Share Your World – 4/24/17

SYW (Cee’s Photography)

Wanting something to quench your thirst, what would you drink?

Lately, all I’ve been wanting to drink is water with either Citrus Fresh or Peppermint essential oils infused.  I’ve been trying to cut caffeine and sugary drinks out of my life and so far it’s working.  Though on occasion I’ll have a cup of coffee or my other favorite, a Cherry Limeade.

Complete this sentence:  Never In My Life Have I…. been to the Louvre in Paris.  Ever since I studied Art History in high school, I’ve wanted to go.

If you could be given any gift what would it be?  A house with a yard.  My husband and I have dreamt of owning our own home, but the house prices here in the Bay Area are insane and leaving is out of the question while there is family here that we help take care of.

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep, toss and turn, or get up and try to do something productive?   I often have trouble getting to sleep.  I have tried all sorts of sleeping pills, herbs, etc.  Recently I started diffusing lavender and cedarwood about an hour before bed and it’s helped me a lot.  It also helps to read or crochet/knit as I have also recently found.

Optional Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up? 

I am grateful for coming out of the fog and getting my energy back.  This week I’m looking forward to more walks, finishing the shawl I’ve been crocheting, and making some good memories.

Share Your World – March 27, 2017

SYW (Cee’s Photography)

Does your first or middle name have any significance (or were you named after another family member)?

No. My parents were hoping I would be a boy and they had picked the the name Jubal, which is a biblical name for, according to wikipedia, the forefather of all musicians. Luckily, I turned out to be a girl and they went with the most popular baby name of the year, Jennifer.

Music or silence while working?

It depends on what I am working on, but most of the time I like to have some sort of noise in the background.

If you had a special place for your three most special possessions (not including photos, electronics, people or animals), what would they be?

They would be – my Dad’s dog tags, my Mom’s pearls, and the ring my husband got me on our trip to Hawaii.

The Never List: What are things you know you never will do?

I will never try cocaine, meth, or heroin. They scare the crap out of me with what the addiction does people.

I will never bungee jump. After many years of thinking about it, I think I have finally come to the conclusion that no matter how many little pep talks I try to give myself, it’s not happening.

I will never get plastic surgery. I just want to grow old the way I am with wrinkles, gray hair and all.

I will never eat snails, haggis, or blood pudding. I’m sure there are other things, but these are the ones that always stick out to me when I am watching food shows. They always talk about how good these things are, but no matter all the beautiful and tantalizing words they use, these foods will never cross my lips.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for lazy days. They kids I work with had the day off last Friday and one of them was sick so we had to stay in, but it was nice. I got to introduce them to the scariness of Jaws, make cake in a mug, color some postcards, and continue knitting our scarves.

This week I am looking forward to scrapbooking this week. I printed up a bunch of pictures over the weekend and now I need to start working on layouts.

Share Your World (3/13/17)

SYW (Cee’s Photography)

Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

Not usually, but if I’m in a hurry or feeling impatient I do.  No, I don’t believe it makes the elevator come faster, but it does make me feel like I am doing something.  If there are lots of people around I try not to do it, instead I make a game of which elevator is coming first.

Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous (for example if you are visiting a big city you don’t know?)

I guess I do a little planning.  I look to see what’s there, if there are any special or free events happening in the city, and make a list of the “must see” places.  The “must see” places come first and then we explore around those places.  Though if there are free days at museums or street festivals, those factor in to which days we see things.

Describe yourself in at least four uplifting words.

Determined, caring, loving, helpful

If you had a choice which would be your preference salt water beaches, fresh water lakes, ocean cruise, hot tub, ski resort or desert?

Salt water beaches for sure.  The smell of the fresh air, the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand in my toes.  My mood always lifts the closer I get to a beach.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for all the walking I got done last week.  I moved my walks up from 20 minutes to 30 minutes and I even made it to the gym.  Though by the end of the week I was completely exhausted because I pushed myself just a little too much.  I have had to rest these past 4 days, but I am feeling a little better today which I hope means I can get back to walking, but maybe not so fast as I was going last week, so I don’t tire myself out so badly.

This week I am looking forward to getting back out there.  I am also looking forward to getting my essential oils kit.  I have used oils a little over the years, but I finally decided I want to try more as it seems every time I look up a remedy for something, oil recipes keep coming up, so I got myself a starter kit and a diffuser from my friend who sells them.  I also think that part of my excitement also has to do with not only wanting to concentrate better, sleep better, etc., but also the getting to experiment like a mad scientist, trying recipes, tweaking recipes, and seeing what really works.  Have any of you used essential oils and found a particular recipe that really worked for you?  Please share it in the comments if so, I’d love to hear about it.

A Month in Review

17 for 2017 (nanacathydotcom)

Well, it’s been a month of pursuing the goals I set for myself this year.  It was not easy, but I found that having them in my bullet journal has really helped to keep focused on them.  I wasn’t perfect in completing them, but I do feel accomplished.

1. Make 4 journal pages a month

   

   1. Yearly Goal page – this page is for the goals that I want to achieve throughout the year

   

   2. One of my writing challenges this month was come up with metaphors.  I asked the kids to help me and this is what we came up with.

   

   3. Monthly Goal Pages – these pages help me keep track of things that I want to achieve monthly plus I get to decorate them with fun stickers.  Though the 3-D stickers may have been a little much for my journal, but I’ll chalk it up to lesson learned.

   

   4. Miles Walked in 2017 – I am hoping to fill every single one of these squares by the end of the year, though I secretly hope I can fill them all before the end of the year forcing me to make another page.  Cross your fingers for me.

2. Exercise at the gym 2 times a week – I didn’t make it to the gym this past month. Walking has really taken it out of me, but I did try some pilates at home once a week.
3. Walk 5 times a week – week 1: 2/5 week 2: 5/5 week 3: 5/5 week 4: 0/5 (road trip recovery) week 5: 2/2 – I am proud of myself for all the walks I got in this month despite the exhaustion after the road trip.  I got back to it this week with the help of my Fitbit friends who keep me going with our weekly challenges.
4. Make 5 fabric/yarn projects this year – I converted my flip flops earlier this year and on Monday I started my first Loom Knit project.  I decided to go with something simple like a scarf so I can get a feel for the loom.
5. Write in my journal at least 3 times a week – This one I averaged about 1-2 a week.  I am a little disappointed in myself on this one.
6. Submit 6 stories to publications throughout the year – did not get to this one this month
7. Complete 3 5K’s this year – I haven’t done one yet, but I have been looking them up to see which ones to sign up for.  I am thinking my first one may be a virtual one.
8. Read/Listen to 65 books – I have read 9 books so far this year
   1. A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
   2. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
   3. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
   4. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs
   5. The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
   6. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
   7. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
   8. The Fever Code by James Dashner
   9. The Fearsome Foursome (Tales of the Haunted Mansion #1) by Amicus Arcane – I read this one to the kids over their week off
9. Make 12 Scrapbook Pages

 

Photo Booth Pictures from my BIL 60th Birthday

 

10. Take 3 road trips this year – Road trip to LA for the Cookie Con

11. Take 1 vacation this year – not yet, but I’m researching places

12. Find 12 geocaches – all the rain hampered this one a little this month…looking forward to finding some this month

13. Commit 12 Random Acts of Kindness –  Over the break with the kids we did a few

1. Tape Popcorn to Redbox machines all over town
2. Make pipe cleaner flowers and hearts and attach them to benches, fences and poles around town
3. Leave bottles of bubbles at our local parks for the other kids on break from school to play with                                                              

14. Write letters to my senators once a month re: issues that are coming up for a vote or are concerning me – I sent out 2 letters this month and had intended to attend the Feinstein Empty Chair Town Hall meeting, but after a week of 12 hour days with the kids, I was completely exhausted.

15. Work on notes for NaMoWriMo (10 hours a month) – I got in 1 hour  – another disappointing area for me, but one I intend to remedy.  I’m not putting enough time into my writing and so I am going to make adjustments to fix that.

16. Draw paint or color 12 times this year – I actually got 2 postcards colored to send out for birthdays this so far.

17. Buy at least one Christmas present a month – The scarf I am knitting (if it comes out – crossing fingers) will be a Christmas gift.

I hope you all moving forward and meeting your goals.  WE CAN DO IT!!!

 

Share Your World – Week 9

SYW – Week 9 (Cee’s Photography)

Ever ran out of gas in your vehicle?

Yes.  I used to work at a group home for teenage girls.  Every week we went to the YMCA to get some exercise.  We were supposed to do checks on the van each time we took it out, but we were running late that night and I wanted them to have at least a little time to get their energy out, so I just drove and didn’t realize that there was very little gas left.  On our way back from the Y, we ran out of gas on the freeway.  I was mad at myself for not noticing, but even more mad at my co-worker who failed to fill it up or at least tell us that it was that low knowing that we were taking the girls out that night.  The girls of course thought it was funny and thank goodness I had AAA at the time and they brought us $5 worth of gas.  I learned my lesson.  I always check the gas gauge when I get into the car.

Which are better: black or green olives?

I like black olives better.  I never tried green ones till I was an adult.  They just always looked unappetizing and when I tried them, I just really didn’t care for them.  I can eat a whole can of black olives though.

If you were a great explorer, what would you explore?

I would want to explore earthquakes.  I took a class all about them in college and was fascinated.  I would love to follow fault lines, monitor movements, and learn more about the deeper inner workings of the Earth going down to the core.  I, too, would also love to explore space.  My Dad had a telescope when we were kids and he’d always have us looking up into space.  He had books about the stars and the planets and I read them pausing to stare at the pictures forever.  I love books about that take place in space and hope that one day humans will find another inhabitable planet to move to, though I hope we will have learned our lessons by then about the environment and preserving it.

Quotes List: At least three of your favorite quotes?

 

(I did not make these quote pics.  I found them on Instagram.)

These are the 3 quotes on my phone right now.  I keep them to remind me to to keep moving forward.  Something I need a constant reminder of.  One of these days I plan to get an arrow tattooed on my finger as a permanent reminder.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for making it through last week.  I was completely exhausted from our Road Trip to LA. and the girls I take care of were out of school all week.  It was hard working all day with them, but thank goodness they are good girls.

This week I am looking forward to getting back on track again.  I have already started walking and I want to continue the beginners pilates I started.  I also started loom knitting last night with the help of YouTube.  I am starting out with a scarf that I am hoping I can turn into a pocket scarf if I can figure out how to do it.  Wish me luck!

One Word Photo Challenge: Escape

OWPC: Escape (Jennifer Nichole Wells)

My greatest escape would be to travel all over the world, but since I am terrible at planning for the future, most of the time I escape by sitting down with a good book and letting my mind get lost in someone else’s life, someone else’s town, someone else’s country or one of my true favorites, someone else’s world somewhere out there in the universe. Reading is a wonderful escape. I look forward to it everyday. It’s the last thing I do each day before I go to bed. I love that it can make me stop thinking about the weight of the world, stop the racing thoughts, and relax me enough to sleep. Sometimes it has the opposite affect when the story gets really good and I can’t sleep until I see how it ends, but those hours of lost sleep are almost always worth it. I do generally love mysteries and psychological thrillers best, but I’m really not picky. I like to read many different genres, different age groups, and it doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non fiction, if it sounds interesting, I’m willing to give it a try. When I start something, I like to finish it, but I have learned to not waste my time on books that really aren’t catching my interest and are more of a chore to read than anything. It kills me to abandon a book, but it’s better than not reading at all because I can’t stand the book I’m trying to get through. Since I started keeping track of the books I abandon (I put them under the “book graveyard” heading in goodreads), I haven’t been able to finish 4 books. Not bad, right? Books have been my escape for a long time and I am thankful for them everyday.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Looking Down on Things

CFFC (Cee’s Photgraphy)

More from our trip to LA.  We didn’t go back to the Cookie Con for the second day.  Instead we checked some of the tourist spots around town.  I’ve always wanted to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and all the celebrity hand/footprints.  The following photos are just a few of my favorites…

I’ve loved him since Star Wars and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

My favorite movie as a kid. My Dad took us to see it in the movie theater 7 times.

I love that she did the peace sign. I used to do her VHS workout when I was in middle school

The Shining scared me as a kid. Whenever I look at the back of a bathroom door I still think of the “Here’s Johnny!” scene in the movie

I remember watching Bob Hope a lot when I was a kid. He was so funny.

There’s something about Frank Sinatra’s music that can always cheer me up and make me wanna dance like they did in the old black and white movies

I have loved all the books and most of the movies. They will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️

Not my favorite Disney character, but I love the footprints

Looking down on Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory

Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge

CWWPC (Cee’s Photography)

I took the featured picture on our road trip last week right before the storm got really bad. Sorry it’s a little blurry, but I was driving. I wanted to get the pretty rainbow before it disappeared.

Despite the crazy rain and flooding, we had a great time in LA. On Friday, we stayed with some friends and played games all night. I was the Disney Scene It Champion, I faired pretty well in Apples to Apples, and after I warmed up, I kicked butt in the old game Dr. Mario. We got to bed a little later than we wanted to since we had the Cookie Con the next day, but it had been awhile since we’d seen our friends in a long time and I was having too much fun.

We got up early to get ready. I watched the news to check on traffic to the Convention Center and saw the aftermath from the crazy storm. We were lucky that we drove down as early as we did because there was a mudslide shortly after I took the above picture on the Tejon Pass that closed the Interstate down. Luckily, there were no hazards between where we were staying and the Convention Center. It was weird to drive out and see that the flood waters for the most part had receded. We were thankful though because it was cookie time. We got there early to check in and get in line. Unfortunately, the cookie con was not organized well, vendors weren’t told that VIP ticket holder got in an hour early, and so the opening of the Cookie Con was delayed. When we were finally let in almost 45 minutes late, many of the vendors were still setting up. We began our rounds of tasting samples, (Cookie Jam – delicious…look for it on shelves soon, Got Milk and bacon donut holes, and cookie shot cups you could fill with different flavored milks)

checking competition pieces (edible art and superhero theme cake),

trying new products (it’s a cookie printer),

look at the pretty products

,

and watching classes/demonstrations.

There was more, but overall the Cookie Con was underwhelming.  There were a lot more product vendors, many of them not baking related (i.e. the nail polish design ladies or the at least 3 different electronic massage guys all selling the same kind of product in different wrapping and slightly different pricing).  I kind of thought it would be like the scrapbook conventions I’ve been to where each vendor either had something to try or make.  More interactive.  We got through the whole Cookie Con in a few hours.  We stuck around only to see Duff Goldman make cookies and then left.  

We didn’t come back for the second day even though we’d already paid for it.  Not sure I would go again unless they got their S**T together, got more baking vendors, and more interactive things to do.

Share Your World – Week 8

SYW (Cee’s Photography)

When you cut something with scissors, do you move your jaw (as if you were about to chew)?

No, but as I tried it just now, I did notice that I open my mouth while cutting.

Do you chew your pens and pencils?

No, but I do put them in my mouth while I am thinking.

Are you a collector of anything? If so what?

I collect Funko Pop toys as seen in the photos below as well as Disney Tsum-tsum’s and Dorbz.  I also collect salt ‘n’ pepper shakers.  My Mother had a collection of s ‘n’ p shakers that I played with as a child.  I loved playing with them and rearranging them on the shelf. I started collecting them myself when I went away to college and started traveling on my own.

What size is your bed?

I have a King size bed.  My husband is 6’3″ and still barely fits on it.  He always has to kinda lay a little sideways.  When we get a house, I want to get a Cal King.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful that we survived the crazy rivers that ran down the LA streets when my husband and I arrived.  It had rained so much on Friday that many of the streets in North Hollywood were flooded.  We had to keep praying our car wound’t stall.  It was scary, but we survived.  I am also grateful we weren’t caught in one of the many mudslides, downed power lines, or the crazy sinkhole that swallowed 2 cars not far from where we were staying.

I am looking forward to catching up on sleep this weekend and also finally getting to give my sister in law the Elephant I made her this weekend.