Friday, September 29, 2017

Ten Songs (Free Write) - Friday Reflections


I am recycling this #FridayReflections prompt from back in the spring because I enjoyed it so much the first time around.

PROMPT: Put your music on shuffle. List the first 10 songs that play and write how you feel about them.


I’ll Be There for You - Bon Jovi
There are certain songs that, even during the first few notes, have the power to transport me in the past to a specific time and place of my youth.  This song is one of them.  This song instantly transports me back to a Friday night in May, nearly three decades ago, when I was a young, naive freshman dancing closely with my senior boyfriend at the prom in our high school gymnasium.

I Know Places - Lykke Li
This song makes me feel very calm and serene.  It’s an obscure song, so you probably won’t be familiar with it.  "Come home, come unfold… " Whenever I hear this song, I instantly relax; my shoulders lower and my muscles release.

Take Me Home Country Roads - Steve Elkins version
This isn’t the more commonly recognized version made popular by John Denver, but rather an instrumental version.  Regardless of which version I hear, this song always makes me little homesick and makes me long to go home.

Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go) - Wham!
This song makes me feel a myriad of emotions - nostalgic, happy, and a little sad.  I have some very vivid memories of this song from my childhood.  The song is one of those infectious tunes that makes you want to bop your head or, at the very least, tap a foot.  It’s a happy song overall.  The twinge of sadness I feel is due to the fact that George Michael is no longer with us and the world will never hear any new music from him.

Already Gone - The Eagles
It's hard for me to listen to this song without SIGNING (not to be confused with singing) along, either for real with my hands or at the very least thinking of the signs in my head.  In one of my college sign language classes, the final consisted of signing something for 8-10 minutes.  I chose to sign two songs: "We've got tonight" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and "Already Gone" by The Eagles.  I'm amazed that I still remember 80% of the lyrics (in sign) twenty years later. 

Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk - Dr. Hook
I keep certain songs on my phone not because I like them, but because they elicit certain memories. This is one of those songs. This song reminds me of my dad, back when I was kid, before he married his second wife, when our relationship was simple.  I remember naively asking my father how anybody could "make their blue jeans talk" and his reply was something like, "You won't understand until you're older."  LOL!  He was so right!

Ex's & Oh's - Elle King
I've always liked this song, from the first time I heard it in my husband's car. (He listens to modern music; I prefer the 80s and classic rock.)  I like the beat, I like the catchy melody.  Unfortunately, it's one of those songs, that if you're not careful, will get stuck in your head and you'll find yourself singing for days.

I Would Die 4 U - Prince
I have no authentic memories of this song, nor does it really conjure up any particular feelings other than my opinion of it  being a great song to walk to due to it's fast beat and all.  Whenever I hear it, though, I instantly see the last scene of the movie Purple Rain, the scene where Prince sings this song.  

Southern Cross - Jimmy Buffett version
This is another song that I don't have any authentic memories of.  I know the Crosby, Stills, & Nash version was played with regularity on the local radio station back home as I was growing up, but I don't have any specific memories associated with it.  I like the song and it has come to remind me of my trip to Australia and New Zealand ten years, when I saw the Southern Cross for the first time.

In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
I have always, and I mean always, thought this was such a pretty song.  I love how it symbolizes such a deep love, a love that anchors a person, stabilizes them, and gives them hope and the strength to carry on in the life.  To me, it's about a love that is supportive, protective, and nurturing.  Yes, like most people, whenever I hear this song, I see John Cusack standing with his boom box over his head as in the movie Say Anything.  It's such a strong visual, I can't help it.


Linking up with:
#FridayReflections

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Tuesday Topics - Nine TV Series


As I've mentioned before, I'm not much of a TV watcher.  There are numerous days in the summer when I'm home all day long by myself and I never turn on the TV; my husband, on the other hand, has the TV on all the time.  I'm one of those people who isn't up to speed on current plot lines or season cliffhangers. Hell, half the time I have no clue as to what the most popular TV shows are anymore.

When I saw this week's topic, I immediately let out an audible groan, thinking How am I going to post about TV shows when I don't watch much TV?  Well, I decided to dig deep.  My list spans three decades and includes the nine TV series that I have watched in their entirety, or, at the very least, all of the episodes so far in the series if they are currently running (as denoted with *).


Outlander*
2014-present
I watch the episodes of Outlander on a weekly basis as they air.  I also have a tendency to rewatch the previous week's episode before the new episode airs.



The Affair*
2014-present
I typically DVR the season and then binge watch the episodes during the summer.



Shameless*
2011-present
I binged watched seasons 1-5 during the first two weekends in January 2016 to be ready for the sixth season (that aired that month).  Since then, I've watched the episodes on a weekly basis when they air.



Breaking Bad
2008-2013
I binged watched all 62 episodes of this show in January 2015. Whew!  Talk about addiction!  I was completely hooked!



Sons of Anarchy
2008-2014
I binged watched seasons 1-6 during the fall of 2014 while simultaneously DVR'ing the episodes of season 7 as they aired and then watched them later.  I think I finally got caught up sometime in November and maybe watched the last 3-4 episodes as they aired on FX.



Big Love
2006-2011
I watched this show as it aired, occasionally DVR'ing it if I was out of town or something.



Six Feet Under
2001-2005
I watched this show religiously every week.



Sex and the City
1998-2004
In 2001, I dated a guy who had HBO.  It was because of him that I started watching Six Feet Under (above).  If I'm remembering correctly, Sex and the City came on before Six Feet Under and that's how I came to watch this series, too. Best I can determine, I watched half of Season 4 before he and I broke up, then I, obviously hooked on the show, got HBO so I could continue watching it (and Six Feet Under). Sometime after that season, I rented - YES! RENTED the first three seasons from Blockbuster.  Seasons 5 and 6, I watched in real time as they aired.



ER
1994-2009
Yes, I have seen all 331 episodes of this show that aired on NBC.  I'm not sure if that's something to be proud of or not!  LOL!  Now, how I came to see them all is quite a convoluted journey.  I watched some episodes in real time, many as reruns that aired on TNT, and I watched the majority of the last season on DVR one night in the summer of 2010 before the satellite provider came the next morning to upgrade our receiver (which would've resulted in me losing all those recorded episodes).


What are some TV series that you have seen every episode of?  Please feel free to share!  Have a great day!

Linking up with Jenn @ Quirky Pickings

Monday, September 25, 2017

Autumn '17 Goals and Summer '17 Goals Report Card


My summer, both in terms of my break from school and the season itself, flew by, just as I knew it would.  As of today, I've been back to work for almost 8 weeks.  I'm almost a quarter through the school year, which is...  crazy.  


Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the the future
- "Fly Like an Eagle" by Steve Miller Band

With my autumn goals, I'm continuing to adhere to my "keep it simple" mindset that I used with my summer goals.  I liked the simplicity and they were realistic. But, before I share my autumn goals with you, allow me to report on how I did with my summer goals.


Summer Goals
June 21 - September 20

Continue adhering to the healthier eating habits I've established during the past 10 months.  YES! I am happy to report that I have continued this habit.  Now, I'm not going to pretend that I eat perfectly every day.  One day last week, my dinner consisted of two margaritas, beef nachos, and an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen.  But, the next day, I drank tons of water and ate a salad and lots of other green things.

Continue exercising, but diversify my workouts.  SUCCESS! I have only two words to say about this:  planks and burpees.  I need not say more.

Be lighter on September 22 that I am right now.  YES! I am one pound lighter, which isn't much, but it's enough to meet this goal.

Read one classic novel.  Close but no cigar. Although I didn't get one read by the first day of autumn as I had planned, I am going to read To Kill a Mockingbird next week in celebration of Banned Books Week.  (I need to finish Beartown by Fredrik Backman first...)

Get to know my adopted state a little better by doing something outdoorsy or touristy in Kentucky.  DONE! I have kayaked on 4 bodies of water in Kentucky that I've never been on before (Guist Creek Lake, Lake Shelby, the Salt River, and Elkhorn Creek).  To get to some of these bodies of water, I've ventured into areas that I've not only never been to before, but a couple I have never heard of before!


This is probably the best I've ever done with one group of seasonal goals since I've been making and sharing them on here.  Granted, this last batch was deliberately kept simple for a reason and that simplicity may have lent a hand in them being more easily doable.  Anyway, easy or not, I'm pleased with them.

Now, onto my Autumn 2017 goals:
  • Do something "Halloween-ish."  Autumn is my favorite season and all to often, the season slips away from me before I know it.  Doing something Halloween oriented just sounds like fun.
  • Pay off my car before the first day of winter.
  • Get my Christmas cards filled out, addressed, and mailed before the Winter Solstice.  (I'm notorious for filling them out between the first day of winter and New Year's Eve...  Better late than never, right?)
  • Be lighter on December 21 than I am today.
  • Go into an upcoming major life change (that I'll share more about later) with courage, strength, and a grateful heart.

Do you have any autumn goals?  Please feel free to share if you do.  Have a great day!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tuesday Topics - Ten Sexiest Men Alive

Today begins the next batch of Tuesday Topics hosted by Jenn @ Quirky Pickings.  Right off the bat, we're jumping in with both feet and discussing the Ten Sexiest Men Alive.  Here is my list:

Sam Heughan

I only know Sam from the STARZ series, Outlander, which is based on the books by Diana Gabaldon.   Sam plays the tall, rugged, fierce, red haired, kilt wearing Scotsman, Jamie Fraser.  Many fans of the books disagree with the casting of Sam as Jamie, but I do not.  To me, he is Jamie Fraser, so much so that I often cannot even remember his real name.


Chris Daughtry

Despite my natural inclination to gravitate towards men with long hair (see a former post about this here), I have made an exception for Chris Daughtry, the former American Idol contestant and front man of the band, Daughtry. I find his bald head, facial hair, piercing dark eyes, and his rock star charisma very sexy.  



Brad Pitt

Over three decades, Brad's appearance in real life and in movies has been extremely varied. There have been times in which I found him extremely sexy and other times in which I have not. Case in point: I think he was extremely sexy in Legends of the Fall but not in Fight Club.  Granted he had some kicking' abs in the latter, but I still didn't find him sexy.



Charlie Hunnam

Charlie caught my eye as the outlaw motorcycle renegade, Jax Teller, on Sons of Anarchy.  I was very excited when I heard that he was to play Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Gray and equally as disappointed when I learned he had pulled out of the project.   




Colin Ferrell

Like Brad Pitt, there have been certain times in Colin Farrell's  career in which I have found him sexier than others.  In Miami Vice, as detective Sonny Crocket, I found him especially sexy.  I do like Colin with longer hair and some facial hair.





Clay Matthews

Clay is the only athlete who made my list and, truth be told, had it not been for his long, golden hair, I'm not sure he would've ever showed up on my radar.  I find his tall, muscular body, broad shoulders, long hair, and funny sense of humor (from what I've heard) extremely sexy.




John Stamos

I didn't know John Stamos when he was on General Hospital, so our first introduction was when he played Uncle Jesse in the 1980s sitcom, Full House.  He was good looking then, but I didn't find him sexy like I do now.  He has aged extremely well, like a fine wine, and I find his more defined features extremely sexy.



Patrick Dempsey

I remember Patrick Dempsey in the 1987 movie, Can't Buy Me Love, and, in my opinion, he wasn't that attractive.  He was actually rather nerdy looking and not a sexy way.  Time has been good to Mr. Dempsey, allowing him to evolve from a dorky teen to a very sexy man with haunting blue eyes and a great smile.  



Alex Biffin

Unless you've seen the all-male revue, Thunder From Down Under, you probably have no idea who Alex Biffin is.  When I saw TFDU last summer in Vegas, from the opening number, my eyes were fixed on the tall, dark, and handsome Aussie.  I honestly don't remember what any of the other men in the show looked like because Alex had my full attention.


Jon Bon Jovi

When I was a teenager, I lusted over Jon  as only a hormone-infused teenage girl could.   Posters bearing his image covered my bedroom walls and I spent hours gazing at his long, disheveled locks and his wickedly, sexy smile.  Jon exuded sex appeal.

Jon lost his long locks in the early 1990s. Within the past 2 years or so, he quit coloring his hair and embraced his gray, which he pulls off very nicely, in my opinion.  Jon has transformed from a long haired, leather pants wearing, singer of a rock-n-roll band to a refined, graying philanthropist, who still fronts the rock-n-roll band that bears his name.




Which man/men would make your list of sexiest men alive?  I'm very curious to hear your thoughts.


Linking up with Jenn @ Quirky Pickings

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Five Things I Haven't Done... Yet


It's been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery.   This post was stolen inspired by Micah @ Unabashedly Me.  Without any further ado, here are five things that I haven't done... yet.


Been pregnant
I feel pretty certain that this will not change.

Bungee jumped off of any perfectly good structure
Again, I feel pretty certain that this will not change anytime in the foreseeable future.

Watched The Sound of Music
I've seen the stage musical, but not the movie starring Julie Andrews.  If the opportunity presented itself, then I might watch it.  Let's just say that I'm not opposed to watching it.

Attended the Kentucky Derby
Here's the interesting thing - I live less than five miles away from Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is held every May.  Even with my geographic proximity, I don't think I will ever attend.  It's rather pricey and very, very crowded.  I'm very content continuing the tradition with my speech path buddies of attending Thurby (the racing that occurs on the Thursday before the Derby).

Visited all 50 States
I'm working on this one.  I'm up to 33 and now that I've lifted the time constraint (it used to be before I turned 50, but now it's simply before I die), I think, I hope that I'll change this one day.


What's something you haven't done yet?  Whatever it is, do you think you'll ever do it?  Please feel free to share.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Currently... (Vol. 20)


Wishing...  my Aunt J a Happy 60th Birthday!  (If you're reading this, your card is in the mail!)

Keeping...  all the folks of Houston, the Texas coast, those in Irma's path, and the people of the Pacific Northwest in my thoughts and prayers.  

Wondering...  where in the world August went!  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, for August is not my favorite month.  I'm just surprised at how fast the month flew by! 

Admitting...  that one month into the current school year, I still can't remember the names of a couple of the new teachers at my school.

Recovering...  from a fun, but tough white water rafting trip this past weekend. With low water levels and a persistent wind trying to push up back upstream, it was a hard paddle.  Interestingly enough, I was the only female in our raft which, in my opinion, makes me a total badass...  a badass with sore shoulders and upper arms, but a badass none-the-less. ;)
  

Acknowledging...  that I haven't finished the first round of Erin's book challenge like I had hoped I would.  Oh, well...

Reading... (Yes! Like really reading, with my eyeballs reading!) the book I Found My Heart in West Virginia by Chelsea Falin.

Listening to...  the audiobook Rewinder by Brett Battles and to the album From A Room: Volume 1 by Kentucky native, Chris Stapleton.



Watching...  The Guestbook on TBS (Thursday 10:30pm ET).  It's hilarious!

Anxiously awaiting...  Season 3 of Outlander. THREE DAYS PEOPLE!!! THREE!!!



Feeling...  proud for keeping my competitive beast at bay and not going crazy in the current step challenge that's taking place at work.  (If you remember, I participated in the spring step challenge back in April and May and walked 203 miles in 29 days...  which is completely insane!)

Refocusing...  my weight loss efforts.  Since hitting the plateau back in March, I admit that I have kind of slacked off a bit and not been as mindful about everything I've been eating. 

Adjusting...  to being "that" person at work who is always cold.   It's a weird turn of events after having been "the hot natured one" for so very long.

Feeling...  concerned and a little nervous over the changes that might be made to Kentucky state employees' retirement (public school employees, like myself, included).

Preparing...  to make calls, send emails, and make my voice heard on this issue. 

Amused...  by this painted rock that I found inside Panera Wednesday evening. The instructions say that I can either keep it or re-hide it.  I'll hid it somewhere this weekend.  #LouisvilleRocks 



Amazed...  that I won the $50 Second Chance drawing in the Discover Our History Photo Scavenger Hunt sponsored by the Wyoming County Historical Museum back home!  I rarely win stuff like this!




August in a Snapshot:

1) My new weight loss comparison picture, 2) chicory in the park, 3) my new fridge
4) First fallen acorn, 5) rafting with friends on Salt River, 6) viewing the eclipse with my officemate, M
7) a thistle in the park, 8) at the Louisville Slugger Museum with my BFF and her husband, 9) dinner on the river with R


What have you been up to lately?  Happy Thursday to you!  Thanks for stopping by!


Linking up with:

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Tuesday Topics - Two Ways to Get Out of a Funk


I think I need to preface this by saying that I don't, nor have I ever suffered from depression and I won't even begin to pretend that I understand what it's like. What I'm referring to in this post is not depression, but merely a funk.  

I do suffer from varying degrees of seasonal affect disorder, which I have affectionately dubbed as my "Winter Funk."   I also get into "I'm Disgusted With the World Funks" occasionally.  Here are two things I do to help get out of a funk or head one off at the pass before it gets out of hand.

Physical Movement

On August 13, the day after the tragic events that took place in Charlottesville, VA, I woke up with a heavy heart and a mind full of sorrow, disappointment, anger, and fear.  Knowing how events like this sometimes trigger a funk, I immediately got up, laced up my walking shoes, and took myself to the park so I could hit the pavement.  During the second, third, and fourth miles of my six mile walk, I found myself almost running as my mind churned away, trying to make sense of the events that had happened the day before.  When I finished, the world hadn't changed, the events of the days before had not been erased, and I had not made any sense of the senseless acts.  But, I felt better and my mind was more clear because I had processed things.

I discovered how beneficial physical movement is to helping me ward off a funk or to help get me out of a funk about a decade and a half ago after a difficult breakup.  Heartbroken and devastated, I worked out my sorrow and my frustrations in the community pool, where I swam dozens of miles in the months following the breakup.  I remember telling a friend, who had commented on the amount of swimming I was doing at the time, that the breakup made me feel like I had been taken out into the middle of the ocean, thrown over board, and had been told to "sink or swim."  So, I swam.  And swam.  And swam. Several months after I started, I realized that the man who had broken my heart had finally left me, or rather, that I had released him.  I could no longer hear his voice, I could no longer remember his laugh, I could no longer remember what his touch felt like.  Somewhere in that pool, during one of the countless laps I swam, I had gotten over him.

Spending Time in Nature

I grew up in the Appalachian mountains in the southern coalfields of West Virginia.  The mountains were prominent part of everyone's everyday lives because they were literally everywhere.  I lived on a mountain and went to community schools that were located in a valley between the mountains.  To get to school, I had to go down the mountain; to get home, I had to go up.  To go to church, I had to traverse several mountains.  And for years, my grandfather and father went down in to the earth, underneath the mountains, to extract coal.  No matter where I looked, be it out of any window in my high school, from the porch of my grandparents' house, or from my window of my childhood bedroom, there were mountains.  Because I grew up surrounded by mountains, I grew up surrounded by nature.

I have discovered, especially after moving out of Appalachia, how important being in nature is to my mental well being.  During trying times, I find myself drawn to sitting on the deck, listening to the birds.  I also find myself drawn into the depths of my local park, where I am surrounded by thick, green trees and open skies.  When life gets particularly difficult and I need a time out, I retreat to my childhood home, where I sit in my favorite chair on my parents' deck, and absorb the sights and sounds of nature that are all around me.  

I don't know why or how, but being connected with nature makes me happy and it helps me clear out the mental clutter that mind sometimes collects.  It's a connection that is particularly powerful, but very hard for me to describe.


As I've mentioned earlier, I suffer from seasonal affect disorder and it typically hits in January and last through March.  This past winter, given the new exercise routine I had adopted, I spent more time exercising  and exercising outdoors.  I can honestly say that my winter funk was probably the mildest its ever been. I attribute much of that to making physical movement a priority in my life and being outside as much as possible.

What are some things that you do or incorporate into your life to help you get out of a funk?

As always, thanks for stopping by.  


Linking up with Jenn @ Quirky Pickings:

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