Posts Tagged simple things

No Blog Storm Here

Dec 6

Posted by Chere Michelle in Blogging, Inner Happiness | No Comments

So My Guy says, “Jeez I thought you’d be blogging up a storm by now…” Meaning, I got my laptop fixed, and he knows it’s super-comfy for me to type on. I think he expected the posts to be flying out of my head. That’s the problem sometimes with blogging; with HAVINGa blog. You are expected to put out stuff regularly and even if you’re having an off day, someone, somewhere is waiting on your words. He’s right though. I should have posted a bit more regularly than I have as of late. I *should* be doing alot of things more regularly to be honest (exercise, Christmas prep, etc). As I’m trying to write this now, I’m staring blindly at the TV. PBS is on, advertising Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn compilations…I’m not interested but I am strangely attracted to the screen and what’s going on…Seems to always be a distraction around if you want it, doesn’t there? Right now, my contacts are all squishy in my left eye…it’s really bothering me, but I continue to squint at the TV, blinking furiously and cursing the damn lenses…and still stressing about ‘what to blog about.’

But really what else is there to do tonight, really? It’s after 9 pm, lunches are made for tomorrow, the dinner dishes are done, freshly baked cookies cooling (yes really, I am a Domestic Goddess at times…I did bake tonight…)…But it’s not all perfect. There is laundry piling up in the hamper, the bathroom could probably use a clean…the Boys litter box a scoop or two…but vegging the couch next to My Guy seems to the “right” spot for me now. The Sweet Spot to be.

Life is good. Indulge in a distraction or two.

Tags: blog, cheremichelle, christmas, healthy living, lose weight, simple things, thankful

Back to Reality…almost.

Aug 12

Posted by Chere Michelle in Blogging, Healthy Living, Inner Happiness | No Comments

When I say almost I mean, I’m not due back until Monday August 16th at the clinic. Phew. I need time to rest after my vacation ‘home’ to the Island. As you can see from my previous post it was alot of hard work shuttling between swimming holes and cold beers, sun-tanning and late nights. We got back last night, had some settling in to do and needed to lavish a weeks worth of attention to My Boys who actually didn’t seem to notice someone else had been looking after them and I was now HOME. Sigh.

One thing I did when I was back home, that I’ve missed in my life here…is get outside and appreciate what nature has to offer. I think I forgot to stop and appreciate where I do live, and it took a trip for me to stop and take in all the smells and sights of just being outside. I may be biased, but the air sure feels a helluva lot cleaner back home, the water just that much clearer and pure…the mountains that surrounded my parents house literally took my breath away.

We vowed to get off our butts once we got back and get out and GET MOVING more…to feel as alive as we felt there….here. I may live in the city, and probably always will, but my heart will always be in the small town I grew up in, and I value that way of life. My goals this fall are simple: get more active, continue to eat well and conquer what ails me- NATURALLY. I have an amazing support system in My Guy and I have treasured friends who constantly motivate me to embrace each day. I’m lucky. I’m truly lucky to have my entire life before me and to be in control of how I approach it. I’m happy I’m not alone in facing it and thankful for the little things.

I wanted to end this post by acknowledging a few things I’m thankful for:

- I’m thankful I had a good friend who watched over My Boys while I got to go home. Knowing that they were taken care of and happy, made all the difference.

- I’m thankful I had this time to visit with my parents. I miss them very much.

- I’m thankful My Guy got to experience my home-town memories and see the place (and people) that made me who I am…

- I’m thankful I have a car that could take me home without any worries!

A few snapshots of my vacation, to sum it up for you…

Here's the slug we named The Great Canadian Leopard Slug...

The best shoes to wear in a river...can walk with ease!

Our version of that Corona Commercial, but with Stella.

The Deep Hole. One of the swimming holes of my youth.

Tags: blog, blogging, chere michelle, goal setting, gold river, healthy living, lose weight, simple things, thankful, vancouver

Enjoy the Simple things…

May 25

Posted by Chere Michelle in Healthy Living, Inner Happiness | No Comments

Over at the Optimal Optimist blog I was reminded about the “simple things” in life and how many little things there are…and how easy it is to overlook them during a regular day. In her post, the author sums it up by writing “I have found that the things we often overlook and take for granted are some of the most beautiful things life has to offer.” How true this is! Some of the simple things she listed totally touched something in me, and I went YES! I LOVE THAT TOO! For example, the sun on your skin, laundry straight out of the dryer and turning to a new month on the calendar.

Every moment of every day we experience is full of these little pleasures we take for granted. If our days weren’t filled with these, we might as well be walking around in a black hole with no sense of smell, touch, sight or sound. It would be a nightmare. The simple act of living and breathing, dreaming, having food in our cupboards…these are simple things, obvious things but I take pleasure in the fact I’m lucky enough to live where I can have these…

I was trying to think of some of my simple pleasures and I came up with these (so far)

- the smell of pavement in the summer after a rain storm
- a hug after a long day
- a compliment from a stranger
- receiving a handwritten card FOR NO REASON from a loved one
- the first sip of a great red wine
- playing with a child
- when my niece tells me she loves me
- sliding into bed with fresh, crisp and cool sheets
- dusk

I’m trying to take a the time to absorb these simple moments as they happen.

I read another post about this at a blog with a title I love! Monkey with Glasses. Here the author listed some of her fave things and it made me realize how totally unique we all were but at the same time, I identified with parts of her list. I nodded my head at #7: “Pens that glide and doodle perfectly”. How many times have I thrown a pen down in frustration because it writes all gooky and chops across the page….of course, I LOVE finding good pen. I forgot about that.

When was the last time you stopped and took in the fantastic moment of a simple pleasure? What are your simple pleasures? Can you imagine living without those? Think about it. I have no doubt we make our lives far too complicated and convoluted when all we really need to do is stop, listen to our guts and live in the NOW….relish the moments because life is made up of all these little things we do and see…..every day.

Love it. Experience it.

Tags: blogging, lose weight, optimism, optimist, simple things, weight loss