tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35835864692352268962024-03-13T17:59:44.321-04:00Rediscovering KristynKristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-85454036359399830712014-08-24T22:29:00.000-04:002014-08-24T22:29:30.247-04:00My 3 HAPPY, Grateful, and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-24-14...sort of!! LOL<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Hello Blog readers!!
Yes, it has been at least a week since I last blogged, but that doesn’t
mean I’ve stopped counting my blessings, being happy, staying positive, or being grateful for the
people and events in my life. My son
starts full-time Kindergarten in another week, so the past week has been spent
with back-to-school shopping, needed appointments, and soaking up what's left of the summer
time I have with him. I can’t imagine
him being gone all day in school. I’ll
sure miss all those spontaneous hugs, kisses, and I Love Yous throughout the
day. But this is one of those rights of passage that must be experienced by both of us. I'm good with it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Needless to say, there has been much that’s made me happy
and grateful this past week. I’ll just
list some of them off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Through a comment on Facebook, an old
friend brought back some great memories about a super yummy restaurant we used
to visit back in our 20s. Nothing like
being a regular and being greated with your favorite drinks as soon as you get
in!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Loved
school supply shopping with my son. It
was some give-and-take on a few decisions, but overall it was a success!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Loved
how my son gets more and more excited with each day as it gets closer to the start
of Kindergarten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Finally
got our day-at-the-Jersey shore trip set for me, my son, and my parents for
this week. It’s really special for me as
I used to live down the Jersey shore in my early 20s. I haven’t been back down there since I moved
back north. In that time, Sandy hit as
did a bad fire on the Seaside Heights/Park boardwalk. I think seeing all the changes due to these
two major events will be a bit emotional for me.
But like with everything else, life goes on and change is good!! I get to share with my son a place that will
always be special to me and some place that has always felt like “home” to me,
even when I didn’t live there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> OK, I’ll
finish this with one more and then off to bed for me as it will be an EARLY
morning for me, and anyone who knows me knows that I’m not exactly “Suzy
Sunshine” in the morning! LOL.......I’m incredibly grateful and happy for an
individual I met about two months ago.
Words cannot adequately describe the amazingly positive effect this
person and new friend has made on my life. It really has changed my life and me for the better. But I’m sure that will be another post at a later date. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.266666412353516px;">No doubt my grandma in heaven is smiling down on me!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14.266666412353516px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, time to say good night my cyber friends!! Please don't forget, your comments are always welcome!! Post away!! :-D<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and blessings,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-90877979042897529182014-08-17T23:19:00.002-04:002014-08-17T23:22:16.111-04:00My 3 HAPPY, Grateful, and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-17-14<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Welcome to Sunday
night!! Weekends for me tend to be a bit
haphazard, loosey goosey, go where the spirit leads me kind of thing. On Facebook I did keep up on the 3 Happy
Thoughts Challenge I was given, it just didn’t translate into blog posts. So, consider this my make up blog post!! LOL <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
3 HAPPY, Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Friday 08-15-14<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My extra large, hot, black coffee from Dunkin
Donuts!!!<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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YUM YUM!!!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Going out last night for coffee and amazing
conversation with one of the nicest and truly genuine individuals I've ever met.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Saturday: 08-16-14</span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Received my son's Kindergarten teacher assignment in today's mail.
Excited to take him school supply and school clothes shopping next week!!!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was happy to see it was another nice Summer
day!! Enjoying this warm weather for as long as I can!!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thoroughly enjoyed an evening at home alone
tonight watching<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=248589738578149" href="https://www.facebook.com/GodsNotDeadTheMovie" style="cursor: pointer;"><span style="background: white; color: #3b5998; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God's Not Dead</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. It was an
excellent movie!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sunday: 08-17-14<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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day!!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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local, pasture-raised eggs where the chickens aren't given any GMO corn feed.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Two more days left to this Facebook challenge, and then
back to our regularly-scheduled posts!!
LOL I will say, it was nice to
revisit these this evening. Nothing like
going to bed with nothing but happy, positive, grateful thoughts going through
my mind!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-11192429772821811232014-08-14T23:32:00.002-04:002014-08-14T23:32:37.118-04:00My 3 HAPPY, Grateful, and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-14-14<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I mentioned yesterday, I was challenged on Facebook to share 3 things a day for 7 days that make me happy. It is late right where I live, so I'm pretty much going to just cut and paste what I shared over there. In no way do I mean to be lazy about this, but it's been a very looooooong week, and I need to get my beauty sleep!!</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing how determined my son was today to learn the new kata in his karate class brought me such happiness and joy. I'm so proud of my little guy!!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a couple of laughs today when meeting my new financial advisor. He has a VERY Irish name and I wonder if it would have<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> been taking it too far if I asked him if he was the leprechaun who would share the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!!</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was very happy that the lawyer I picked to handle the closing on my house was such a laid back, chill kind of guy, not some pretentious stuffed suit.</span></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #37404e; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Wow, this really is one big 'ol formatting mess!!! LOL But, hey, just goes to show I may be optimistic but I'm certainly not perfect!! :-D</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14.266666412353516px;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-22880829448177693952014-08-13T22:23:00.003-04:002014-08-13T22:23:54.228-04:00My 3 HAPPY, Grateful, and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-13-14<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="background: white; color: #37404e; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today I was finally challenged
by one of my IRL (in real life) friends on Facebook (FB) for 7 days to list what makes me happy and
challenge 2 new people every day. I do
believe I mentioned this back on Saturday that seeing this challenge on other
friends’ FB pages is what started me blogging again. This is so up my alley!! So for the next 7 days I will list what I did
on FB that day. However, I may add a bit
more to each one here seeing as I tried to keep it short and sweet on there!! I already post soooooooo much on there
anyway!!</span><span style="color: #37404e; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My 3 HAPPY, Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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got to enjoy a bacon burger for lunch today (no bun for me, of course!!!) which
I’d been craving for a while now. Anyone
who knows me, heck even strangers have figured this out, knows that I have a
bacon OBSESSION!!!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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love dark and stormy clouds and got to see some amazing ones rolling in prior
to today’s downpour!! The rain was quick
and hard, but it was perfect to me. Of
course I wasn’t stuck driving in it, so that’s what made it even more perfect!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
got to partake in some uncontrollable giggle fits with my son this
morning!! I don’t remember what quite
brought them on, but by his not being able to stop it just made me start in,
too. As I’m sure is true with others,
once that starts in between two people, it’s all over!! Especially when one of them is a child!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So there we have it, thanks to my friend, there are my happy, grateful, and positive thoughts of the day!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-35727051412818849742014-08-12T22:29:00.002-04:002014-08-12T22:29:57.928-04:00My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-12-14<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alrighty, I just realized I have to be up earlier than
usual tomorrow morning, so this will be short and sweet and lack some photos!! LOL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
son and I had so much fun today playing with a volcano experiment that I bought
him some time earlier this year. Nothing
like fizzing volcanos and dinosaurs in the “molten lava and tar” to pass some
time on this grey and rainy summer day we were having!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_fl1I9qqhyphenhyphen0cgCA-sNX9WHAesxDPP-MRoRklMGEOhuhIDKZQ603tMrXC480c-suBj4ltdnuxrXP4SHrhqp9AiOF8iuHJRI0ne2lG5rYKgbspcHZMEK90J_56xxar8mLDHU_sRfvpvqAQ/s1600/volcano+fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_fl1I9qqhyphenhyphen0cgCA-sNX9WHAesxDPP-MRoRklMGEOhuhIDKZQ603tMrXC480c-suBj4ltdnuxrXP4SHrhqp9AiOF8iuHJRI0ne2lG5rYKgbspcHZMEK90J_56xxar8mLDHU_sRfvpvqAQ/s1600/volcano+fun.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Delicious,
super sweet cantaloupe for snacking today.
Need I say more?!?!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am
grateful that the pest control people came out today to spray for wasps yet
again. They’ve decided to be overactive
for some reason this spring/summer. Then
again, it didn’t help that my son accidentally disturbed one of their nests
Thursday night and caused him to get stung twice. OUCHIE!! :-(
The one positive thing to come
from this experience was to learn that he doesn’t have allergic reactions
to wasp stings as this was his first time being stung.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And there you go, my grateful and positive thoughts of
the day!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PS – Please feel free to leave any comments on here or on
my Facebook page. I’d love to get your
input!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-29996375009447613422014-08-11T22:06:00.001-04:002014-08-11T22:06:12.056-04:00My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-11-14<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">WooHoo!!! Third
day in a row with a posting!! Easy to do
when all I’m really doing is counting my blessings and the people and/or things
I’m grateful for or the positive feelings and/or thoughts I’ve had during the
day!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m
grateful that I’ve finally learned to truly stand up for myself and stick to my
guns when it comes to my ex. Let’s just
say I made two significant steps forward today in two big “projects” going on
in my life where he is involved in one way or another. I feel like I should “High 5” myself!! LOL<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThd1aCvtwqNAZEdL7OhldmFGUwCgfBP49iPGM8iSxXqXkrMfeqsbwvX4p_WFxV9d5aqBxWFLfshKb16vWmNpkYfwmDlgBNBMRrD2dL2LhNsUCJJV1Cvqpiuq_EOIPgvwyb7RpgR6pJHSV/s1600/I+Am+Woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThd1aCvtwqNAZEdL7OhldmFGUwCgfBP49iPGM8iSxXqXkrMfeqsbwvX4p_WFxV9d5aqBxWFLfshKb16vWmNpkYfwmDlgBNBMRrD2dL2LhNsUCJJV1Cvqpiuq_EOIPgvwyb7RpgR6pJHSV/s1600/I+Am+Woman.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's how I felt today!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am
grateful that people are viewing and reading my blog. I can completely understand my friends, be
they “real life” friends or “cyber life” FB/Twitter friends/followers reading
this. However, I couldn’t believe that I’ve gotten
hits on my blog from the United States (that's pretty much a given as that is where I'm from), the Netherlands, France,
United Kingdom, Poland, Venezuela, Sweden, and Italy. How cool is that?!?!!! By the way, if you are reading this and would
like to “Share” it with your Facebook friends or Twitter followers, by all
means, go right ahead!! I believe there’s
a link up top underneath the header that you can click. Also, you can become a “Member,” not that I
know exactly what that means other than I think you get notifications when I
post something new. The more the
merrier!!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlCwC5EQ71DjUmbDGLGtiOgI4az2DA7scXT0yEEPCwLAY5Bc9ZvY7nefx88_0HNm30TYighkpdnfY1Dv_cBrhKGg2LarmCAxnE6KWJytKmnFOcRodKkycCJwo_D60CK8RwVYxPRCSaJ5g/s1600/Blog+rapper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlCwC5EQ71DjUmbDGLGtiOgI4az2DA7scXT0yEEPCwLAY5Bc9ZvY7nefx88_0HNm30TYighkpdnfY1Dv_cBrhKGg2LarmCAxnE6KWJytKmnFOcRodKkycCJwo_D60CK8RwVYxPRCSaJ5g/s1600/Blog+rapper.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, it's true!!! LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am
grateful for the countless laughs I’ve had over the years due to the comedic
genius and awesome acting chops of Robin Williams. It was such a shock to read the news earlier
today about his apparent suicide. I’ve
dealt with depression in the past, and I am so thankful for my friends,
doctors, and family members for the support they showed me. Reach out to your loved ones or even
strangers who you see are sad, depressed, suffering, just not acting like themselves, or
who may just need a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to them. Heck, smile at a stranger as that smile could
completely change his or her day or thoughts. It genuinely can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIlJ4d4ubz9ffHfRKnPB9lIw-HqatqM24GjhcP0POoTA0QAlF4_zEA-ardUUI7Ikx9fEzAAKGbt2asbeKbXelM8ZieSL9FrHO20ppOXjmtDTH5UactFcW2TiyMRcWRvqIQagAm1YehKwp/s1600/Smile+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIlJ4d4ubz9ffHfRKnPB9lIw-HqatqM24GjhcP0POoTA0QAlF4_zEA-ardUUI7Ikx9fEzAAKGbt2asbeKbXelM8ZieSL9FrHO20ppOXjmtDTH5UactFcW2TiyMRcWRvqIQagAm1YehKwp/s1600/Smile+quote.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self explanatory!! :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There you have it, my grateful and positive thoughts of
the day. Why not take a minute to reflect on your own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">PS – Please feel free to leave any comments on here or on
my Facebook page. I’d love to get your
input!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-42478606011518906852014-08-10T21:22:00.002-04:002014-08-10T21:37:58.600-04:00My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-10-14<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">As it’s been a busy and productive day and it’s late, I’m
going to keep this post short. Well, at
least short for me!! LOL But, I didn’t want the day to end without my
writing it. I really do want to make
this a daily habit. It’ll be my daily
reminder and reflection of what is good in my life. Here we go!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am
grateful for living in an area that is abundant with farms and all the
delicious and nutritious foods they supply us with. As you will see by the photo, I ate like a
queen this morning!!! Nothing like a
big, yummy, healthy (Paleo) breakfast to start my day with!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0ltBjJcUmiDJyd_sueVe-jOJxea6VFTR7t2uPg0DCPiyUsXGydhkEeG1vm8R7n2m_-7UsO5cDxuEF_GYQUWp4EI4i03jm4a-QSyu95R1xLUlFLs534TExv3yYhTAfW4YobzsxYHqhrJ0/s1600/Nutritious+breakfast+08-11-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0ltBjJcUmiDJyd_sueVe-jOJxea6VFTR7t2uPg0DCPiyUsXGydhkEeG1vm8R7n2m_-7UsO5cDxuEF_GYQUWp4EI4i03jm4a-QSyu95R1xLUlFLs534TExv3yYhTAfW4YobzsxYHqhrJ0/s1600/Nutritious+breakfast+08-11-14.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organic, pasture-raised eggs; pasture-raised bacon (pigs live in "Piggy Woods!!!") organic arugula, and cantaloupe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am
grateful for tonight’s Super Moon!! Some
may think I’m crazy, but the beauty of that big, gorgeous moon brings me a feeling
of amazement. Not only am I seeing the moon,
but so is everyone else around the globe.
It truly makes one realize that you are just one of millions out there
in this world. Quite humbling. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_GKUSSypy1KYyNHpD4MMTRn8rRv52sbi-UM_JfhYMiiae2QkMK-3H4JofxfNWaAEAPEVphAlxode5oa_v6fXKKcN8d3Uc6mXbo8VkRHak2sagzmJYHRWXM2YY03tamJfYLfNA228KwBm/s1600/SuperMoon+08-11-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_GKUSSypy1KYyNHpD4MMTRn8rRv52sbi-UM_JfhYMiiae2QkMK-3H4JofxfNWaAEAPEVphAlxode5oa_v6fXKKcN8d3Uc6mXbo8VkRHak2sagzmJYHRWXM2YY03tamJfYLfNA228KwBm/s1600/SuperMoon+08-11-14.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Moon reflecting on the pond across the road. Lousy pic, I know!!</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I am grateful to my friend who sent me photos
of my son having a blast at a local fair today!!
My son was with his father this weekend so I didn’t get the opportunity
to take my son to the fair that he’d been talking about for months. It was great seeing that his father took him
and that my son was enjoying the rides and hanging out with his buddy (my
friend’s son)!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFqyT7Dtt_uHPA2bXrBGJkV4FQRFD3hqSc5Eqr5Lt9YI2TU58Lga01bEonOvs8GWI5AzNdBNKqTKWhTb3WMqgah5rFsQTierkVgjtK8pHzvyiQNXAmsvSRWGgWx6wCwg6J_Qi-KomGYR2/s1600/Florida+Fun+Fest+08-11-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFqyT7Dtt_uHPA2bXrBGJkV4FQRFD3hqSc5Eqr5Lt9YI2TU58Lga01bEonOvs8GWI5AzNdBNKqTKWhTb3WMqgah5rFsQTierkVgjtK8pHzvyiQNXAmsvSRWGgWx6wCwg6J_Qi-KomGYR2/s1600/Florida+Fun+Fest+08-11-14.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids having fun at the fair!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There you have it, my positivity and optimism of the
day!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-48421372578520678232014-08-09T17:58:00.001-04:002014-08-09T18:10:21.805-04:00My 3 Grateful and Positive Thoughts of the Day: 08-09-14<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A lot in my life has happened since my last blog post in
January. I have to admit, it’s been a
rough year so far. I’m inherently one of
those optimistic, “every cloud has a silver lining” individuals; but the past 8+ months have really tested me in all aspects of my life: emotionally, physically, and spiritually. There are many times I’ve thought about this
blog, getting out in writing what’s been going on, but it didn’t happen for
whatever reason or excuse. Maybe I just
didn’t want to re-live the bad/sad/disappointing stuff all over again. As Elsa would sing “the past is in the past.” However, as much as I try to bury it all
and/or deal with it and move forward, it can get hard at times. But despite it all, I still smile and look
for the positive and beauty all around me.
It’s just who I am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What’s prompted me to blog today is that I’m in a bit of
a funk at this exact moment, despite the insanely gorgeous and perfect summer
day we’re having here in my part of NY. I
realized I really needed to get my head out of this mindset and thought of a
great way to do it. Over the past month
or two I’ve seen many friends partake in a “challenge” of sorts going around Facebook where they’ll list 3 or 5 positive
things they are either grateful for or are positives in their lives on that
particular day. So I figured that’d be a
great way to break the blahs. Also, it
really is something I should do every day.
You need to have positive thoughts and be grateful every single day you
wake up. Those happy, thankful thoughts
will then continue to multiply over and over again, day after day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, without further ado, here are My 3 Grateful and
Positive Thoughts of the Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No
surprise on this one. I am grateful for my son!! He is my ray of loving, huggable, kissable
sunshine every single day. There are no
words I could write that would ever do him and his love justice. The mother/son bond we share is undeniable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtIrJzKmTaQvAGS95cHqZwuFZ9n8PgjVglLYHq4P4iJTqTUG_18MgvaarFkPzgALQscEK1jmJbo5y0NUtm2A3TlPQQMQlpKl_uuFpVNZih5hBJJCQUQMMaaUAp3UuE9wT2nehEXZhIo3r/s1600/Mommy+and+Elias+08_05_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtIrJzKmTaQvAGS95cHqZwuFZ9n8PgjVglLYHq4P4iJTqTUG_18MgvaarFkPzgALQscEK1jmJbo5y0NUtm2A3TlPQQMQlpKl_uuFpVNZih5hBJJCQUQMMaaUAp3UuE9wT2nehEXZhIo3r/s1600/Mommy+and+Elias+08_05_14.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
she is no longer with us (one of the incredibly heartbreaking events back in January/February
this year), I am so very grateful for the nearly 44 years I had with my
grandmother. Again, no words I could say
would ever do her unconditional love and support for me justice. I miss her so incredibly much. Love you grandma. You are forever in my heart and spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOho6rfm8S6StQgMk5lDyEoDpsq3SSGM0HgScKAmHsxu5K_ZsTQ-XsrhmW8B8J3AtCEFYTJrocatjVg1oPOGAapEH90dldxCsJcpPCVt2ykYSj_wH-9y1puXynpI10AObuj51t5fa1aJ2h/s1600/Grandma+and+GreatGrandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOho6rfm8S6StQgMk5lDyEoDpsq3SSGM0HgScKAmHsxu5K_ZsTQ-XsrhmW8B8J3AtCEFYTJrocatjVg1oPOGAapEH90dldxCsJcpPCVt2ykYSj_wH-9y1puXynpI10AObuj51t5fa1aJ2h/s1600/Grandma+and+GreatGrandma.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really old and rather "risky" photo back in the day of my grandma (L) and great grandma (R)!!! </td></tr>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I am grateful for the new medication (Tecfidera) I’m on
for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). My "official" 13-year MS diagnosis anniversary was this past July. Although the Tecfidera does not cure the illness, it’s what they call a "disease modifying drug." For me, it has
had a significant and noticeable improvement in at least one area of my
illness. This is the first time in at
least 5 years, if not longer, that I haven’t needed a cane for stability assistance
while walking in the heat and humidity of the summer months. Haven’t needed a cane in the slightest and that
makes me feel amazingly grateful and positive!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4JMBnraPVPYqOgs2x8vqxqd2BXeYnrqj6sPo6b0gtyWI9Ju_Y0wzykdIpt_KkF7JZqqnaXhTpMtOQKJyhyphenhyphenhxrHDebpj1XKtM1y-LCUA_ZcjthB9o1BiXyl6Qtvh87OWRQPkZ0KJqaeUp/s1600/Pepe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4JMBnraPVPYqOgs2x8vqxqd2BXeYnrqj6sPo6b0gtyWI9Ju_Y0wzykdIpt_KkF7JZqqnaXhTpMtOQKJyhyphenhyphenhxrHDebpj1XKtM1y-LCUA_ZcjthB9o1BiXyl6Qtvh87OWRQPkZ0KJqaeUp/s1600/Pepe.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Pepe', my original cane and now one of many fashionable canes in my collection!! LOL</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So there you have it, my positivity and optimism of the
day!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and a lifetime of
blessings!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">PS – For my previous
blog readers, notice the change in my sign off?!?!! Yeah, that’s another positive thing that’s
happened to me in the past month or so, but I’ll save that for another day!!</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-15074399366142440452014-01-08T22:43:00.002-05:002014-01-08T22:49:19.631-05:00NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First and
foremost, let me say Welcome to 2014 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! OK, enough of the formalities, let’s just
jump right in!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so it
begins…the start of a new year. What
exactly does that mean, though? Yes, I
know what the calendar says, but in some ways, I wonder what the big hubbub is
all about, especially in regards to New Year’s Resolutions. Why is it only on January 1<sup>st</sup> that
most people decide to make resolutions for the specific year ahead? Shouldn’t this be an ongoing process, but
without the tag of “resolution” on it? Isn’t
this how we keep from being stagnant and grow as individuals, by striving to
make ourselves and our lives better each and every day? At least I know that’s how I live and view my
life. Granted, I tend not to call them
resolutions, but instead I consider them goals, and for good reason.
I don’t need to do this on January 1<sup>st</sup>, as in all actuality I
do it all the time. As an example, instead
of saying “I’m going to go on a diet starting January 1<sup>st</sup> and lose
x-amount of weight this year,” why not set a goal of eating healthier, real
foods every day? That will in turn
create a lifelong habit instead of a short-term goal that has an end point once
you lose the weight you set out to. I
can attest to this personally in regards to a “New Year’s Resolution” I made at
the beginning of 2009, which also happens to be a VERY common resolution year-after-year among
many females regardless of age. I made
the 2009 New Year’s Resolution to weigh a certain amount and fit into a “little
black dress” I’d been saving all those years (18 years at that point to be
exact) by my 40<sup>th</sup> birthday (which I turned in the early part of 2010…gave
myself enough time to lose the weight as I had 65 pounds to lose by then). Outcome was, I DID successfully accomplish
this particular New Year’s resolution and weighed what I set out to for my 40<sup>th</sup>
birthday, and I DID fit into that "little black dress" without struggling at all. However, because I lost the weight in a
relatively unhealthy way, I ended up regaining 20 of those pounds right back on
even before 2010 was over. Only when I
started eating healthy towards the end of 2011 and learning about nutrient-dense
food was I able to lose the weight I gained back, but I’ve also kept that
weight off plus a bit more AND I lost more overall body fat and inches without even trying,
all without ever feeling hungry or deprived, which many of us end up feeling
when we follow an unhealthy and/or fad “diet.” Plus, without
even having it as a part of my initial "resolution,” I significantly improved my
overall physical health, emotional well being, and I was able to go off of all but one
medication related to my Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. Goes to show what you can accomplish when you
don’t limit yourself to a single resolution, but set out on an overall
goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, by
reading this, take a look back to January 1<sup>st</sup>. Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Is there maybe a way you can broaden their
scope and make them more of everyday goals to better yourself as an individual,
your day-to-day life, and your overall future instead of just being
pigeon-holed into one set outcome? This doesn't have to be about weight loss, this can be about ANYTHING you want to grow/change in your life. You’ve got nothing to lose and
there is no feeling of having “failed” if you did end up “breaking” your
original New Year’s resolutions. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think about it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you
peace, love, and happiness,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-38608663725228384852013-12-29T22:56:00.002-05:002013-12-29T23:18:12.023-05:00And the winner is……..<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
fans have spoken, and the winner of last week’s “pick the next topic” question,
was:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><i>2. My point of view on a somewhat recent
what-seems-to-be controversial holiday topic. </i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what was the holiday controversy I was
alluding to? I’d seen this topic on a
few Facebook pages, and I even chimed in on one of these conversations/arguments. People seemed to have gotten their panties/boxers all in a twist over the recent
Kmart Jingle Bells Joe Boxer ad. If you
haven’t seen it, here is a Youtube link for your viewing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO3Rv6GLqQ" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSO3Rv6GLqQ</a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I,
personally, found it to be quite clever and tongue-in-cheek.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What those who were upset with it were saying/arguing
is that it was either disgusting, lewd, inappropriate, and/or various other
adjectives.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or, they were wondering how
to explain it to their children.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
other objection was that it was played over and over while watching children’s
Christmas/Holiday shows while the kids were awake and watching TV with them.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me break down my view on all of this. Again, this is my own, personal opinion on the subject...obviously!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In regards
to the various negative adjectives used to describe the commercial, if you didn’t like it, you
simply could have switched the channel.
Easy Peasey!! No one was forcing
you to watch it. If you didn’t like it
or didn't want your kids to watch it, this is a country of free will. You should have turned on something you did
approve of for the 30-60 seconds the commercial was on. If you didn’t switch it off, maybe you didn’t
mind it so much after all. ;-) Just saying….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, the
explaining of the commercial to your kids concern, of course it would need to be put in age
appropriate terms. But, from my own personal
experience when my 5-year old son happened to see it, he just thought the guys
were shaking their butts, and he proceeded to copy them. That boy sure does love to shake his
booty!!! Now, to me, that would have
been the easiest thing to explain to both boys and girls, especially if/when
the full commercial was shown with the men ringing the bells behind the table at
the very beginning. Once that table
slides over, anyone thinking it’s something else ringing just has a plain ‘ol dirty
mind!!! :D No doubt the teenage girls
were giggling, but that’s a whole other topic.
Apparently the apple didn’t fall far from the tree if mom was still
watching the commercial, too. However, if
that first part of the commercial is missed where the men are behind the draped
table, even if the child knows about male anatomy, we all know testicles don’t
ring like bells, so why couldn’t the concerned adult have explained it as
the men shaking their butts in time to the music, just as if they were dancing?
A simple and truthful explanation. Certainly more honest than the concept of men's anatomy actually ringing out Jingle Bells...And notice, it's Jingle Bells NOT Jingle Balls!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally the
showing of the commercial during Christmas/Holiday movie viewing time. Once or twice would have been fine and gotten
Kmarts name/sales info out there.
Overkill is overkill, no matter what the commercial is, though. I may have personally enjoyed seeing all
that eye candy (it's healthier and calorie free after all!!!), but enough was enough when it was on every 15 minutes for hours
on end. However, in the end, I don’t
blame Kmart for that decision; and is also why I was annoyed when people were
stating they would boycott Kmart because of the ad and it even being shown on
TV. For me, this commercial was
borderline genius and accomplished what Kmart set out to do….get their name out
there during the holidays to drum up business.
My answer to those objections about the frequency and timing of the commercial was if you didn’t like the commercial
being on during family viewing hours, take that up with the station you were
watching. They are the ones who make the
programming decisions. They are the ones
who decided to take Kmart’s money and to run the ads as much as they did. They could have said no to Kmart and no to the money. They could have decided to not play the
commercial. So if you have a problem
with when/how much that commercial was on, take it up with the various stations
you were all watching. But don’t blame
Kmart. In the end, it’s not their fault.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what do you think of my first-ever controversial blog topic? Should I do more in the future? Let me hear your thoughts and suggestions!!</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that
the holidays are just about over with New Year’s Eve quickly approaching, let
me take this time now to thank everyone for reading my blog and getting a glimpse
inside the complex workings of my mind.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really do appreciate
your time and any/all feedback you’ve given over the months.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There will be much more to come in the New
Year, don’t you worry!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my new
posts will be the topic that got the 2</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nd</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> highest amount
of votes, my “Three Dates, Three Months, 30,000 miles” dating philosophy.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a close, long-time male friend of mine
comment about it on my Facebook page, who also happens to have experienced this philosophy first hand with me.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we were commenting back and forth on it, I realized I need to dedicate one whole blog post to him. –
LOL!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re talking about a history
that goes back to when we met on my 15</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> birthday. To put that into perspective, I will be 44 years old this coming March...we'll be hitting 29 years of us knowing each other!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been a long and crazy, up-and-down
roller coaster ride for the two of us to say the least!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, until
next time….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you
peace, love, happiness, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-12738795228491140292013-12-22T23:44:00.001-05:002013-12-22T23:46:17.089-05:00You Have A Say!!! Let Me Know Your Choice!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello to everyone reading this!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I need a favor. I have a few different topics I've been wanting to blog about for the past week or so that are currently going on in my life. However, I can't decide on which one to write about first. This is where you guys and gals come into play. I'm leaving the decision up to YOU, my readers!! Plus, it'll give me a chance to see if anyone is really reading and enjoying my weekly musings on my life anyway. LOL So, without further ado, here are the three choices, in no particular order:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. A follow up to my Fireworks vs. Sparks post earlier this month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. My point of view on a somewhat recent what-seems-to-be controversial holiday topic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. The meaning behind my "Three Dates, Three Months, 30,000 Miles" dating philosophy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please, please, pretty please vote away by leaving a comment below, or you can leave a remark on my Facebook page, for those of you who know me on there! :-) The topic with the highest amount of votes is what I'll blog about later this week after the Christmas holiday. Then, I'll work my way through the remaining two topics in the coming weeks, along with any other new topics that inspire me. Sound good?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't wait to see what y'all choose!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-41754598583749928772013-12-15T22:52:00.000-05:002013-12-16T13:28:40.304-05:00The Blessing of An Unbreakable Bond<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>This post is dedicated to all my September 2008 WTE moms...You know who you are!! </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back on New
Year’s Eve day of 2007, I found out I was pregnant with my son, who would then be
born in September 2008. As I had just recently lost a pregnancy due to
it being ectopic, my guard was understandably up; and I was being a tad bit
cautious about announcing this new pregnancy to anyone. Throughout
those first few months, I had found a board on the website <u>What To Expect
When You’re Expecting </u> (WTE) for moms
who were due to give birth in September 2008, as I was. After I had successfully made it through the
first trimester, I started participating in the discussions that were going on
with these other women. I started slowly
at first as I was still a bit trepidatious, and I knew that I was one of the
older moms on there as I had turned 38 during that first trimester. The majority of the moms were in their early
20s. However, just as when you meet
people in real life (as opposed to via the internet), you instantly click with
some. As those online friendships grew for
me and I got to feel more comfortable on the WTE September 2008 board, even more
friendships took shape. So, during that
time while we were all pregnant we shared our ups and downs of our varying pregnancy
symptoms/issues, our lives, shared our laughter, pain, and tears; and then slowly one
by one we started having our babies.
Some were early, some were late, and others were right on time. But one by one they came into this world and
we celebrated and cheered our way through them all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even after
having our babies, we kept the board going on WTE, but slowly we weren’t
participating as actively as we once were. We all had
our newborns to take care of…feedings, poopy blowout diapers, sleep deprivation,
babies getting their first fevers or sicknesses. One thing we noticed, though, was that many
of us were already on or had just recently joined Facebook. We collectively started exchanging our email
addresses/names, as up until that point we’d only been known by our online WTE board
names, I was MommaSki845, and the Friend Requests slowly started happening on
Facebook. Over time we set up a few
different, separate WTE September 2008 groups, all of which we made sure were Private, on Facebook. Moms came and
went over time, especially in those first few years, and we consolidated those initial boards down to one, and even
now there is still an amazing group of 77 of us mommas who keep in touch with
each other. We still laugh and cry together online, we vent,
we celebrate, basically we act just as any other group of close girlfriends
would. There have been spats, heated arguments,
and hurt feelings along the way (of which even I was involved in), just as would
happen with your girlfriends who you regularly see and hang out with. One thing that we’ve been great about,
though, is agreeing to disagree and respecting others views and decisions even
if we didn’t personally agree with them. We all know how catty and competitive
women can get with each other, but somehow we’ve managed to rise above all
that, which has helped our bond grow even stronger over these past six years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yep, it’s
been just about six whole years since this group of beautiful, amazing, and supportive
women became friends. A handful of the
moms have actually met each other in person, but the majority of us haven’t, as
much as we’d LOVE to. We span the entire
United States, Canada, and other countries along the way for those moms
who are military spouses or involved in the military overseas some way or
another. Despite those miles between us, we are there
for each other emotionally and in spirit.
It’s a truly indescribable feeling to have knowing that there are individuals out there who truly care about you in good times and bad.
That’s what brings me to what in particular inspired this post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of our
mommas is in the beginning stages of a divorce.
As someone whose marriage ended a few years ago right around this same time
of year, I can relate in many ways to what she’s going through. Just as we’ve all bared our souls to our
fellow September 2008 WTE moms along the way over the years, she was really
depressed, as frequently happens with many people during the holiday/Christmas
season. She wasn’t prepared for the
divorce to be happening, her soon-to-be ex is being a douche, and she was
feeling dejected and incredibly sad that she wouldn’t be able to give her two
boys a “real” Christmas/gifts from Santa, despite her now having gone back to
work with super long hours just so she can start over and be able to provide a
new life for her boys. She is such a
sweet woman and has been so supportive to many of us over the years. She just wanted to vent and she knows she can
say whatever she wants to safely and without being judged or criticized. She wasn’t looking for anything other than
the emotional support that we’re known for showing each other. So, having this incredibly unique and strong bond
that I spoke of earlier among all of us ladies, one of the moms set up a
separate group on Facebook, which at least a quarter of us have joined in on
now, and we plan on sending her and her boys some presents and good cheer for
Christmas. This isn’t the first time we’ve
come together to help out one of our moms and children who’ve been down on
their luck during the holidays, either. It’s
what we love to do in whatever ways we can, and it all stems from us meeting
six years ago on that one What To Expect September 2008 pregnancy board. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a
bond that is hard to explain to others in the “outside world,” as it truly is
unique in its nature. It’s a bond I feel
incredibly blessed to have in my own life.
We may never have the opportunity to all meet up in person, but I know
that no matter what, they have my back.
Maybe not physically/in person, but I know they are there for me
emotionally and spiritually whenever I need them. Heck, I’ve had to call on them for many a
prayer, positive vibes, and good juju when my mom was in the hospital a few times and was going through some
different, potentially life-threatening issues.
So, no, they may not be here to give me a physical hug, but they are
there online when I need them and always in my heart. I found this saying recently that I thought was
very fitting for all of us: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Closeness
isn’t always measured in distance,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Friends can
live many miles away,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But the bond
of love formed long ago<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Always keeps
them close at heart.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love you,
my WTE September 2008 mommas, and thank you for always being there for me and
my son. :-)</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you all peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-83241881936868816412013-12-01T18:04:00.001-05:002013-12-01T18:07:49.057-05:00FIREWORKS vs. SPARKS <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As some of you may or may not know, I’ve been a single
woman for a little over 2 years now after the demise of a marriage that lasted a little less than 9 years. It wasn’t until February this year that I felt that I was ready to get back out into the dating
arena. Yeah, a scary thought for a
40-something year old single mom…let alone one who has the added “bonus” of
having Multiple Sclerosis. But, hey, who
was I to let all of that stop me?!?!!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I was contacted by a man on Match.com about a month or so ago who had in his profile, amongst many other things, that he was looking for fireworks, which on the surface is totally
understandable. Who doesn’t want to have
that initial “connection” with someone?
As superficial as it may seem, we all want to have that undeniable physical
attraction with a potential partner. No,
that doesn’t have to mean you’re (or me in particular) jumping into bed on the
first date, either. Although those
thoughts may be swirling around in your head the entire date if/when you experience them. ;-) I, at least, have a bit more self-respect
than that, no matter how intense the initial attraction may be!!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>This man and I then had
some back-and-forth messages via Match, and then we started texting and talking
on the phone, along with some subsequent dates thereafter. He asked what I was
looking for, and after some thought, I told him it wasn’t fireworks. I wanted more than that. From his reaction, I could tell he was a bit
confused…what could be more than fireworks?
Think about fireworks for a minute, though. Yes, they can be extravagant, mind-blowing,
beautiful, exciting, a myriad of reactions and emotions. But what do all fireworks have in common? After that initial big “bang,” they slowly fall from the
sky, fizzle out, and die. Talk about a
letdown after being so worked up. That’s
not what I want. What I want are……<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>SPARKS!!! Sparks,
you may wonder. Think about sparks,
though. Sparks can ignite a fire. Think about something as simple as a campfire. That spark from a match (or rubbing flint
together if you’re so inclined!! lol) will light tinder, which in turn lights the
logs of the campfire. That tiny little
campfire, if tended to carefully, can then turn itself into a fun and beautiful bonfire. If you’ve ever been to a bonfire, those
babies can get really HOT. But, that
bonfire could then set off a brush fire, which in turn can grow even bigger,
with even more INTENSE flames which can then grow itself into a full-blown BLAZING forest
fire, and that in turn can ignite into all-encompassing and SCORCHING wild fire.
Now, yes, in actuality forest fires and wild fires are NOT a good thing
by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a metaphor here, everyone, so just
go with it!! LOL I think you get where I’m going with this,
though. That initial spark you feel for
someone can grow into something glorious, larger than life, more than ANYTHING
you could have ever hoped for or even imagined. I’m
not only talking in the physical and/or sexual sense, either. I want a man who also sparks my mind, someone who
will make me think, make me question ideas and beliefs that I’ve had over the years. They may or may not change, but at least they
would have been re-evaulated and looked at in a different light. Someone
who will make me ponder what I truly want out of my life. He must also spark my soul on a deeper, more
meaningful level in regards to what I hold near and dear to me at the core of my being, that part that makes me "me" and unlike anyone else. So I have asked myself this (obviously!! LOL), and I’ll ask it of
you, my dear blog readers…Why do we limit ourselves, our dreams, and our desires in
what we want and get out of this life? I won't this time around. I can't. One thing you learn when you have Multiple Sclerosis, or any other incurable disease for that matter, is that life really is short. Love every minute of it that you can.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>So, yes, I don’t want fireworks that will fizzle out
pretty quickly. Well, OK, yes, there ARE
certain times when I do WANT and NEED those mind-blowing fireworks, if you know
what I mean!! ;-) Along with their own added
health and overall well-being benefits, of course. :-) But, when I meet a man, I want a spark that
can ignite into something bigger than what either of us could have ever imagined. Isn’t that what we all really want out of a
life partner? I’ve limited by dreams in
the past and look where it got me. I
deserve more. I deserve someone who will
feed my mind, body, and soul. Don't you?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Until next time…<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kristyn<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>PS - If you like what you've read here or in other posts I've done, please feel free to leave a comment below and/or become a "Member" of my blog, by clicking on the appropriate area on the right-hand side of this page. I appreciate any and all feedback and support. Thank you! :-)</b></span></div>
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Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-58849374334000548302013-11-29T22:46:00.001-05:002013-11-29T22:48:48.546-05:00Me In A Nutshell<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>My last post I ended with the footnote that I had written
my brief/concise bio paragraph for the photographer<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KathieMcLachlanAustin?fref=ts" target="_blank"> Kathie Austin</a> of <a href="http://kathieaustinphotography.com/" target="_blank">KathieAustin Photography</a> and that I would share it with you in my next post. Well, that next post is NOW…obviously!! LOL!!!
So, to end your suspense, here it is. :-)<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As a huge country
music fan, there are lyrics to a particular song I enjoy that sum up a way in
which I approach and live my life. They
are: “You get tired and you don’t show it.
Dig a little deeper when you think you can’t dig no more. That’s the only way I know.” You may ask why I can identify so strongly
with those lyrics, and the simple answer is that I’m a 43-year old woman who is
a single mom to a happy, loving, affectionate, and rather funny boy who is
constantly on the go. What I wouldn’t do
to be able to tap into his level of energy!!
But, through feeding my body by eating healthy and nutrient-dense foods;
feeding my mind through expressing my creativity in a variety of ways; and by feeding
my soul with living a life full of optimism and hope, and always keeping a
smile on my face, I’m able to be the best person and mom I can be. No matter what life has thrown my way, I
always come back fighting and coming out stronger than before. Yeah, I’m stubborn like that! Oh, and in addition to all that, I’ve been
living with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 13 years of my life. No pity party going on here. It’s just not “me” or who I am. So remember that even in the hardest of times,
all you have to do is dig a little deeper when you think you can’t dig no
more. It really does make a world of
difference. <o:p></o:p></b></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>***I did make a few more grammatical/punctuation changes
to the above, but the words are the same as what I handed to Kathie. What can I say, I’m not perfect, I make
mistakes…as rare as that may be for some of you to believe. ;-) LOL***<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Yep, that’s me in a nutshell. Well, at least the VERY generalized me for
the past few years. No doubt there is so
much more to me and my life on many levels, which this blog has and will
continue to reflect upon, expose, and discover along the way. But, at the very core of my being,
this is who I am…This is where the culmination of my life experiences has
brought me…right here, right now…at this exact moment in time. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As soon as I can, I will post the photo Kathie took of me
and EJ for our upcoming Christmas card.
It blew me away when I saw it. I’ve
always known my son is quite photogenic (Yeah, I may be biased because I’m his
mom, but he truly is a cutie pie!!!), but I didn’t turn out too shabby, if I do
say so myself. ;-) LOL!!!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Well, until next time…<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kristyn</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-5694065758611606512013-11-27T22:48:00.000-05:002013-11-27T23:08:46.403-05:00Inspiration and Encouragement<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Surprise Surprise!!! Look who's back. :-)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Yes, it has been about 6 months since I last blogged. There are many reasons, and even some excuses, as to why I haven't posted, but do they really matter? I don't think so. What matters is that I'm back!!!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The reason I feel like I am back is because of two recent happenings in my life. Or, more precisely, two people. One whom I would deem incredibly encouraging; and the other, obviously, would be the inspiring one.</span></b><br />
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First, the "encouraging" individual as this one will be easier to explain. My son and I recently had some professional photos taken of us which we plan on using for our 2013 Christmas cards. The photographer,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KathieMcLachlanAustin" target="_blank"> Kathie Austin </a>of<a href="http://www.kathieaustinphotography.com/" target="_blank"> Kathie Austin Photography </a>in Vernon, NJ, happened to have posted on my Facebook page about a week ago that she was editing the photos, and that I was a beautiful woman. That was so sweet of her, and it made me feel good about myself. She then sent me a private message asking me to write up a little bio, something brief/concise/simple, talking about my having Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and being a single mom. She said I had a story to tell and she wanted to tell it when she posted my pics, presumably on her website. Of course I said I would do it. She is an amazing photographer who has this uncanny ability and talent to tell stories through her pictures. This woman is a true artistic visionary when it comes to her passion. Writing up the bio is the least I could do for her. :-) Plus, when I saw some of the photos a couple nights later...O-M-G!!!!! They are STUNNING!! She captured so beautifully that strong mother/son bond EJ and I have. </span></b><br />
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So, because of that, I now need to put on my writer's cap and come up with this mini yet concise bio about myself, my MS, and being a single mom. The hard part about this is even though Kathie thinks I have a story to tell, I hate talking about myself because I don't see anything special in who I am or what I am doing. I'm a 43-year old woman who happens to be a single mom for the past two years to an active, on-the-go 5-year old little boy; and oh, I happen to be dealing with Multiple Sclerosis for the past 12+ years of my life. I am just me. I do what needs to be done and try like hell to be the best mom I can be. Don't all us moms do that? </span></b><br />
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However, after speaking with the "inspiring" one I touched on above, it's caused me to re-evaluate and look deeper into myself, my beliefs, my feelings, and many other areas of who I am as a person and as a woman. In the most calming, trusting, accepting of ways and conversations, he's caused me to peek into those dark corners of my soul and confront some shadows that have been haunting me and holding me back in many ways throughout my lifetime. Our conversations have also made me look at what I really want out of my life on many different levels. I've never felt so vulnerable yet so safe talking with anyone before on such deep levels. It's scary but exhilarating all at the same time. So, based on some of our conversations and what I'm learning about myself, I've been inspired to write, which brings me back to this blog. It is called "Rediscovering Kristyn" after all, and that is what I'm going through at this moment in time. I'm truly rediscovering myself on a completely different, new, and exciting level. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>On that note, I will end this post. I'm sure there will much more to post now that I've been encouraged and inspired. It's amazing what can happen when those two energies come together at the same time. :-)</b></span><br />
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Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Kristyn</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>***I started writing this post a few days ago, so I hadn't written my piece for Kathie yet. However, it is now complete, and I brought it to her the other day. She was pleased with it and said it inspired her to re-start the "Inspirational Women" part of her website. I will share what I wrote for her in my next post in a few days. I need to first get though the family turkey day tomorrow!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! :-) ***</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-14677393005231970252013-05-18T00:21:00.001-04:002013-05-18T00:30:16.622-04:00Damn!! It's Been A While....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wow, I knew it'd been a while since I last blogged, but I didn't realize it'd been sooooo long. Guess that's what happens when one is trying to rediscover herself. LOL</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As for a quick update on that older gentleman I wrote about in March, that was incredibly short lived. The whole misrepresenting himself online about his age really did not sit well with me, at all. The main reason my marriage broke up was because of my ex's lies to me for all those years, so why would I even want to consider dating someone who started out the whole thing with an outright lie. Plus, for a man who was 59 years old, he didn't have the self confidence or self assured manner about himself that one should have by that age. Me and my much stronger personality would have chewed him up in no time flat. So, yeah, that one never got off the ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then, I've corresponded with a few other guys on Match, but didn't get to meet any of them. One looked promising...great texts, a wonderful phone conversation, and then BAM...basically dropped off the face of the earth overnight. About a week after he stopped texting back/calling, I noticed he changed the area where he lived on his Match profile. Then, not even a week later he took down his profile. So, he was either lying to me or he found someone. Either way, oh well...his loss. We know I'm not about chasing after anyone. Not my style. If the person wants to be with me and/or if it was meant to be, it will be.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past month I've been messaging via Match and now texting another gentleman. Again, this looks promising. Much more promising than any of the others, by far. Scarily so, actually, but in a good way. LOL There seems to be many similarities in our personalities and interests to begin with, not to mention senses of humor. He's almost like the male version of me...YIKES!!! Now THAT is scary!! :-D No, we haven't spoken on the phone yet, but that is planned for within the next couple of days when both our schedules clear up. With both of us being single parents, of which he has sole custody of his child, we need to prioritize around the schedules of our little ones as well as our own calendars. Tricky but do-able I'm sure. Then, we're also planning on meeting for lunch later this week. If the texts are any indication of how our phone conversation will go, I do not think we'll be lacking for conversation AT ALL. I have a setting on my phone that will hang onto 100 texts before it starts automatically deleting them message-by-message. In approximately 3 hours time tonight, we sent over 100 messages; and we'd been texting back and forth/off and on all day so I can only imagine what the final total for today was!! Good thing I have unlimited texting on my phone!!! Keep in mind, this wasn't our first day texting each other, either. Yes, it's the whole getting-to-know-someone phase, but still. That's a dang lot of texts!!! LOL This all has me quite optimistic. However......</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, there is, unfortunately, a however/but in all of this. Everything I have in my Match profile and everything I've told this man is 100% true. As most everyone knows about me, I believe in being upfront and honest, and my life is an open book. Heck, I write a blog and pour my heart out in it for the world to read!! However, the one thing I purposely left out of my Match profile is my Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Too many people seem to have a preconceived opinion/notions of what it means and how I'll be physically. It would certainly preclude many from even bothering to get to know me in the first place. To them I'd be "the chick with MS" not "Kris." Yes, I only tell people my name is Kris; because if I said Kristyn, it might be too easy for someone to Google me or something. Crazy but cautious I am. :-) As I mentioned earlier, me and my potential suitor are planning on talking on the phone this weekend some time. Again, I fully believe this will go well. When we meet for lunch later in the week, I absolutely plan on laying it all out on the line for him before things progress any further. Kind of like ripping the band aid off in one quick yank. At least this way he will already know the gist of my personality and see for himself how I'm doing physically and how the MS does/does not impact me in the physical sense. Wish me luck on that one!! :-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By nature I'm an optimistic and trusting person; which, yes, has gotten me hurt/burned more than once in my lifetime. But no matter how many times I've been knocked down and kicked in life, I pick myself back up, dust myself off, and go at it again stronger than before. It is the past that makes us who we are today, and I am very proud of who I have become as a woman and as a human being. So whether this person is to just drop out of my life in the blink of an eye after I disclose my illness to him, whether we only remain friends afterwards, or whether we decide to go on more dates and continue to get to know each other, only time will tell. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; what's meant to be will be. I can't force it and neither can anyone else. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if I do go on faith, trust, and face value, then so far so good!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span></span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-58412690431952440312013-04-06T23:27:00.002-04:002013-04-06T23:27:47.984-04:00"So What's Your Story?"<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to say, today opened my eyes up to something, and it was quite sobering to say the least. All this brought on by a simple question, which I could not find a real, deep down, honest answer for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier in the day my son and I went to a local business expo in our town that involved many different businesses within the surrounding area of which we live. It was quite family-friendly, as they had a face painter, magician, a clown performing tricks, dancers, and various other performances/showcases for the amusement of the kids in attendance. My son absolutely loved the face painter, who just so happens to be a parent of one of his cooking classmates. A small world for sure! Not only did I meet this woman, but many other business professionals, along with learning about various companies and their services within my local community. It was a definite success of a morning all around.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DVhPxEFJgCpS6PQjt8u4rupnXKYR5RMAAuh9hj7t6W3fiVH5wxLhXY3uSzUCXOh4naEBK275pq7EDyGh36IaoAO9JCy3-xi0uZnvh-cFR8S-atLvFmiNKSdVl4VfoX7t8bo6dKdM9Abw/s1600/PirateEJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_DVhPxEFJgCpS6PQjt8u4rupnXKYR5RMAAuh9hj7t6W3fiVH5wxLhXY3uSzUCXOh4naEBK275pq7EDyGh36IaoAO9JCy3-xi0uZnvh-cFR8S-atLvFmiNKSdVl4VfoX7t8bo6dKdM9Abw/s320/PirateEJ.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirate EJ from earlier today!!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the women I met was a local photographer who I previously "met" online via Facebook and her business page. So through sporadic Facebook posts over the course of the past whoever-knows-how-many months, when I went up to her booth she recognized me from my many Facebook profile pics. We then proceeded to formally introduce ourselves to each other and introduce our munchkins; I had EJ and she had one of her daughters, "Monkey #2" as she affectionately refers to her as. It's funny how we "clicked" so quickly, too. She then went on to ask me "So what's your story?" For which I shrugged my shoulders and responded I didn't have one, I'm just me. There really wasn't anything I could come up with. This, of course, got me thinking the rest of the afternoon: "Who Am I???"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past 4-1/2 years, I've been known as EJ's/Elias' (he goes by both names) mom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past 9+ years, I was known as Ski's wife / Woz's wife. Those are the 2 nicknames my ex went by with his friends and co-workers. Of course now we can make that ex-wife. LOL</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I stopped working due to my Multiple Sclerosis, I worked in the business world from the time I was 16 until the age of 37 as someone's assistant, administrative assistant, secretary, right-hand-person, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past 43-years I've been someone's daughter, granddaughter, sister, and niece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone's cousin for 38 years and sister-in-law for 22 years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been a woman with Multiple Sclerosis for the past (almost) 12-years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I get a chance, which is rare, I like to bake, create various birthday/anniversary/occasion cards, even dabble in point-and-shoot photography. Oh, and we can't forget I'm a sporadic blogger!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZnhyB3dDTOMQ6n4QoFJiH98-A5NB-iaLUwWX41YPLFyBrpZurKih1FX3ME3nH351WaTlVuuTrOAl8ZUr6BKaxT9OkhAFaX1wQXaMzAOVVI8INC7vPDnotysKd3bULZKEElViUtq1eJJz/s1600/IMG_6445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZnhyB3dDTOMQ6n4QoFJiH98-A5NB-iaLUwWX41YPLFyBrpZurKih1FX3ME3nH351WaTlVuuTrOAl8ZUr6BKaxT9OkhAFaX1wQXaMzAOVVI8INC7vPDnotysKd3bULZKEElViUtq1eJJz/s320/IMG_6445.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gluten-free cupcakes I made for my 43rd birthday! I LOVE my pink!!!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS7ahLNqVQ-M1dhiGsxwVhUtPBOFJnE6lo2ZFlG2l9cgWNVQR2sxlUZhT63tKMcmCl5e3FdtGEPHNtR8adm9Yt8yced1kwaalVC33-jk_uffjdp90oas06oTNhmnZcMramn0xBIOfozA3/s1600/musiccard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvS7ahLNqVQ-M1dhiGsxwVhUtPBOFJnE6lo2ZFlG2l9cgWNVQR2sxlUZhT63tKMcmCl5e3FdtGEPHNtR8adm9Yt8yced1kwaalVC33-jk_uffjdp90oas06oTNhmnZcMramn0xBIOfozA3/s320/musiccard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birthday card I made for my friend's daughter.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmLc7Ef6GdGmqVcNYRit6AfVppmkEZpsTFwIYHJW_wngDC16i9k0RjrmZqWIqBmLgqA3uhAiM89A-vsgrfg7WNZ2Ay_nc_hY6JqfryGyykq8m3RemLdm8W7HlIQsa5SHLNcE1GOmfmja9/s1600/Alligatorcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmLc7Ef6GdGmqVcNYRit6AfVppmkEZpsTFwIYHJW_wngDC16i9k0RjrmZqWIqBmLgqA3uhAiM89A-vsgrfg7WNZ2Ay_nc_hY6JqfryGyykq8m3RemLdm8W7HlIQsa5SHLNcE1GOmfmja9/s320/Alligatorcloseup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smiling for his close up!!!!!!!!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, still, that doesn't answer who I am, or what my story is. It's like I'm missing a passion and a direction in my life, which upsets me more than words can say. I'm a Pisces for crying-out-loud!!! We're passionate people!!! We're dreamers!!! But with all these things I listed above and enjoy doing when I get the chance, there's still something missing; and I can't put my finger on it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I started this blog around the time my ex moved out, I named it "Rediscovering Kristyn" in the hopes that I would find out who I am. But as we can see by this post, that hasn't happened. I'm so caught up in everything else going on around me and living my life in a reactive way, that I haven't been proactive in learning who and what I am about. I'm 43-years old and still have no clue. I have to admit, I find it quite disheartening to say the least. Will I ever figure it out? Will I ever have an answer to the question "So what's your story?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess that is the million dollar question. But that leads me to one more question then...If I do figure it all out, do I get the million dollars?!?!?!!!!! ROFL!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span><br />
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<br />Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-80989450241997451802013-03-23T00:36:00.003-04:002013-03-23T00:38:37.708-04:00Did I Really Believe It???<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I’m always saying to people, “Age is just a number.” For me, that has been on my mind a lot this past week with having just celebrated my most recent birthday and more so since having a conversation with someone new I met online and went out with yesterday, Thursday, for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last week I celebrated my 43<sup>rd</sup> birthday. Yes, Happy Birthday to me!!!! I’ve always embraced my age and will proudly
admit it to anyone who does ask how old I am.
Yes, there are some days I feel a bit slow or like I have the creeky body of an
83-year old at times, but overall and even with my Multiple Sclerosis, I
certainly feel young at heart, young of mind, and young of spirit. Yet, I do feel like I am an old soul. Now tell me what kind of sense that
makes?!?!!! LOL!!! What helps, I think, is that my friends, both
IRL (in real life) and online, such as on Facebook, run all ages. Yet, I feel like I can relate to them all on
different levels no matter what their ages may be. I certainly hope they feel the same way about
me. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, here I was then confronted with an age issue
yesterday. I honestly admit that it made
me stop, really think, and question myself on how much I truly believed in what I'd been saying that “age
is just a number.” I went out on a first
date yesterday, which consisted of a very nice, two-hour long lunch. This then proceeded onto an unplanned trip to the mall to walk around and hang out some more and talk, which lasted yet another two hours. This was with a man I met via Match.com. Here I was under the impression he was 10 years
older than me, which was already at the far end of the age range I was looking
for in regards to meeting someone.
However, after talking during the lunch half of our date, I came to find out he’s actually 15
years older than me. I have to be
honest, that took me by a bit of a surprise.
Between the back and forth e-mails we exchanged and the phone
conversations we’d had up to our date, you’d never guess he was the age that he
is. He’s very active with many community projects
and activities; and he comes across as having such a young, fun spirit. But, I have to admit, it still caused me to
pause a bit. I’d never dated anyone more
than 4 years older than me from what I remember. But 15…now that’s a leap I was not expecting. Was I going to be OK with that? Granted, it was only our first date, but we
really hit it off, or at least I think we did and hope we did, as I’d like to
get to know him better as a person.
However, this post is not about the actual date itself; it’s about age and did I believe
in what I preached.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Upon thinking about it after the date and then later that
evening, I came to the conclusion, that, YES, I did believe in what I’d been
saying all along…age IS just a number. Age is just a superficial representation of who someone is. Young at heart and young of mind speaks
volumes more than any age on the calendar represents. I know it certainly won’t stop me from
accepting another date with this man, should he ask me out again. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16px; line-height: 17px;">J</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On that note, this old lady needs her beauty
sleep!!! LOL!!! Off to bed with my head!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kristyn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-17832495584571498342013-03-15T23:50:00.000-04:002013-03-16T11:52:46.077-04:00Happy 43rd Birthday To Me!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, at the time I'm starting to type this, there are 36 minutes left to my birthday! To be completely honest, turning 43 hasn't bothered me one bit. Because as I see it, like a fine wine I only get better with age. :-) Really, if you think about it, the alternative would really really suck!!! LOL!!! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5FB_xZKC2T0EhYEPV9lSTL6Z2dzEHHbbP4BZDDRRaE3phLLp0ehdu6LpBFiJha9_c3KwhnO-ty5cCDlD6juMkc3lL0QVRaqkbeAHDWEc1UCuiUTfksBltSu17Wl24O-905K17HVetVRI/s1600/Birthday+Margarita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5FB_xZKC2T0EhYEPV9lSTL6Z2dzEHHbbP4BZDDRRaE3phLLp0ehdu6LpBFiJha9_c3KwhnO-ty5cCDlD6juMkc3lL0QVRaqkbeAHDWEc1UCuiUTfksBltSu17Wl24O-905K17HVetVRI/s1600/Birthday+Margarita.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday To Me!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As this day has been chock full of activity and lots of love from my IRL (in real life) friends and my FB (Facebook) friends who I've made over the past few years and truly cherish, from all across this country and Canada, I didn't allot myself enough time to write a proper birthday blog post. So, as there is NOTHING SCHEDULED on mine and my son's calendars this weekend, I plan on carving out some time to play catch up on here, as it's been over a week since I last posted. I truly want to keep up with this blog, but some nights I just need to unwind and relax once my son goes to bed, as 9 times out of 10 I'm having to be up bright and early to my alarm clock the very next morning, even on weekends. But not tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WooHoo!!! Happy Dance time!!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the topics I want to write about is this whole age thing. A friend of mine who I've known since middle school turned 43 last week and our other best friend from back then turns 43 next month. Both of them were lamenting on FB about how old they feel. To me, age is just a number. You only feel as old as you allow yourself to, even when battling daily with a debilitating and incurable disease like I do (Multiple Sclerosis). That blog post may even be a Part 1 of 2 type thing, as it just may lead into one of my favorite sayings of "Sh!t or get off the pot!!!" I will have to see how that all pans out.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpBPZrnqra24o5MK-2f8UEXgK2ALTh8Um0gcyd0fyz55lreWBERf3D45mUkewo-tFqdEuE-ZJF7xn_1ueNCw7u1hyphenhyphenNVvsy6zp3hDDb3oNvg-90kkOD_KeTz9yL7in09_YAApA5iPp1eK4/s1600/Betty+Boop+Sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpBPZrnqra24o5MK-2f8UEXgK2ALTh8Um0gcyd0fyz55lreWBERf3D45mUkewo-tFqdEuE-ZJF7xn_1ueNCw7u1hyphenhyphenNVvsy6zp3hDDb3oNvg-90kkOD_KeTz9yL7in09_YAApA5iPp1eK4/s1600/Betty+Boop+Sexy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm still feeling 40+ and FABULOUS!!!!!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So on that note, a bid thee adieu.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-54401169542081418302013-03-05T00:54:00.003-05:002013-03-05T00:54:34.182-05:00Leap of Faith #1Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by and reading my little blog. Whether you're a "regular" or a "newbie," I appreciate each and every one of you for dropping by and reading my ramblings, usually done very late at night, too. Perfect example, it's now approx. 12:15 a.m. and this probably won't be completed and posted until at least 12:45 a.m. I've always been a night owl - LOL!!!<br />
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Today I took a huge leap of faith for me. I've always enjoyed baking/making treats as a hobby, really ever since I was a kid and my mom taught Wilton cake decorating. I'd sit at the table watching her and be amazed at what she was able to create. Now, 35+ years later, I can even create some of those basic cakes/cupcakes that she was able to accomplish with such ease. For years and years I didn't really do much cake/cupcake baking/decorating, since I had no reason to. Yes, I'd make tons of cookies at various holidays/birthdays for family and friends, but that was about it. But, since the birth of my son, I've had a good excuse to start brushing off my very basic skills; and it's been a ton of fun!! Plus, along the way, I've made some great online friends in the "cakey bakey" world, as I call it. They have definitely inspired me to dust off my tips and couplers and get decorating. So, today, I decided to "put up or shut up" and create my own hobby page on Facebook, called Kristyn's Cakey Bakey Creations, which even includes a new genre of baking/treats I'm getting into, Paleo, as I've given up the gluten since January 2012. Which means, if you're reading this and frequent Facebook, drop on by and give it/me a "Like." I can take whatever support I can get, especially since I've never really put myself out there like this before. It's definitely taken a lot of encouragement from my friends for me to do such a thing. Yes, I post on my personal Facebook page photos of the occasional item I'd make, but it's never been consolidated like this before and able to be found in one spot for all the world to see. At least this will give me good incentive to keep up my practicing and a way for me to see my progress. Like I said, it is just a hobby page, not a business page. I just bake for my friends, family, and as treats/gifts for my son's teachers and classmates. Which reminds me, I still need to figure out what I'll be making for Easter as his Spring Break is coming up in a couple of weeks. Better get cracking!!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa1wFJrNoLDViYsG-JMz_u5pVrrC2dkk2QNiR4cDFnBwXGQWMC3C2N07XO_bD2RvpSNB2N-EBDffz9vIw3fMReMmdzX2hjXFxzjb2w7_qUQu3Pow-bRcEzdPvKobvFlYgtbgY7qYcCLSN/s1600/IMG_5789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa1wFJrNoLDViYsG-JMz_u5pVrrC2dkk2QNiR4cDFnBwXGQWMC3C2N07XO_bD2RvpSNB2N-EBDffz9vIw3fMReMmdzX2hjXFxzjb2w7_qUQu3Pow-bRcEzdPvKobvFlYgtbgY7qYcCLSN/s320/IMG_5789.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate cupcakes with a dense chocolate buttercream icing topped with chocolate shavings and vanilla-flavored chocolate "Love" hearts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2tZAv2lj-E76oo47Z1w5RiXiY96njoSP3xxZsOg-oMwDSdAiyuthh2-phJbxuMqjAzrdhG92u54bfI6Aodv1oY9Mno97rq2binRd12_vhgFTgg8CjtCGMCQAoRvM-YNy2_MdR8x-5gg2/s1600/IMG_5690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2tZAv2lj-E76oo47Z1w5RiXiY96njoSP3xxZsOg-oMwDSdAiyuthh2-phJbxuMqjAzrdhG92u54bfI6Aodv1oY9Mno97rq2binRd12_vhgFTgg8CjtCGMCQAoRvM-YNy2_MdR8x-5gg2/s320/IMG_5690.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BACON and dark chocolate chip cookies - these are Paleo friendly!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you noticed the title to this post, it says "Leap of Faith #1" You've now read about that one. As for #2, that will be happening this coming Wednesday, weather permitting. Wintry mix stay away!! I'm having a first date with one of the men I've met through my personals ad on Match.com. It'll just be a quick lunch while my son is at school. I swore I wasn't going to do the whole online route for meeting someone, but as the 'ol saying goes...Never say Never! So, please wish us both luck on this one. The way our online, text, and especially our telephone conversations have been going, we'll both need it - LOL!!!!<br />
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Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,<br />
<br />
Kristyn<br />
Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-18160019052855829542013-02-27T23:33:00.002-05:002013-02-27T23:33:42.095-05:00Huge Curveball<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I know it's been over a week since my last post, and I missed out on Motivational Monday in there as well. I was all set during the day Monday to blog, which I usually do before going to bed. However, during dinner time I got hit with an INSANELY frustrating, annoying, upsetting, unexpected-yet-not-overly-surprising-in-a-way curveball from my ex. Here I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, coming up in about six months; when WHAMMO...back to the drawing board. So since then I've been trying to process the information that was thrown my way and trying to figure it out. Being a control freak in regards to my own life, not having a "Plan B," so to speak, has me truly in a tizzy. All I know is I'm going to need to calm down A LOT more before the next time the ex comes to get our son. I'm already dealing with an MS-related relapse that snuck up on me over the weekend, so now the stress and aggravation of these past 48 hours is definitely NOT helping the matter any. I need to figure out a way to <em>calmly</em> (lol) deal with the ex. Yeah, we just might need a miracle for this one, if not a whole heckuvalot of prayers for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So, without going into any details, I'm just going to have to leave it at this for now for this post. As I start digging out from this roadblock/setback, I can explain in more detail at a later date if it seems fitting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But, I wanted to at least post and let y'all know I am alive, albeit a bit more beaten up emotionally, spiritually, and even MS-health wise than last time I was here. But, as grandma would say to me, "this too shall pass." Grandma turned 93 in January, so I'd say she knows what she's talking about!!! :-D </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oh, and next time the ex tries to pull another bu!!sh!t move like this, I'll so be better prepared to hit it out of the park!!!! HOMERUN KRISTYN!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-67203626970074254772013-02-19T00:28:00.001-05:002013-02-19T00:28:59.794-05:00Motivational Mondays!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, technically, by the time this post is up and online, it may be just a wee bit after midnight, making it Tuesday...But, hey, I'm on the East Coast so there are people who could definitely be reading this on Monday. :-D So that's my story and I'm sticking to it - LOL!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I found this quote right as I was getting ready to sign off Facebook tonight...</span><br />
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"Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest." - Peace Pilgrim<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've slowly come to understand this quote this past year while I was "Rediscovering Kristyn" (get it..the title of my blog - LOL!!). I was buying tons of "stuff" to make me happy while being in a very cold, unhappy, unfulfilling, and unloving marriage for at least the last 5 or so years of it. There was probably so much more I could have done to fulfill those emotional needs during all those empty years: taken cake decorating classes, photography classes, blogged more, done more fun things with my son, the list is endless. But those, unfortunately, didn't happen. Instead, I just chased after what I thought was happiness...material possessions. I can admit it now, though...oh, how wrong I was on that front. It makes me CRINGE to think of all the money I pissed away. I can't even allow myself to go there in my mind. It literally makes me want to cry. :*(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But, with mine and my son's impending move in the coming six months, I cannot BEGIN to express how EXCITED I am to be getting a dumpster this Spring and starting the "Big Purge Project." I'm just itching to start tossing and having a garage sale weekend once the warmer weather sets in. It's not even about how much money I can/will make. It's about letting go of the past and what all those "things" represent. I am so looking forward to it and starting mine and EJ's life anew with less physical clutter and a clearer heart, mind, and soul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And for those of you who are my friends "IRL" and are local to me, I'll have lots of items you may be interested in. As the saying goes, "one man's junk is another man's treasure." Just ask my ex's current girlfriend about that one!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ocean...Maine, in particular....My ultimate relaxation place!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-11604168807755267562013-02-14T22:41:00.002-05:002013-02-14T22:44:16.009-05:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!! To say it's been a hectic time around here this past week would be an understatement, and it's not even over yet. But between my son's preschool schedule, errands, family stuff, doctor's appointment, etc., I was able to get in making some treat bags for my son's Junior Wings preschool class today. We also wrote out Valentine's Day cards together earlier yesterday, but for some reason his didn't get passed out in class today. I was definitely a bit disappointed in that :-( However, the treat bags certainly were, and I'm sure that's what the kids really enjoyed the most anyway - LOL!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">For those that know me, y'all know I LOVE to bake, decorate, and make many chocolate-coated treats and barks for family, friends, and friends-/co-workers-of-friends. This holiday was no exception!!! Granted, I do eat Paleo (usually on an 80/20 basis), and serve my son Paleo when he's with me, but I also allow for a few "exceptions" and certainly don't "force feed" my eating habits/choices on others. Hence, since so many others like sweet treats on special occasions, I do oblige. With that, I made white chocolate Rice Krispie bark, topped with pink and red sanding sugars, red hearts (think like Sweet Tarts flavored), and those tiny conversation hearts that we all grew up on. Me, personally, I'm not a big fan of them and never was, but they seem almost "traditional" to me, if you know what I mean, so I included them on the bark. For the most part I was happy with how the bark came out, but a good amount of the candies fell off when I started breaking up the bark into pieces. No problem....I just tossed the candies that fell off right into the treat bags with the broken up bark!! I certainly hope the kids enjoyed it. :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope each and every one of you reading this post had an enjoyable Valentine's Day with the one(s) you love. I had the best Valentine ever this year...my wonderful son, EJ. You make every day worth living. :-) Mommy loves you!!! xoxoxo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Wishing you peace, love, and happiness...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-17400199149198990172013-02-12T22:48:00.000-05:002013-02-12T22:48:37.511-05:00Coincidence or Fate<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's funny how life works some days. Back in January 2012 I started this blog as a way of documenting what I've started to learn about myself since my marriage ended. My husband at the time moved out in November 2011, and with the new year I wanted to document all the old and new things I'd be rediscovering and learning about myself along the way. If you look back, I did pretty good up until February of that year, but then life got in the way. I'd started to learn exactly how hard it was/is to be s 40-something year old single mom (who just so happens to have Multiple Sclerosis for over a decade now) to a young son. For the record, I will be 43 this coming March, my son will be 4 1/2, and July will mark 12 years since my MS diagnosis.. Yes, I admit my age, and am damn proud of it, too!!!! Doesn't hurt that I've been told many times that I look much younger than my age!!! :-D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this brings me to the title for this post. Just so turns out that my last blog post was on February 12, 2012, and today is now February 12, 2013. This WAS NOT planned AT ALL. My laptop screen crapped out on me in Novembe 2012, and it was only now that I was able to buy myself a brand spanking-new laptop. I ordered it at one Best Buy in Jersey yesterday while out with my son and parents, but they didn't have it in stock. However, the Best Buy closer to me had it, so I was able to pick it up today...February 12th. I'd been itching like crazy to start blogging again, so I knew I just HAD TO do a reintroduction post tonight. That's when I realized it'd been exactly one year since that last post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With that, I ask you, was this just a mere coincidence or was it fate? I'll let you decide for yourself, but I know in my heart what I believe it is....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've learned a great deal about myself this past year, and I'm sure you'll be reading about these discoveries in the coming posts in the days, weeks, and months ahead. One thing I can confidently and whole-heartedly share with you is that I'm FINALLY at a complete, inner peace with myself and my life. I can't explain it, but it is an indescribably serene feeling within. By not means is my life perfect; and, yes, there were and are those crazy, stressed-out days/situations, but at the heart of me, I'm still at peace. When something happens and I get in the WTF kind of mind set; I just step back, look at the situation, and ask myself "Will this really matter 5 years from now?" I'd say 95% of the time, the answer was and is "No." When it was "Yes," it had to deal with parenting problems with my son's father, and the repercussions of bad decisions that could potentially affect my son emotionally and last for years in the long run. Then the "Momma Bear" comes out in me and she shows her claws. No doubt about that one!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all this, I'd like to say a sincere thank you for reading this post. As I have no photos downloaded yet onto this system, I don't have much I can add to this post to make it look pretty or to show newer, more up-to-date photos of me and EJ. Although if you're "Friends" with me on FaceBook, you definitely see our mugs all the time :-). But, I'll definitely be spending time this weekend getting my system in a more working order. Doesn't help that I'm also trying to figure out this new Windows 8 system. Techie I am not, so this may take a while - LOL!!! So if any of you have suggestions/advice/tips on the new system, please feel free to share!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And on that note, I wish you...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peace, Love, and Happiness :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristyn</span>Kristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583586469235226896.post-84200833197717889932012-02-12T23:59:00.001-05:002012-02-13T00:07:06.579-05:00"Saying AMEN" Sunday - FYes, I know I have been remiss about posting the past week or so, and for that I truly apologize. It's just been an "off schedule" couple of weeks due to some projects getting done at the house as my ex was on vacation for the past two weeks and he was in and out working on stuff around here for a bit of that time, so the whole schedule just got off kilter and out of whack for me. Not to mention it pissing me off a great deal, but that's a whole other post. But, I'm back!!!! So, without further ado, let me make up for missing last week's "Saying AMEN" segment :-)<br />
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<strong>F</strong> <b> </b>- I’m saying AMEN for <strong><em><u>FACEBOOK</u>!!!</em></strong> - "F" gave me many options, but the main ones were friends and family. However, how could I possibly pick between the two? IMPOSSIBLE!!! I consider some of my nearest and dearest friends as my family. I can honestly say they know me, who I really am, and what I'm all about more so than any of my family members do. However, my family is my family through it all, and I love them, too. I couldn't live without either group of them.<br />
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But then I realized that Facebook is what keeps me in touch with ALL of them!!! It is what helps me stay sane and makes me laugh during the day. It is where I get the emotional support I need, ideas, suggestions, advice, whatever it is. My friends and family are always on there to help along this journey I call my life. Amazing how Facebook has really brought everyone together. Wild how people can reconnect all these years later; from growing up next door to each other, to grade school, to high school, and so forth. Blows my mind some times to think about it. And best of all, Facebook is free!!! Can't beat that :-) LOL!!!<br />
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Yes, Facebook can suck the time out of any given day and can be soooooo addictive, but dang, I'm not about to give it up!!! Not only do I keep in touch with my friends and family, but I can also get the local weather, news and entertainment, and a whole hell of a lot of laughs from it :-) What more could I want? Well, maybe other than hitting it off with a great, single/available guy or winning the lottery?!?!!!<br />
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So, on that note, I say AMEN to Facebook!!! Don't know how I survived and kept in touch with everyone before you came along :-)<br />
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Yes, I realize there are no photos tonight. Well, except for the cartoon posted below :-) I know a few of you will definitely get a kick out of this one!!! I just really wanted to catch up here so y'all didn't think I forgot about you. Then again, not a single person responded to my one post asking who follows/reads my blog who isn't an actual "Follower" so who knows who in the heck is reading my late night ramblings - LOL!!! I certainly wasn't feeling the love with that post :-(<br />
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As for my "Saying AMEN" Sunday - G segment for this week, that I will do either tomorrow or Tuesday. I need to get a photo of my topic. Something that has someone specific and some emotions attached to it :-)<br />
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Wishing you peace, love, and happiness,<br />
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KristynKristyn W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03606159288042432559noreply@blogger.com0