Tag October

Gratitude 11 and 12

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I knew I wouldn’t be consistent! But here I am .. catching up.

Yesterday was another hot day and we strolled after dark, because it’s dark so early! Hot October days are little gifts. I know they won’t last, so I’m grateful for days with nice weather. 85 in October feels different than 85 in July, after all.

And today… I’m grateful for music. I listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks, but Chris listens to different music each night before bed. It’s fun to learn about the bands he loves. We also have been watching Beat Shazam, a game show where you have to quickly identify songs. It’s fun. Lots of genres I’m bad at, but it is fun when you know!

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”

Maya Angelou

More to come!

August 1

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September 1

October 1

In 60 days I will be married.

LOVE this sign

LOVE this sign

Amazing, eh?

It has been a whirlwind, my mind is always a little preoccupied, and (slowly but surely) decisions are being made.  Trying to keep it simple and yet throw a fun party, trying to plan a distance wedding and honeymoon week with a small wedding party contingent in tow.

The dress has arrived.  The invitations have arrived.  More decisions to come – like dessert options!

Ah… life is so good.

45

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45

Yes.  I’ve been absent from my blog for a while.  Life has been busy – and good!

In September

  • I went to a few football games under the Friday night lights and in the steamy heat of a Saturday – ah, September in MN
  • I spent time with friends, sitting in the creek with margaritas on that steamy Saturday, celebrating milestone birthdays, and organizing Cosmo Girls for year 4
  • I’ve been spending time with this guy I have been dating, whenever our schedules (and the stars) align.
  • I was preparing for a trip to NYC, so I had to work a little extra on the front end.
  • I made it to two movies in the theatre:
    The Family (with Chris) – a mobster in witness protection.  Robert DeNiro still has it, at 70 years old!  Amazing.
    The Spectacular Now (with Marie) – I was excited to see this, and it didn’t live up to expectations.  It was just ok and mostly depressing.  
  • I finished Orange is the New Black on Netflix, and it is worth watching.
  • I spent a lot of time listening to Broadway Cast Recordings of Cinderella and Matilda and reading My City, My New York in preparation for my (annual) birthday trip to New York City.  

So, yes, now there has been a birthday.

birthday cake

birthday cake (Photo credit: freakgirl)

I flew out 9/30/13 and spent my 45th birthday (10/1/13) in NYC celebrating in style!  I’ll do a recap post of that trip later, but it was another amazing trip which makes me feel so blessed.

For my 44th year, I divided the year into quarters and made lists of 11 things to do or look forward to in each quarter.  I didn’t complete them all, but it was a fun way to organize the year.  You can read the summary posts from the first three quarters here:  Quarter 1, Quarter 2, Quarter 3.

Here is a wrap-up of the 4th quarter of my 44th year:,

my final 11 things: 

  1. Fourth of July!  Always a great time with family – relaxing time at the end of the dock, fireworks, great food and photo ops!
  2. Plan a Book Fest!First annual?  Bi-annual? Bookish food and treats?  Crafts?  Oh my!  It’s coming right up, but it’s in the planning stages!  It was SOOOO awesome!  You can read all about it here!  I am just starting to think about Book Fest 2.0!
  3. Ferragosto!  I can’t wait for my made up mid-August celebration!  More details to follow!  You can read all about it – here!  Buon Ferragosto!
  4. New York City! Looking forward to planning my annual trip to NYC!  It will make turning a year older more palatable! The trip is history – and it definitely was a great time… such a great way to spend a birthday!
  5. Books! Read and listen as much as possible! Tragic fail… keep on plugging away!  I actually did TWO book reviews and giveaways this quarter, so I guess that’s where my reading was focused – on The Promise of Provence and Freud’s Mistress – click to read more!
  6. Cosmo Girls! Start planning for 2013-2014!  Organized and rolling along!  We had a great organizational meeting and a terrific first meeting of the year! It’s going to be a great year!
  7. State Fair? Go if I can!  I guess I can – I went THREE times!
  8. Help Marissa move and get settled! Done!  It was a hot hot day we moved her in, but she is well-settled, the apartment is cute, and she is having a great time and great success in graduate school!  Woot!
  9. Ferragosto Ferragosto Ferragosto!  I have a feeling it’ll be the best ever!  Again – see above!  It was terrific!
  10. Sit down and … play piano or write poems or letters or play accordion… take time.  Well, also a fail.  Didn’t get much “time” for any of that but it’s all good!
  11. What do you think I should add to my list?

So as you can see, not even 11 things on the list, but still a fun way to remember the year.

45 years old

45 years old

And for this year, 45?  

Maybe I’ll do something creative with 45 records (remember them?) like “on the flip side” or “B Side”… have ideas?  

45 rpm, flip side? b-side?

45 rpm, flip side? b-side?

 

I learned that 45 is the sum of all the numbers (0+1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9 = 45), the dialing code for Denmark (+45), a gun or ammunition (.45), and the sapphire wedding anniversary.  

Elvis Costello wrote this song called 45 (http://youtu.be/KPZkldKk1WA), referring to record singles and his age when he wrote the song.  A catchy song… There are lots more songs and movies and other information you can read about online – thanks Wikipedia!  

So I haven’t fleshed out the plan or theme for being 45, but I’m enjoying every minute of it so far!

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October’s End

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October's Palette

October’s Palette (Photo credit: dibytes)

October.  Where did it go?

Just think, 30 days ago I was celebrating my birthday in NYC and there were so many other adventures this month!

rose colored glasses

Rose colored glasses – life is good!

I love October, so I’m sad to see it go, but autumn continues and my favorite holiday – Thanksgiving – will be here before I know it!

Here’s a mini-update of my 11 Things for Fall:

11 Things to Do or Look Forward to in the Fall (October November December)

  1. Celebrate my birthday in NYC – check! October 1
  2. Go to 4 Daughters Winery – October 13
  3. Go to Door County to celebrate birthdays and trivia wins! October 19-21
  4. Go to Bruce Springsteen concert – November 12!
  5. Choir gigs and holiday concerts – November 30-December 2
  6. Read … something classic or new?: just try to read!
  7. Write … poetry or themed blogs? Blogs!  This is #7 in October!
  8. Plan … a dinner party or ??: a neighborhood get-together?
  9. Shop early for Christmas gifts: Hmm… Hopefully!
  10. Play accordion weekly and give piano lessons as regularly as possible: FAIL!  Never home!
  11. and something else that I’ll think of eventually!: Thinking a “Pay it Forward” or volunteer thing…

Have a great Halloween and enjoy looking back on your Fall Fun!

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  • 44 (walkietalkiebookclub.com)

44

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Go 44

Go 44 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

One week ago today I had a birthday – my 44th!  It’s a great number and I’m certain it’s going to be a great year.  I’ll write about my birthday festivities later, but wanted to let you know what I’m thinking of doing to celebrate these 44 years.

 

Wikipedia

 

I researched the number 44 on Wikipedia and learned that  “Forty-four is a tribonacci number, a happy number, an octahedral number and a palindromic number.”  I LOVE that it’s a happy number! I’m not sure I fully understand what it means to be a happy number but it was fun to read about!

 

I also learned that it’s the retired number for Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson, so it’s known as the “hitter’s number.”  44 is the international calling code for Great Britain, Wyoming is the 44th state and Obama is the 44th president.  Victor French played Agent 44 on Get Smart and +44 used to be a band.

 

I already did a “40 things to do before turning 40 list” and doing one for 50 sounds daunting (and it’s too early to be thinking about 50!), so I decided that I am going to make a list of 11 things to do or look forward to in the 4 seasons of my 44th year!  One year I had a party for each season of the year and that was a lot of fun, and celebrating smaller chunks of the year sounds like a great idea to me!  Here’s my start.  Maybe I’ll incorporate some of the above interesting facts into my lists!

 

Autumn trees

 

11 Things to Do or Look Forward to in the Fall (October November December)

 

  1. Celebrate my birthday in NYC – check!
  2. Go to 4 Daughters Winery
  3. Go to Door County to celebrate birthdays and trivia wins!
  4. Go to Bruce Springsteen concert
  5. Choir gigs and holiday concerts
  6. Read … something classic or new?
  7. Write … poetry or themed blogs?
  8. Plan … a dinner party or ??
  9. Shop early for Christmas gifts
  10. Play accordion weekly and give piano lessons as regularly as possible
  11. and something else that I’ll think of eventually!

 

Let me know if you have ideas that I can steal for my list or for the future lists!

 

Today I found this quote from L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables:

 

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.

 

In looking for the quote reference I found a TON of great quotes from the book.  I listened to it on audio years ago – probably the very first audiobook I listened to – and I should read it with my eyes sometime!  Great positive quotes!

 

Personification of Autumn (Currier & Ives lith...

 

Have a great week!

 

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Sense of Direction

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Direction

Well, it’s Friday and I blogged five days in a row.  I didn’t know if I’d get it done today, as I really feel under the weather.  It’s just a head/chest cold but makes thinking clearly a task.

So all I’m going to say about a Sense of Direction is that it is something that I have been thinking a lot about lately, probably obvious to all my friends and family.  What now?  Where do I want to be in the next few months?  What am I passionate about doing? What will this next journey in my life look like?

Deadra asked the other day if I had received my November O Magazine yet, and I have, but I am pretty lucky if I get the issue for the current month read in the current month, so I have just started October.  November’s issue is written for me, she says. 🙂  “Find your true calling.”  I can’t wait to start it!

Off to read!