This has been an extremely busy week at work so it’s been hard to blog. But I have kept a list in my mind of what makes me feel grateful this week. I tried all weekend to post this but my blogging app was having none of it, so please excuse the tardiness. I wrote this last week.
Read more
Author: Terri
My Teensy-Weensy Tiny Obsession
If your are friends with me on Facebook, or follow me on Pinterest, or just know me In Real Life (IRL), as they say, you already know that I have a bit of an obsession with tiny homes and simple living. Simple living is something I strive for every day. I still have a ways to go, in my mind, but I have already gotten rid of a lot of stuff in my apartment. In fact, I willingly downsized from a one bedroom to a studio in my building. It has been one of the best decisions I have made! I moved from an apartment that faced the street and received all of its noise, to a smaller apartment toward the back of my building. Now I hear the breezes rustling through the trees instead of the T announcer telling everyone and no one the final destination of that train. Read more
Share this:
FEAR
FEAR. It’s a very small word but it has so much power. At least, I’ve let it have so much power over me for most of my life. I’m ashamed to admit it, but am hoping by writing this post, it will lessen its grasp on me some more. My whole life, I’ve looked at people like my younger brother who never seem to be afraid to try things that seem terrifying to me.
My brother decided to ride his bike more than 200 miles from NYC to Boston one weekend. He got the idea and he did it. Just like that. Even when his first bike got stolen two weeks before his planned epic ride, he didn’t give up. He just dove right in. And when I asked him if he was ever worried he wouldn’t be able to do it as planned, he said “nope. I never did. I had that ultrarunner’s perspective the entire time.” When he first brought up the idea to do it, I thought of all the things that could go wrong. He could break down. He could get injured. He could get mugged. The list goes on and on. If it had been me, I don’t think I could have done it. Because of fear.
Share this:
Little Things for Which I am Thankful
I really look forward to writing this post every week. I hope you enjoy it too.
- Fall weather seems to be upon us, and I am grateful for that cool air which all runners love after having suffered through the heat and humidity of summer. It. Is so much easier to breathe!
- Bonkers, the newest member of the family. He seems to instinctively know that this is now his home and has been settling in very well.
- My EG Copenhagen, my new electric bike! It will make running errands and riding up hills that much easier. Plus, if I get another job, it will make life that much easier if I end up going into work before the T has started running for the day.
- I got rid of my recliner chair this week. I know, sounds weird that it made the list, right? Well, it had been broken since the day I moved out  three years ago (by the movers, no less). It was taking up valuable space and I hardly ever sat in it because it had to be propped up by a while. Only one of my cats (HoneyBun) sat there with regularity and I suspect that may have been owing to the fact that I covered it with a really comfy fleece blanket for her. I’ve since moved the blanket and she seems to be doing just fine in the new location.
- Found a book called The In-Between: Embracing the Moments between Now and the Next Big Thing, by Jeff Goins. While I am really motivated to attain my goals, it is also helping me to realize life is also going on NOW. I will definitely review it on here when I am finished, and I already know it will be going on my Helpful Books page.Have a great weekend everyone! I leave you with an image of one of my cuties. 🙂
-
My sleepy girl, HoneyBun
Share this:
And Then, They Were One More
A few weeks ago, a friend called me in a panic, and the first words were “feel free to say no.” Â She had a twelve year old cat who was supposed to be taken care of by the rescue with which she works, but no foster home had yet been arranged. She couldn’t take him due to her already having two cats and several roommates, one of whom she thought might not appreciate having a cat in the bathroom all of a sudden. Fair enough.
Long story short. I took in the kitty whose name is Bonkers, thinking it would only be for two nights. That turned into five, and then a visit to the vet confirmed it would be longer. He was way too underweight to be put up for adoption. I could definitely see that. He was eating food like every meal would be his last. Most people notice the uniqueness of his ears first. He suffered frostbite as a kitten, so they are a lot smaller than normal. I think they make him look even more adorable.
After a couple of weeks, the Bonk-Man, as I like to call him, started to get antsy in my kitchen. He wanted to get out and explore and my resident cats had figured out he was in there. So, I let him out so I could see how he acted around other cats. My thinking was that with his age, if he could at least get along with other cats, that would make him that much more adoptable. Â Luckily, he’s pretty chill around the other cats and little Osito, my senior chihuahua. (She is also 13, and a recent adoption. Yes, I am a sap when it comes to animals, especially the older ones.)
My smallest, Callie, is a bit fearful around him and hissed, but he simply walks away and I have been giving her lots of love to reassure her that she’s still my littlest girl. The alpha male cat, Max, has needed some reassuring too, but he seems to be understanding his position is not in jeopardy. Bonkers seemed to know he was auditioning for the role of Newest Family Member, i swear. Bonkers simply wants a place to hang his head, and sleep. So, I’m giving it to him.
When I tell people I decided to adopt him, they laugh. There is definitely some judging going on and the phrase Crazy Cat Lady has definitely been thrown around. If they want to mock, fine. I know the love I receive from these animals is priceless. I feel proud knowing I can provide for them, and they never want for a thing. I. Keep my place as clean as possible for myself and for them. And the nights that I sit on the couch with several of them around me (usually one or two on my lap), I know we are a family. And that’s all that matters.
Do you have any animals in your life? And if so, how have they changed it?
Share this:
Running is like Life
Woke up at 530 to run this past Saturday. I am so glad I did. Ran for 77 minutes and the sun hadn’t even broken through the fog by the time I finished around 8 am. (I can take a while to get moving some mornings.)
I thought about how life is like running and vice versa. Read more
Share this:
Little Things for Which I am Thankful
I have so much to be thankful for this week – below is just a smattering. Writing this post as the week goes on has really taught me to live in the now and be really aware of my surroundings and the people in my life.
- I am thankful for my friend, M, with whom I have recently reconnected and who was willing to lend me his kinesiology book so that the words I’m reading in my CES book no longer look like a foreign language to me. I hadn’t seen him in over a year, so it was nice to relax and have a night out, rather than my usual Friday night trip to the grocery store. (Sad, I know.) Even better to have a reason to style my hair! 🙂 Read more
Share this:
My New Ride
Well, I finally made it through my decision impairment and have made a choice. (Whenever there is a large amount of money involved, it can take me a long time to decide things.) After a LOT of research, I have decided to buy an electric bike, and I will be ordering it on Friday as soon as I get paid. Read more
Share this:
California (or Pacific Northwest) Dreaming
Through my Everyday Magic online photography course, I’ve seen some absolutely beautiful, breathtaking images. I notice that my favorites tend to be of the west coast. The above photo I took a few years back when I was on the Oregon Coast, driving southward from the Cannon Beach area. I haven’t touched up the image, but can’t wait to play with it with some of my camera apps!
Have you ever felt this pull to be somewhere else? And felt it your entire life? As many years back as I can remember, I have wanted to be there. I remember both of my trips down the Oregon Coast like they were yesterday even though one took place almost 20 years ago. I took the first with an old friend, and the second one all on my own. Both have seared images into my brain. I rememeber how my friend and I felt that first time we hit the Pacific Ocean, with all of the sea stacks jutting out from the water. On the the second trip, I remember sitting near Cape Perpetua for several hours, just watching the waves crash onto the shore. Read more
Share this:
Getting Serious about my Debt, Part 2 (selling crap I don’t need)
Last week, I wrote that I started to cut away at my debt by ceasing to buy crap I didn’t need. That’s only part of the equation. I have also gotten rid of a lot of stuff that I found I didn’t use. Some of it, I gave away via freecycle.org. Other things, I sold on Craigslist. Things I sold:
- Tv
- DVD player
- Roku box
- Juicer
- MY CAR (I’ll get to that in a bit.)
Chasing Simple Dreams 