BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl


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Dusting Off the Welcome Mat

Last night before I went to bed I clicked on my blog stats. My fingers were crossed, but I told myself it was a very good day regardless. I held my breath, and checked the number of visits. Would my old record be broken? And who was I, obsessing about these numbers? What does this say about my personality? I’ve blogged about addictive personality before, but I’m still not certain how I feel about it, or whether my little mini-obsessions count.  Anyway, there is was. The number of visits for the day. I was 5 clicks shy of my one day record. Dammit. And still 49 followers. Ok, calm down. It was a great day in the blog world. I had visitors from Hungary, Israel, Australia, Guernsey (which I knew is a cow, but didn’t know was a country), Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, France, and the United States. C’mon, how cool is that? In my quest to color in my world map, I’m definitely making some progress.  C’mon Greenland and South America, click on over.6a00d8350186ed53ef016769314b68970b-800wi

I sometimes worry that this blog might be feeling a little schizophrenic. Yes, its main focus is about living life as a fat woman and how I’m seeking to improve the quality of that life.  But in order to do that, and in order to freely write about what’s important to me, I will often go off that topic. After all, I’m more than just a fat person. I’m a parent and an educator and a quilter, to name a few of my roles. These are topics I also write about, with a strong dash of opinions on many things random.  I will post my quilting endeavors, and I will write to daily prompts. Many of you have found me through those venues. I’m glad you have.  I hope you can tolerate the many types of posts that I share.

Back to the main topic though, this morning I decided I was being rather silly about the whole thing. Yes, it’s an absolute thrill to know that people the world over are taking a moment to click through my site, and maybe they’re staying long enough to read my thoughts. What’s more exciting to me, though, is knowing that there are kindred spirits out there. You are the ones who leave a message of encouragement, or stop by the Facebook page, or leave a pingback (which I’m still trying to figure out).  You are the ones nodding your head while you read, or laughing at something ridiculous I’ve written, or yelling at the screen because you are absolutely certain that I am dead wrong about something. Good. I’m glad you do. I’m glad you’re here and spending a few minutes of your precious time with me. Many of you are brand new readers, and several of you have become old friends, if you can have old friends after just two short months.  For all of you, I’m dusting off my welcome mat, and reminding you that no matter who you are or where  you’re from, you are welcome to stop by whenever you would like. And just for the record, feel free to bring a friend.


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New and Improved!

Check out the projects page. I hope to update it regularly with my creative endeavors. Sadly I can’t figure out how those new posts show as new without giving you a short commercial here on the homepage. I feel like such a neophyte!Image


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Daily Prompt: Groundhog Day

Today’s daily prompt explores an intriguing idea. What if, like in the movie Groundhog Day, you had the chance to relive a day over and over until you got it “right?” What day would you choose? This prompt made me take a quick mental inventory of the standout days of my life. Would I choose to replay any of them? I don’t think I would. I don’t feel like I have any days that I monumentally messed up. Sure, I’ve made some bad decisions along the way, but none that stand out so glaringly that I would jump at the chance to relive their circumstances in an attempt to change the outcome. For that I’m grateful.

If I were in a Groundhog Day type situation, I think I would choose a typical weekday. Since these are the most common days of my life, I think it would be a great benefit to figure out, once and for all, how to make them as pleasant and productive as possible.  What I would hope to accomplish, after several attempts I’m sure, would be a model day that I would strive to emulate. Here’s how it goes in my mind.

First, the alarm goes off after a restful night’s sleep. I happily get out of bed and begin my morning routine. Ideally, it includes some type of exercise that I find stimulating and enjoyable (this is an ideal, remember?). Then I shower, dress, and join my happy family at the breakfast table for a nutritious and delicious meal that someone (anyone?) has prepared. We have plenty of time to eat and enjoy each other’s company before leaving for school and work with equally nutritious and delicious lunches in hand.

AAAADAInGbUAAAAAAVM-SANaturally I leave the house with plenty of time to spare, and the freeways are clear making the drive quick and safe. We listen to some of our favorite music and sing along as we happily banter during the trip. Soon after, I deliver my sweet son to school, and impart some loving words of wisdom, which he takes to heart, as he starts his day.

I make my way to my work, and arrive early enough to calmly go about my business before the students arrive. Of course the classroom is neat and orderly, all of the materials for the day are ready and organized, and the calendar and boards are updated with the day’s pertinent information.  The computer is up and running and the day’s lessons are polished and ready to go. I greet the students warmly as they enter, and I teach my heart out all day. Every question I ask is thought provoking, every assignment is met with enthusiasm and carefully completed, and every possible need of the students has been anticipated and met. The happy children give hugs and high fives as they leave for the day, excited to return the following day for more of the same.

After dismissal, I meet with colleagues briefly as we review our successes and any potential challenges, and we create some dynamic plans for upcoming instruction. Then I quickly grade some student work, enter it into the gradebook (yes, on the same day), and leave the room ready for the following day.

Now the rest of the afternoon is mine. I pick up my son and he regales me of his triumphs both in and out of the classroom that day. Again our drive is easy, with a soundtrack that we both enjoy. At home our darling puppy greets us, and she hasn’t chewed a single thing aside from her collection of chew toys. My son get right to work on chores and homework, and I read and review the mail and take a few minutes for myself. I may even read a book, or write, or sew.

My sweetheart comes home, and the three of us enjoy a perfect evening with a nutritious dinner and time to enjoy each other’s company. Somehow the cooking and cleaning up get done without anyone really noticing how, and we decide to do something fun together, since all homework has been carefully completed and there are no chores hanging over anyone’s head. Maybe we go to the dog park or the movies. Maybe it’s miniature golf or a video game tournament. Whatever it is, we all enjoy it together.

Finally, after a long day, it’s time to unwind and go to bed. We let each other know how much we appreciate and love one another, and we settle in for a restful night’s sleep.

Yes, I think I could handle that day. In fact, I’ve been working on practicing it already. Maybe someday I’ll nail it, but for now I’ll cherish the parts of it that I do get right. Then the next day, I’ll try again.  After all, I’m the eternal optimist. It could happen.

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