Word of the Year 2014

It's become a tradition for me to choose a guiding word each year. It's less of a resolution and more of a quality or goal or something I want to bring into my life.

Some years the word has worked out better than others. Last year I chose "balance" and in a minute you'll see that this year's word isn't unrelated. I didn't really achieve balance last year, although I made steps in that direction. I would say the idea did guide some of my decisions as I ended a work contract that was causing a lot of stress. I filled that void with more work, but it was work I enjoyed. I suppose ideally I would've filled that void with some of the personal projects I never took time for but I'll have to work on that this year.

In 2014, my word will be refine.

Main Entry: re·fine
Pronunciation: \ri-ˈfīn\
Function: verb

1: to remove the unwanted substances in (something)
2: to improve something ( an idea, method, system, etc.) by making small changes

related words: purge, simplify

Let me explain.

My goal is to refine my life by refining my priorities, my schedule, my things.

Priorities need to be narrowed down first, and I've already made some solid progress on that front: my writing/creative outlets, my health, my relationships, my freelancing. I've refined my priorities, deciding which things are most important and need to come first.

Next, I can work on fitting those priorities into my schedule, which is where I failed miserably last year. I knew what was important in 2013 but I never quite managed to reflect that in my daily activities. I need to refine my working habits and use of time. It wasn't that I didn't have enough time last year or that I needed to do fewer things. It was that I didn't use my time wisely.

As for my things, this one is about refining through organizing, simplifying, and purging. There may be more about this in future posts (!!!) but I'm in a place right now where I'm very motivated to get rid of all of our extra stuff. I want to keep the things we value, the things we need. The extra things are just clutter, both in our home and in our mind. Eventually, in a moving truck and in a possibly smaller living space. So it's a huge priority to make regular progress in refining my things.

So 2014 is about refinement for me as I attempt to focus on the things that matter most and not get caught up in the things that aren't as important or I can't do anything about.

And before you think that sounds like all work and no play? It's precisely so I can play. I'm looking forward to writing and I have another creative project I've been trying to fit in since last Fall. I'm also hoping to get in a nice trip this year, maybe to Europe. Time nomming my nieces and nephew is a priority as well and that's always a blast for Aunt Cate as long as she doesn't break the baby (I've only broken one out of three - I think those are good odds).

What's ahead for you in 2014? It could turn into quite the year here. Wishing you happiness and health, whatever else 2014 has in store for you!

Answering 21 Questions

This is the second part of last week's post.

I tweeted the following:

Let's do this - you ask me some questions, I'll answer them in tomorrow's post. Anything you like. You have 30 minutes.

I answered the two reasonable questions from normal people last Tuesday. Which leaves for today the twenty one questions asked by my "friend" Sarah. She saw my tweet as a challenge and she rose to the occasion. Since I promised (and she seemed fine with me dragging them out a bit), here are my answers to the random questions she came up with.

How many apples can you balance on your forehead at once?

I'm going to guess one. I didn't have any apples handy to try but I was able to balance one cell phone and all the cat hair you can eat on my forehead.

What is the first book you chose to read more than once- not including Dr. Suess. That's too easy.

Probably Anne of Green Gables.

What tv show have you watched the most episodes of?

I watched the entire series of Lost. And all seven or eight seasons of 24. Most recently, I'm up to the middle of Season 6 of How I Met Your Mother, which I only started about two months ago.

If you were trapped on a desert island, and could have any man- other than Joe- there with you, how long before you killed him?

However long it took for him to kill all spiders/creepy crawlies plus about three seconds.

Why are pin cushions shaped like tomatoes with a strawberry? And is it a strawberry or a pepper? There's debate on that, here.

First, it's definitely a strawberry. I'm not as sure on the "why" but I imagine whoever made the first pin cushion had leftover red fabric which is why we got a tomato instead of a lemon or lime.

How would you fill in the blank: "I like my coffee like I like my _____."?

Oxygen. (aka: always available)

What is your secret method for keeping cut flowers alive?

I keep that method secret even from me. My secret is to replace them frequently.

What do monkeys and mammoths have in common?

Both look adorable in little bowties and top hats.

If one of them had to disappear, PBS or NPR?

PBS. Only because I'm currently obsessed with StoryCorps on NPR.

How often do you turn your camera horizontally when doing art photography?

24.7% of the time.

Should leather jackets be pink or teal?

No.

Should shirts have words printed on them?

Not in public.

What's the worst thing (you're going to have to work hard on this one) about not being in an office setting anymore?

I have to pay for my own coffee.

Mechanical or wood?

Mechanical for writing. Wood for drawing/sketching.

What's the best pickup line you've ever used?

Maybe you've been eaten here before.

Kathy Griffin- with or without bangs?

I prefer my Kathy Griffin with Anderson Cooper. Bangs optional.

What kind of accents do accent walls have?

Croatian.

When are rose petals "too much"?

When they turn moldy and start to smell bad.

What is too old for long hair? For dudes, specifically.

I prefer my men with fairly short hair. I'm going to go with thirteen.

When is the last time you were pleased with a candid photo of yourself?

Two years ago.

What's the best time of day to stop drinking?

Probably BEFORE I open myself up to thirty minutes of questions on Twitter.

NAILED IT!

Word of the Year: 2012

Each year, I pick a word that I want to guide me. You can see past picks in my sidebar to the right. Last year's choice, better wasn't a huge success. This year, I'm choosing mindful.

Main Entry: mind·ful
Pronunciation: \ˈmīn(d)-fəl\
Function: adjective

1: attentive, aware, or careful (usually followed by of)
2: tending toward awareness and appreciation
3: having specified facts or feelings actively impressed on the mind

Synonyms: alive, conscious, cognizant, sensible, thoughtful, vigilant
Antonyms: absent-minded, careless, unaware, insensitive, oblivious

I've cobbled together the above from several online dictionaries and thesauruses. (Thesauri?)

Here's what mindful means to me for the new year:

• aware of long-term goals when making short-term choices
• appreciative of opportunities in the here and now
• thoughtful about the effect my words and actions have on me, others, the world
• able to find gratitude in current situations even if they aren't my ideal

How does that apply on a practical level? I'll think (long-term) before I act (short-term). It comes down to being conscious of my goals at all times, making them a priority over instant gratification. It also means making the most of this moment as I seek those results. I'll skip the right-now-yumminess of that cookie because I'm focused on my overall health and weight goals. I'll take ownership of my actions and attitude in my current place instead of using circumstances outside of my control as an excuse to be lazy. I'll appreciate the efforts of those around me and be aware of the attitude and effort I'm giving back to them.

A lot of this is about approach. Instead of seeing myself as unemployed while I wait for Joe's job situation to work itself out, I now consider myself a full-time freelancer. I will dedicate time each day to actively seeking new opportunities. (Know anyone that needs some writing, editing, or marketing done? Hook me up!) Instead of focusing on the overwhelming amount of weight I need to lose, I'll concentrate on the benefits of being active, drinking water, and taking vitamins every day - all of these things have immediate advantages in addition to moving me towards a lower number on the scale. I will take the small steps necessary now to make progress towards those larger goals.

I've experienced a lot of discontent and depressions and anxiety this year. My attempt to change this is in being mindful. If I'm making more deliberate decisions and being more aware of my destination, maybe that will bring me some peace of mind.

So, in 2012, I intend to move forward even though we're still in a place of flux with Joe's job. I wasted the majority of 2011 because I was waiting and putting too much responsibility on him. He has enough worries without me running amok. It's time for me to make my own way. It's time to remember where I'm going so I can actually get there. I hope that twelve months from now, I can look back and say that I was indeed mindful in my thoughts and actions.

Discipline & Happiness

Way back in the day, I was following C. Beth's lead and blogging with discipline. The idea was that by blogging every day, it keeps your brain writing skills from growing rusty. The consistent practice was often very rewarding.

Then, life grew super busy. I decided to let myself off the hook and instead embrace "blogging without obligation". A tremendous amount of pressure lifted as I gave myself Sunday off. And then I scaled back to a few days a week. Lately? I'm struggling to puke up even one post a week.

In part, it's because I'm going through a bit of depression. Part of this is seasonal. Part of it is related to a sad anniversary (not a wedding anniversary). This year, it's compounded by physical pain (though my back is improving), lack of direction, and stress related to my husband's job search.

Recently, I've come to believe that a lot of my ability to be happy comes from my decision to BE happy. That's been a struggle lately. Also, I believe that our attitude can very much influence the attitudes of those around us. Ever notice how you may wake up in a bad mood but you find yourself surrounded by happy people in the office and suddenly you don't feel so glum anymore? The opposite also seems to hold true. I don't want to be the person that brings others down.

All of which is a long rambling way of saying two things:

1. I am going to double my efforts to choose positivity
2. I am going to blog with discipline for a bit to get past this creative slump

I expect I'll post some entries that aren't very good but blogging has brought me great pleasure in the past and I'm hoping that by committing myself to it, blogging can help bring me some happiness in the (very near) future.

Cheers, mates. Let's bring back the awesome!

That's What Friends Are For

Physical therapy is starting to catch up with me. My body is achy and tired from the exercises that constant target my core and my left leg. I'm hopeful that this will mean long-term improvement but in the short-term, it's tempting to complain.

Monday, I cut my usual time on the recumbent bike short because I just felt miserable. Yesterday, I was determined to last the entire workout. Thanks to the proximity of Gwen, I was able to tweet around the halfway mark that I was losing steam. This was followed immediately by a response from @cbethblog:

Power through it, Cate!! :) (My run didn't feel too great this morning. Amazing how some days are just way harder than others.)

Let's hear about Beth's run in her own words:

Wow...the race Sunday was around 70 degrees. Today? 30 degrees, 19 windchill. Imagine, if you will, a short, skinny runner with stiff, post-race legs, trying to run uphill into gusting wind without being blown away like a tumbleweed

That race on Sunday? Just a little half-marathon.

Beth's tweet was just the inspiration I needed to keep going and finish my workout. Because surely if she can run in that cold windy weather with legs tired from 13.1 miles on Sunday, there's certainly no reason that I can't finish my 80 minutes on the recumbent bike in a climate-controlled room staring at the television.

Now, if only I can get her to stand over me and crack the whip while I do my PT today... Thanks, Beth!

You Asked, I Answer

According to an email I received last week, I have 3 unanswered questions on Formspring. Awesome! Except I don't remember signing up for Formspring. Is it just a trap? Who knows. But in case I did and I don't remember and you asked me these really important questions, I'm going to answer them now.

What was your favorite year?

1998. Because I left my parents' home forever married Joe.

Who inspires you the most?

I think my boss, The Drama Llama, inspires me the most. He inspires me to further my education and to move forward in my career. Mainly so I don't have to keep working for clowns like him.

If you could taste only one flavor for the rest of your life what would you want that flavor to be.

Technically this is not a question because there is no question mark at the end. That means I don't have to answer it. But I will anyways because I'm awesome like that. Mint. No, peanut butter. Chocolate? I think I'll go with pizza.

If you have any questions for me, apparently you can ask them by going here. And in nine months or so, I might answer them. Or not.

ArtSwap!

Note: Just a quick post today, folks. After a few days in San Francisco last week, I haven't been feeling well the past few days. I have adventures to share, as soon as I manage to clear this cold out of my head.

Since it was such a success back in May, @dpringle is coordinating a second edition of ArtSwap!

What is ArtSwap? It's an opportunity to share your art with a fellow artist and collect a piece in return. For more information about ArtSwap, check out the ArtSwap site. Check out the gallery of swapped art from the May exchange - amazing pieces!

This time around, the ArtSwap is dedicated to the memory of Kristen Ettensohn, a young artist who passed away this summer. Once ArtSwap is complete, David will be publishing a book of the swapped art and 50% of the profits will go to the KME Memorial Scholarship Fund.

I'm not an artist but I think this is a fabulous idea so I'm doing what I can to spread the word and support the project. David had am amazing response last time (14 countries!) and participants couldn't wait to do it again. Consider joining in this time, or passing along the word to any of your artist friends.

ArtSwap2010

One of my pals, @dpringle, is conducting a really cool art swap, almost completely coordinated over Twitter. He started simply by just tweeting to see if there would be any interest and it's grown into an international exchange!

Since we all lead busy lives, David and I conducted a little interview via email:

What inspired you to start ArtSwap2010?

As an artist, I am constantly watching what other artists are working on. Twitter allows us to see art as it is created in real-time by artists from all around the world. From time-to-time I see a piece that moves me and I would love to look at daily. I have seen other artists arrange simple swaps amongst each other because they feel the same way. One day I decided that it would fun to approach it from a perspective of a 'blind' swap; where each artist is assigned another artist to whom they would send their piece.

Why is sharing art so important to you?

Art speaks to so many people on so many levels. It has the power to change perspectives and stir emotions. It seems like some of the cultural embrace of art is lessening. I felt that sharing by swapping would inspire and unite.

Have you taken part in anything like this before or are you aware of anything similar?

I haven't participated in anything like this before, nor have I heard of anything similar. As I said earlier, I know other artists swap selectively amongst themselves, but I have never heard of anything similar to ArtSwap2010.

What has been the biggest surprise so far regarding response to ArtSwap2010?

I was completely surprised by the outpouring of support from other artists. I was worried that the 'blind' aspect of this swap would keep artists from participating. It seems like it has actually been a drawing point--the mystique.

Any plans to do another swap in the future?

Since the response has been so positive, we have 43 participants so far, I believe I will do another swap in the future. I would consider organizing another in six months to a year. I have learned from this event. I would probably give more time for getting the word out the next time around.

David also added that:
Many artists are creating original pieces specifically for this project and are posting updates to twitter. After the event is completed, I'm going to be asking artists to post photos of themselves with their newly-acquired art. I plan on posting some on the site and linking to some of the photos out on twitter.

ArtSwap2010 has its own official site (http://artswap.pringle-art.com), an official Twitter hashtag (#ArtSwap2010), and even an official list of tweeting participants.

There's still plenty of time if any of my crafty readers want to get involved. You must enter at the official site by May 19 and mail your art by May 26. Open to all artists, all mediums, worldwide! Just yesterday, someone signed up from Tasmania. Tasmania, people!!! How cool would it be to swap your art with a creative soul in Tasmania?!?!

Oh, and do yourself a favor. When you go to the site to sign-up for ArtSwap2010, check out David's portfolios. His paintings and photos are definitely worth a look.

Because people are freaks - I was not compensated for this post. Unless you count the fact that by copying and pasting the text of his email and then just fluffing it out with details as "compensation" because I didn't have to write my own original post for the day.

Handwriting Samples

I saw this over on fever, which is Lora's awesome blog. She says:

Supposedly you have the potential to tell a lot about a person if you can get a hold of a sample of her handwriting.

I've shared tiny bits of my handwriting before but this looked like fun AND it makes for an easy post. Plus, I'd love to see a sample of your handwriting.

The Rules:
write the following
1) Your name/blog name.
2) Right-handed, left-handed, or ambidextrous?
3) Favorite letters to write.
4) Least favorite letters to write.
5) Write “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
6) Write the following words in capital letters:
- CRAB
- HUMOR
- KALEIDOSCOPE
- PAJAMAS
- GAZILLION
7) Write your favorite song lyric.
8) Tag people!
9) Any special note or picture.

So, what do you think? Do I write like a doctor? A serial killer? A fourth grader? If you know anything about handwriting analysis, I'd love to hear what you think of mine. Also, let me know if you decide to play along - it's a neat peek into your lives that we don't often get to see.

The Spaghetti Thief

I recently posted a cue on Seven Days Seven Answers called The Spaghetti Incident. The cue was this:

Someone has stolen your lunch (leftover spaghetti) out of the work refrigerator. They didn't even bother to leave the bowl behind. Leave a note on the fridge to the spaghetti thief.

And some of the responses were awesome.

Since this was based on a true story, I figured I'd tell the tale of over here.

Long, long ago, back in 2004 maybe, I worked with this very quiet and passive guy. We'll call him Roy (because that was his name). Roy was meek in a very creepy kind of way. The kind of way that terrifies you because some day the wrong button will be pushed and he is going to SPLODE!!!

Roy was also, as luck would have it, a total mama's boy. At 35, he was still living at home, mama paid his bills, mama cooked his meals, and mama financed the ring he bought his mama-approved fiancee. And one day, Roy brought a huge bowl of mama's spaghetti into work and placed it in the communal refrigerator. From there, it disappeared, bowl and all.

This left Roy outraged. He left a note on the refrigerator door scrawled in the kind of angry handwriting you see on one of those true crime stories. Underlines, exclamation points, and general homicidal mania.

It went something like this:

Dear SPAGHETTI THIEF!!!!

The spaghetti you took from the refrigerator was not yours, it was MINE!! And not only was that my LUNCH but it was also going to be dinner for me and my FIANCEE before PRAYER meeting tonight! Also, that was my mother's bowl, which was HER mother's bowl. I will be praying tonight that GOD convinces you of the HORRIBLE thing you have done so that you will return my mother's bowl AND my spaghetti. Because it was NOT YOURS. And now we will have no dinner!!!

Over the next few days, multiple notes were placed on the refrigerator in response.

The spaghetti was good but could've used more garlic. Thanks!
Signed,
Spaghetti Thief

God has convinced me that this spaghetti would've been great with some breadsticks!!!
Yours,
Spaghetti Thief

And finally, a note left inside the (clean) bowl, placed back inside the refrigerator.

Sorry for the delay returning the bowl. It was too much spaghetti for me so I gave the rest to my dog. I wanted to run the bowl through the dishwasher a few times to remove all of his tongue germs. By the way, my dog was very sick the next day so there was probably something wrong with that spaghetti. The way I see it, I did you a favor. You're welcome.
Signed,
Spaghetti Thief

Roy has since moved on to another employer and even now, nobody will own up to being the Spaghetti Thief. But we all get a kick out of telling the story!

P.S. No, it wasn't me.

Loose Ends

This is going to be one of those "here's a few random bits" kind of posts.

1. Regarding my Six Word Saturday entry, the kitty in question is Rusty. He has some kind of allergic or stress condition where he decides to chew all the fur off a part of his body. Then he obsessively licks at it until it's raw and won't grow back. He's like an emo little cutter. Joe took him to the vet on Friday and they gave him a steroid shot to make him big and strong stop the itching so it can heal.

2. Yesterday's coworker - I finally sent her an email with a couple of time options that were open and made her choose between them. Then I smashed my head into the desk repeatedly and wept for humanity.

3. I'm having a giveaway on Seven Days Seven Answers this week so check it out. And please play. I like to think it's fun (I'm a bit biased but whatever) and I'd love to see more responses.

4. Rumor has it I'm being featured in an interview over at Jenn's (You know... that Blog?) today.

Those Around Us

My pal BBZ shared a link with me this week that was kind of interesting. It was an article on Copyblogger.com about how the people we associate are indicative of our own success. Supposedly the people we hang out with influence our personal goals and achievements to the point of (paraphrasing here) making us fat, poor, and lonely.

Awesome. And if you don't want to read the link, you should at least click because there's a really adorable photo of a snoozing puppy.

But the point of the article was that while we can love friends and family who maybe aren't as successful as we hope to be, we also need to find peers to influence and encourage us. People to look up to as we plod along. Role models, full of awesomeness, that make us reach higher. Think there's anything to it?

This general idea is something I've talked about with a lot of my friends. Sometimes we have to shed people who are bringing us down when we're trying to climb up. This just goes one step further - surrounding ourselves deliberately with positive influences.

Before you think I'm suddenly going to run off and join a convent or the Peace Corps, let me assure you I'm not starting anywhere near that noble. A primary goal for me this year is getting my body back in shape. I want to feel and look good again. And recently (maybe it's the whole new year thing), a lot of my Twitter pals are doing the same. Frequent trips to the gym. Completing or starting (depending on who you talk to) the Couch to 5k (c25k) running program.

With all of these energetic folks tweeting away around me, I'm feeling that positive influence. Maybe *I* could give C25k another try! Beth just completed it. Autumn's just starting up - maybe starting along with her would keep us both motivated.

Yes, I think I just might. I know I also need to make better eating choices as well. But in the meantime, please don't be frightened if you see me huffing and puffing on the side of the road. I'm not going to blow your house down. Promise.

And beyond the fitness influence, I also have people around me who are putting me in a great mindset to conquer a few more areas. Look out world, here I come!

A Letter to Cate, 2010

Dear Cate,

It's a new year. Full of dreams, free of mistakes, brimming with potential. Don't be afraid to do something with it.

The goals and dreams you have are going to take work. Devote time to your writing. Set aside time to read offline. Research and plan ahead. Get off your arse and go to the gym. Put down that cookie!

Not all of your dreams will be realized. And some dreams you don't even recognize as such yet - they'll be revealed along the way. Be open to them. Be willing to chase them.

Be confident. Love. Be loved.

Specifically:

WRITE - you have three blog projects you are actively working to cultivate. Be aggressive with them. Make them happen.

READ - in order to write, it's helpful to read. It's also calming. And inspiring. And enlightening. 25 books this year, any kind you like. You can handle that easily.

JOB - you know better. This isn't it. Fix it or move along.

HEALTH - you have 1/3 of yourself to lose. I'm speaking of the extra pounds that have piled on. The gym (and your goal of running a 5k) are great for relieving stress as well as decreasing your booty.

JOE - continue to support the husband. Remember to speak up for what you want and need; it's not that he doesn't care or support you but mind-reading isn't among his many talents. Be a good wife and allow him to be a good husband. Stop pushing him away.

SELF - you've made fantastic progress with your anxiety and reactions to situations. Continue to do so. Love yourself - you're more than you give yourself credit for. Don't let fear hold you back from doing the things you want to do or being the things you want to be.

It's going to be a big year, an even bigger decade. You can handle it. You can be happy in it. Now, go kick its ass.



P.S. This is from yesterday's cue at 7 Days 7 Answers. Write a letter giving yourself instructions for the new year. Would love for you to write yourself a letter. But mostly, I just feel good about writing mine.

Worthwhile Reading

I've been trying since yesterday afternoon to come up with something worthwhile to post here. In fact, I've been trying (and failing) since Sunday, which is why you were short-changed blessed with a repost yesterday.

Today, I shall (sorta) continue that tradition. I'm just going to link to a couple of other posts that I want you to read. So please humor me and do it.

First, a post at C. Beth Blog about the Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays debate. You can read her post and pretty much just tag on an imaginary P.S. that says "Cate approves of this post.". Not that Beth needs or even desires my approval. I've thought about posting something similar but no need to reinvent the wheel when she's already written it so eloquently.

I'd just add that I tend towards Christmas-specific traditions simply because that's what I know. Santa, presents, trees, carols, Jesus and stockings are all familiar to me as that's what I grew up with. I may not be as firm in my practices regarding Christianity as I once was, but that's the habit I've formed over the past 30ish years. So if I say Merry Christmas, I'm not doing it to exclude anyone. And I'm not offended if you wish me a Freaky Festivus.

Beth also tweeted about The New Santa Tradition over at Eternal Lizdom. I don't have kids but I totally think the world might be a better place if you read that post and incorporate a version of it into your holiday activities. I plan to do the same if I ever am in a situation to do so. Liz's idea for teaching her children about giving makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

And if you're looking for a mix of holiday fun and some tender moments, I've been featuring related cues over at Seven Days Seven Answers for the last few days. Short little reads but some of the responses have made me giggle while others have really touched me. So while maybe that seems like a shameless plug, it's not so much encouraging you to go see what I'm doing as it is to go see what the others have written because they are awesome.

For having nothing to say, this post has rambled far too long. Go check those sites and I'll try hard to have something of my own to share tomorrow.

Give Back

'Tis better to give than to receive...

Some people count their blessings at Thanksgiving. As do I. But the Christmas season inspires me not only to count my blessings but to also give back a little something in return.

That's where this post comes in. This is your opportunity to post about your favorite charity or cause. What's near and dear to your heart? Where do you feel your time, efforts and donations make the most difference? Who do you believe is most in need? What do you support? If someone came to you and said "I have one million dollars I have to give away", what would you tell them? Write a post and link up below or just leave a comment if you wish. It would be grand if you would also provide a link to the organization's website or information on how to donate, just in case someone is moved enough to do so.

And like all linkies, there must be a winner! Right? I'd like to think the winner here is everyone who takes the time to post or the time to read. Perhaps an organization will receive just $5 due to your words that they wouldn't have otherwise received.

I'd suggest leaving the name of the organization as your link below (as opposed to your blog name). I have no idea what kind of participation or feedback this will get (please spread the word) but I encourage everyone to read a post or two and think about how blessed most of us are this time of year.

To those of you reading this who do not feel particularly blessed, please know that at the very least a girl called Cate appreciates knowing you're out there.

Wine To Water

This year, I'm planning on making a donation to Wine To Water. Their founder, Doc Hendley, was featured on the CNN Tribute to Heroes on Thanksgiving night. I was very moved watching his video and listening to how important clean water is, especially to children. And also how easy it is to help provide that water. Wine To Water builds sustainable wells and sanitation systems, providing developing areas with clean water not only today but also in the future.

Clean water. Something so many of us take for granted. Something a lot of us gripe about when they recommend we drink 64 oz a day because we don't like it. Those kids like clean water but 1 in 6 people in the world don't have access to it and 1.5 million people die each year due to causes that could be prevented just by having it.

Doc was "just" a bartender when he started Wine To Water. The organization gets its name from some of its very first fundraisers - he hosted wine tastings in the bars where he worked and provided information about the clean water shortage facing so many. They've now provided water and education to over 25,000 people in 5 countries.

So every day, I do my best to drink my eight glasses of water. And sometimes now, as I'm struggling to finish that last couple of glasses, I find myself thinking of Doc and those kids. And remembering that I want to do something to make even a small difference.

Wine To Water

Bah-Humbug

I'm not really a Scrooge but other than a bit of gift shopping, I'm generally anti-seeing and anti-hearing anything Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Preferably December 1st but with Thanksgiving falling so early this year, I'm willing to give a bit of a pass to that last weekend.

This means the last couple of weeks have been rough for me. All of the stores have their Christmas decorations and candies out, Falalalablah ringing through the speakers.

Still, I've had to start thinking about shopping. Joe and I have some, umm, interesting family dynamics to deal with plus everything has to be shipped. This means we have to consider not only what the cranky greedy demanding difficult-to-buy-for family members would enjoy as a gift but we also have to consider budget and ease of shipping.

A further challenge? We're attempting to have a green Christmas. I'm tired of buying plastic crap or stupid trinkets. I'm also anti-gift cards (because then they still go buy plastic crap and stupid trinkets). We're making a commitment to buying environmentally-friendly gifts. Local vendors. Sustainable products. Minimal packaging.

(I should probably let Joe know we've decided to do this - see what happens when he goes away for a week?)

What started me thinking about this is a new blog by Ryan Ashley Scott of Optimistic Cynicism fame. The new blog is called A Free Christmas. Her goal?

"Cut out the entire cost of Christmas gift purchases, but still be able to give (new - not used) gifts to our regular people."

So far, she's detailed who she has to buy for and the usual budget. She's selling off junk they don't need or use for cash to buy gifts. Taking advantage of giveaways. Rigging Entering sweepstakes.

The best part is that she's sharing all of the information in the blog so you can do the same. Regardless of our financial situations this holiday season, it's always smart to spend less money out-of-pocket.

What does this have to do with my green Christmas?  Check out this post: "The Story of Stuff".  We all have so much stuff. I'm in the mood to decrease it, not add to it. And if you don't know what to do with all the money you save in the process, you could always send it to me.

Ketchup

Ketchup. Catsup. Catchup.

Ahh, yes "catch up", that's the one I'm after.

I'm very behind on a lot of things and really struggling to stay afloat. A lot of it's my own doing (yay for launching a new blog though I love it to bits so it's worth it AND I have eleventy bajillion other projects) but I'm fighting right now to adjust to the new routine.

And that's my excuse for STILL not visiting all of your Six Word Saturday entries. I have about ten left. I swear I'll get to them today.

So, anyways, if I owe you email, or a visit, or some cat hair or if maybe my posts are a little late or if I'm sorta stabby, please be patient. Give me a couple of days and then maybe a gentle reminder.

Hey, I said GENTLE! That hurt!!!

P.S. If you're busy like me (nice segue, huh?) and now it's also holiday entertaining season, how about a recipe for awesome healthy bread you can make in only five minutes? C. Beth Blog is giving away a copy of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. She raves about this book and the bread. I want a copy so I can see if she's making it all up. Go to her site and leave a comment to enter. Also, if you mention my name, Beth will come to my house and make the bread for me I get an entry as well.

Things I Want Thursday

Things I Want Thursday is the brainchild of everyone's favorite Sass. For one reason or another, Thursdays haven't been convenient for me to play along and I don't want to take it upon myself to change her deal to "Things I Want Not-Thursday". So here I am.

The idea is that I tell you what I want. Then you tell me what you want and I laugh at you. It might be better if you go tell Sass what you want. Though Sass may prefer that you post it on your own blog with her adorable button.

1. I want to be healthy. Done with doctors. Done with tests. Done with medication. Done with co-pays.

2. I want to be successful at a couple of side projects so we can launch our own company and my husband doesn't have to work 80 hours a week for someone else.

3. I want to send my dad a spine for his birthday today so he can stand up to my mother.

4. I want to ban my mother from sending email to more than one recipient at a time and sending to me ever.

5. I want you to all please go play at my new site, 7 Days 7 Answers because I think you'll enjoy it.

6. I also want you all to play along with Six Word Saturday this week. I'm putting out a call for Spooky Six Words but it's not required to participate.

7. I want you all to know that I really appreciate you listening to me and supporting me and just being generally awesome.

That's all I've got. Tomorrow's post is about Halloween costumes and puking pumpkins. You won't want to miss it.

Maybe Frodo only needed one ring but I needed three

Last week, I filled out a meme that included the following:

20. Ever been given an engagement ring?

Joe has given me three engagement rings. Only one marriage though.

A couple of people asked about this and since Joe and I just spent the weekend celebrating our anniversary, I thought I would share the story of my three rings.

Ring #1 - (1995) We had known each other less than two months when Joe first proposed. We were both young and I told him I wasn't comfortable being engaged at that point. So instead we decided to be "pre-engaged" at least until I was out of high school (we were together quite young obviously), whatever that means. To celebrate, he bought me a beautiful little amethyst ring.

Ring #2 - (1996) Long story but saving up for a real ring wasn't going very well for Joe. Not because he wasn't working very hard but there were a lot of other things that made it difficult to save. My grandmother actually offered Joe her engagement ring for him to give me. She wanted me to have it so it would be kept in the family so when he officially proposed, Grandma's ring became ring #2.

Ring #3 - (2006) Ten years after not being able to buy me a ring on his own, Joe surprised me on our anniversary with the news that he had been covertly saving away some money and now had enough to buy me a ring. He wanted me to help pick it out and we spent the next few months shopping before we finally found what we were looking for (it was tricky finding a setting that would work with my wedding band).

And so that's the story of my three engagement rings. Nothing dramatic involving theft, Tonya, or robot armadillos. I still have the other two, of course, and wear them from time to time. At least I do when they fit, which is not right now unfortunately.

We had a lovely weekend, by the way. Now I'm working on catching up with your posts and comments. Also, trying to put a few things into gear. I need some change and I think I've finally put together a plan to make it happen.