times gone past

Dreaming of times gone past, when time moved slow, and memories did last.

To sit and watch the sun set down, not driving home with a frown,

With windows open.. smells of pine, no air conditioner unit whine,

No sounds of DS games I hear, just whistling birds delight my ears.

The sights and sounds of small farm life, to hear it now, might ease my strife.

But how to fund this dream of mine? Come on Lord, send me a sign!

-------- Anna Schaar (dated 8/20/2009)

Gym membership...

I have a lifetime gym membership to a local gym... I decided to start going there on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning and my first visit was yesterday, a Wednesday. I can say... I was disappointed.

I had hoped to sign up for some individualized training sessions, seeing as I've been a member since 1989, but the service is not free. In fact, it is quite costly, at 49 dollars per session!! So, I decided to warm up on the treadmilll, then maybe do some light weight lifting and call it a day. Even though there were about 25 treadmills, none were vacant so I sat down on a bike to warm up while I waited for a vacancy. The seat was ripped and jagged, and set too low. I reached down to adjust it and found the knob was missing. So, I rode it the way it was. The lady beside me was chatty, though I tried not to respond without seeming rude. I joined a gym to exercise, not socialize, after all.

Finally, after about 10 minutes, a treadmill opens up, so I jump on. I walk for about 20 minutes... while I am walking I realize how very crowded it is on every machine. And it smells of old carpet and sweat. There are women standing around waiting for a turn on many of the weight machines. The isleways are crowded and even though music is playing, it is barely audible over the noise of machines, voices and the large tanning booths located right behind the treadmills. With not enough staff to service all the women here, it would be awhile before I would get any individual attention.

I decide that all this bother isn't really worth it and it will make it an undesirable trip to make three times a week, early in the morning. So I return to the dressing room, change, pack up, and leave. We have workout machines at home, with free weights and a treadmill. I also have some resistance bands that I purchased to get me started on weight training, so I won't hurt my joint ligaments.

So, I will just design my own workout, keep track of how many reps, etc, and how long I work out, and just do this at home. I can turn on my choice of music, there are no chatty neighbors to interupt my workout, and no stale carpet or sweat odors to put up with.

I begin my journey to physical fitness tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Back to college for Spring term...

Well, I begin classes today for the 2nd semester back at college! I'm looking forward to it. I've been so bored over the holiday break!

I will also be starting something else new this week.... I will begin some workouts with a personal trainer at the gym where I have a lifetime membership. I will be going Monday, Wednesday and Friday, hopefully. Some of my classes have lab hours that I have not scheduled yet, but I hope to find time for the gym at least on those three days.

I will post up-to-date information about my physical transformation on this blog. Since I began an 'inner' transformation about a year ago, maybe I will post some thoughts on that as well. We'll see...

I got a call today....

I got a call this morning that made my day!! My daughter got accepted into Central Michigan University!! Awesome!! I am so proud of her.

But also a little sad.... I miss the little girl that she was. But I guess,now, we get to create a whole new relationship as two 'adults'. That will be something to look forward to.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Well, today is a great day! My new friend Crystal, made it thorough a pretty tough surgery. She will be in the hospital for a few days, but she made it! Thank you God. I hope I get to visit her and bring her flowers.

You know, you never really know how long you have on this earth, and you should always plan to spend each day wisely. Whenever I am having a rough day, and feeling down, I try remind myself how blessed I am, and I try get myself out of the bad mood by smiling and being nice to those around me.

I am truelly blessed. I have three healthy daughters, a secure job, a decent car, and I have some good friends. I have a healthy family, my sisters are doing alright, my mom is still healthy and still young at heart. My dad, even with his bad times with his health, is still alive and kicking. I love my house, I love my dogs, I pretty much love my life. Even though, financially, things are very difficult right now... I really do have it pretty good. There are so many single moms out there, that struggle from day to day, and never do get to realize some of their dreams. My dream was to buy a house. And two years ago... I did! and though I am fighting to keep afloat in the bills piling up, I am proud that I was able to realize the dream of home ownership.

so, to all those out there that are struggling to make ends meet, complaing about all the bad things in your life.... wake up!! You are ALIVE!! You are HEALTHY !!

And just like that great song.... "Don't Worry...Be Happy!"

(the picture above is my youngest, at about 3 years old... cute, huh?)

Ahh warmer weather is just around the corner!! I can't wait! I love to open up the windows, and let the fresh air into the house, sit on the porch in the sunlight, pull the weeds, plant new flowers...

So... I haven't posted in a little while, been busy with work and kids. I met some new friends a week or so ago. Had to drive an hour to get there, but I had fun, drank a couple beers, met some interesting people (---under-statement---) , and then drove back home and slept in the next day until 9a.m. Then the two puppies that I currently have made soo much noise that I had to get up and take care of them and their messy crates. Not crate-trained yet. One of the puppies is a little black and tan female short haired terrier of some sort (supposedly a rat terrier, but looks like dad might have been a dachshound -- short legs!). Very loving, playful, and cute. Will be the size of a small beagle, or about the size of a Jack Russel Terrier. My daughter found her in the newspaper... and just HAD to have her...but three dogs is really too much. The deal was that she would take care of her... but teenagers have a short attention span, and she is NOT taking care of her... I AM!!! And that means I have three kids, three dogs, two cats, a turtle and a lizard to take care of! WAY too much! So, the little puppy must go. If anyone is interested, please let me know, and I will email you some pictures of her. I haven't taken any yet, but I charged up the digital camera last night, so I will take some today and maybe post one here tomorrow (or later tonight).

So... has anyone visited my picture page? There is a link in the little quote at the top of my 360 page... Has a pic of my house, and then you follow the links at the bottom of each page...
Anyway, Enjoy the Sunshine! Be Thankful for each and every day! Tell your loved ones how you feel!!

And Smile... it is so much easier then frowing...

There's got to be a little rain sometime...

Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime

When you take you gotta give so live and let live and let go

I could promise you things like big diamond rings

But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover

So you better think it over

Well, if sweet talking you could make it come true

I would give you the world right now on a silver platter

But what would it matter

So smile for a while and let's be jolly life shouldn't be so melancholy

Come along and share the good times while we can

I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon

But if that's what it takes to hold you I'd just as soon let you go

But there's one thing I want you to know

You'd better look before you leap still waters run deep

And there won't always be someone there to pull you out

And you know what I'm talking about

So smile for a while and let's be jolly life shouldn't be so melancholy

Come along and share the good times while we can

I beg your pardon I never promised you a rose garden

Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometime.

Weekend Hermit

Well, I have just spent the entire weekend right here in my house. I went out to the store once, but other then that, I have been a hermit.

I did get some homework done in my online classes, all the laundry is washed, dried and put away, the rooms are all vacuumed and the kitchen floor was clean... then the dog came in with muddy feet and that was that. I did some weight lifting (very light) on the Weider machine in my basement, and I played fetch with the dog outside once. I also rearranged the living room furniture so that the exercise bike can go back in there (it was n Jenna's room to make room for the Christmas Tree).

So, that is my exciting weekend. WOW! But, you know what? I still enjoyed it. I only had Jenna, my 7-year old, at home most of the weekend, and even though she kind of followed me from room to room, it was okay. I put curlers in her hair last night, and this morning she looked like Shirley Temple. She helped me with the household chores (a little) and kept her room clean. She gets so bored when Amanda goes to her Dad's, and she can't stand to play by herself. So, we did some couch-sitting on Friday and Saturday night and she left me alone during the day so I could get homework done. Maybe next weekend, I will plan for a night out! Call up a few friends and just go let loose for a few hours! Sounds like a plan!