become so busy with life that sometimes I don't know whether or not I'm coming or going! I tend to have such a full schedule of things to do on a daily basis. I hardly ever have free time to myself. Sure I enjoy facebook and checking out my Fast Track forum but I don't take the time to read or go for walks or enjoy nature like I used to. I don't even have time to look after myself health wise although I have been going to a natureopathic doctor twice a week doing the NAET treatments. Not quite sure how that works but it does feel good to just relax for 15 minutes and listen to relaxation music. It's the only way I can do that...to physically remove myself from my home and go elsewhere to do this. Otherwise, I wouldn't.

I've been doing a tremendous amount of volunteer work with our church. I'm on the environment committee for our youth ministry program at our church. I get a description from week to week of what the environment or room is supposed to look like...and as soon as I read it, the ideas flow into my head. And I don't mean small ideas either...they usually are quite elaborate. I don't know any other way to work...and I usually don't like to downsize my ideas either! Depending on what the night is about, I can put together some pretty interesting things. The last one that we did, was on "Word"...which was about scripture and bible study...so I was supposed to make the room look like a library with a giant bible in the center of the room. Here are some pictures of the evening to give you an idea of what I created. Now this room is a large open room and I hang sheets up with clips to the suspended ceiling to divide up the room or make smaller rooms.....


I used rolls of brown paper to make the book cases and construction paper to make the books which worked out quite well...it really looked like a library. The giant bible was a box wrapped in brown paper and I used bristol board to make the cover and I just decorated it on the cover...I even added the ribbon bookmark to make it look authentic.


I thoroughly enjoy doing these things but it is time consuming and takes up a lot of my weekends. Right now, I'm finding it really hard to find a balance in my life. I work full time (40+ hours) and then come home and work on the volunteer stuff if I need to...and I also go to some appointments during the week and mass and adoration on Wednesdays and then on Fridays we usually have the teens come over to watch movies at our house. Usually, I finish up on Friday and Saturday what I don't have time to finish up during the week. So it's constantly hectic and busy in my life. I'd really like to figure out a way to find some sort of balance...but right now, I don't know how to do that!

Oh, and the musical is starting up again at my son's school...I like to volunteer to help out with costumes for that too! I know, I know, I'm crazy...but for me, it's really hard to say no to things I love to do! Plus, we (my husband and I) plan on throwing the kids a Masquerade Ball for Halloween this year. Last year, I turned the house into a haunted house and threw them all a Halloween party...they loved it. I enjoyed doing that for them! I enjoy the kids and right now, I feel that all this is temporary...once my son is done his last high school year...it will probably change once again! Life is about changes...is it not?

The only thing is...I've come to realize that my life is not my own but everyone elses! Trying to figure out how to balance it all has been the biggest challenge for me so far. I just keep taking it all one day at a time and one project at a time. So far, I'm barely surviving...I'm just hoping that I don't crash and burn!

Here's to finding balance!

Ah-hah moment!

I was having a migraine moment and decided to lay down and watch one of my homestaging dvd's while I waited for my headache to subside...I discovered something quite important! The dvd is Anne Maurice from the house doctor show based out of the UK. The section I was watching was on 'clutter'...I was laying there watching this and was thinking 'Oh, my God...that's me...that's me'...and I realized what she was saying was so true!

She talked about clutter taking over your life and keeping you stuck and not moving forward. Life becomes somewhat chaotic...you become overwhelmed and can't seem to get yourself to do things that you should be doing...and I realized that that's what's wrong in my life. I do have major amounts of clutter and my life is excessively busy and because I work a full time job, I'm unable to clear it up. Right now, I'm on vacation..I want to take care of it but I'm literally going in circles because I'm overwhelmed with it. I also feel like I'm running out of time to deal with it because I go back to work on Tuesday.

So, for now, I'm going to take a deep breath and tackle it one room at a time...it's all I can do in a situation like this. Also, I've decided to cut back on all the places I was supposed to attend this weekend...I've picked one thing and that'll have to do. Because really...going to all these things a) doesn't get things done for me and b) is a way of running away and avoiding what needs to get done!

It's funny though, I can literally go into someone elses house and take care of there clutter but when it comes to my own...it's really difficult. I guess it's because I have sentimental attachment to this 'stuff'. But Anne made some good points in how to deal with these things and hopefully I'll be able to apply them and make it work for me! I'll keep you all posted as to my progress!

Don't you just love 'ah-hah moments'?

~Della~

Vacation sometimes wears me out!

Everytime I take my vacation...I always plan some organization or home projects to do around the house! I usually jump right in and get pretty worn out! Today, I worked on trying to finish up my sewing/workroom! Then I took a break from doing that and went outside to cut some trees...with my son of course. I got a fair bit done but now feel pretty worn out...I also got eaten alive by the mosquitoes!

I don't know if it's my age or just being out of shape but I'm exhausted...I just hope I have the energy to keep going...I still have a lot more stuff I want to get done! I just love getting a chance to get things accomplished around the house...it just helps things run so much better when you get things organized and running smoothely! Especially with school just around the corner at our house...it'll help to have everything in it's place!

What I may do, so I don't feel like I'm wasting any time...I may catch up on some reading and read some of my Fast Track material while resting...this way here, I can work hard during the day, stop working early like around 8-ish and just read my material. This way, I still get something accomplished! I know, I know...it's not a lot of resting for my vacation but I don't like wasting time...my vacations to me are very precious...since I only get two weeks out of the year...I like to make sure I use it wisely. Other than visiting my daughter for a couple days, I took this week off so I could get things done around here.

I always feel that as a woman, it helps to run my household a lot more efficiently if things are in there place and that everything is organized as it should be! Not to mention clean...that's always a good thing! I must say though...I'm not as young as I used to be and I'm feeling older than my age! I'm gonna be 42 next week and I sometimes feel like I'm gonna be 82! I seriously need to start taking better care of my health especially if I want to start and run my own business some day! Doing that takes a lot of hard work...which I've never been afraid to do but I do want to have the energy to be able to do it and keep up as well!

Well, I must get ready to retire for the evening with my reading material...moving onward and upward!

~Della~

It's been a long time!

Well, it's been a long time since my last posting and thought I'd check in! Last time I was here, I was quite sick! I got better around the middle of March and it was a long slow recovery process!

During that time, I have realized that I have to slow down and try to listen to what my body is telling me...I don't always listen! I took an overview of my time and took a few things out and put in a few things that I enjoy and srengthened them, I guess you could say!

I ended up cutting the volunteering with the youth ministry out but adding the set-up of the night in...so I got put in charge of what's called the 'Environment Committee'...I come in and decorate the room geared to the topic of the night! I always loved this part of the volunteering anyway so I was so happy to be put in charge of it! I have a few women that I trust and can work with to help me out but most of the nights are my ideas and I put the props together. I fully enjoy it and I think the kids like it too!

The other day, I hit my one year anniversary to my new job...it's evolved a bit but my own business is still in the back of my mind! I did a lot of thinking while sick about the things that make me happy and passionate...I came up with making costumes and props and possibly making puppets! So, I thought of possibly having an internet site that I could make these and sell...possibly have a newsletter or something...it's still in the thinking stage but at least I feel like I'm making some progress! I'm kind of puttering with it but still having fun.

Right now, I'm planning my workroom area to my house...I've started getting it set-up and equipped so that I can work in there and get some things done before I get on the internet. I'm just excited about having a direction to go to. It makes a huge difference. I do a lot of research while at my job I have now when it's slow...it's nice having that luxury!

Well, hope all is well with the outside world! I'm still puttering but having fun...I'll try a little harder to keep posting more often...having a busy lifestyle doesn't always help this situation! I need to get more disciplined! Here's to being disciplined! :-)

~Della~

Feeling Frustrated!

Well, it is now the 12th day of January and all around me, I've seen signs of people starting diet and exercise programs while I sit here waiting to get better from possible pneumonia. I say possible because the last visit to the E.R. turned out to be frustrating in itself. I was arguing with a doctor who tried to tell me that I never had pneumonia. Go figure! We both looked at my xrays which did not change. He's trying to say this because at the bottom of the xray it says 'Normal Examination'...he openly admitted that he was not an xray technician and didn't know how to read these things but because it said that, he refused to accept that that's what I had. So he prescribed puffers instead. He was confused about what day it was so I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in the man.

Needless to say, I'm still not better and I feel like life is passing me by right now while everyone is busily getting on with theirs. There are so many things that I want to delve into and look at...I know, I know...I'll simply have to take one thing at a time and slowly begin somewhere. I just always seem to feel some confusion about what I'd like to do with my life.

I joined the 'Live Your Best Life' challenge with Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey. She says that you can start living your best life once you figure out what that is...I guess I could at least try to figure that out while I can't exactly exercise just yet. Although, I'm supposed to start eating healthier so I guess I can do two out of the three things I'm supposed to do. So I guess, I feel somewhat better now that I've gotten this off my chest.

Thanks for listening!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Well, since my last post...I've still got pneumonia and now a sinus infection to go along with it. I don't think these new antibiotics are working so it looks like I have to go back in to the E.R. to see what they say. I have to go to the E.R. because I no longer have a family doctor...he was forced to retire due to illness himself.

Since being sick, I've been forced to re-evaluate my life...and my future. Sometimes, I think that God sends me illness to make me stop or slow down. Otherwise, I wouldn't! Plain and simple! I got heavily involved in the youth ministry at our church...which was extremely rewarding at the beginning but got to be a little too much in the end. Which wasn't the point I started it with anyway. God knew that. I got so busy that I no longer had time for Him, which was the purpose of working for Him anyway. So it became almost pointless...or ironic. So, being sick, I've been forced to take a back seat and re-evaluate a few things.

I want to start creating a base for my business and start looking at making a go at that again. I had let fear rule me for a long time...but while re-looking at my life over the past year, I've come to realize that I've accomplished quite a bit in a year. I left my dreaded job of almost six years to go to my ideal job if I were to stay on the work force. Also, the youth ministry has given me great rewards as well.

The youth ministry, although it kept me very busy, is to me, a training period for bigger and better things. I have been thinking of a few different businesses that I could start just from the stuff I've done for them. Plus, I'm looking at things a little differently now and I'm not as scared as I once was. Which makes me view life a little differently...maybe even a bit excited at the prospects of the future. Even though I don't know what the future holds...only God knows that. But I need to slow down long enough so I can listen to where He wants to send me.

First things first...I need to concentrate on getting well...then I can begin with my dreams! Here's to 2008! Let's see where it leads me!

Happy New Years Everyone!