2013 - the year of the lack of blogging

Wow! Did 2013 just come and go?

Thank goodness!

It wasn't one of my favorite years. In fact, in many ways it was one of the worst yet.

Health challenges, furlough challenges, work craziness, house repairs and selling challenges, death of loved ones, and even some despair about just about everything going on.

Yet, some good things happened along the way - relationships are intact, marketing skills are improved, awards won, and I felt closer to family along the way.

So, what will 2014 bring?

It started off with a disturbing phone call and the water heater breaking down. Oh, and feeling like a sick zombie in bed for a week.

Unbelievable.

But, I'm in good spirits. Secret happinesses have already come this week. I'm closing out a ton of projects at work and will be able to focus on 2-3 big priorities. Plus, I've got BIG goals.

It's not all bad. It's half good.

There will be challenges this year, but I'm ready. The blogging might not increase. I'm shirking back a bit and not listening to what everyone else is doing. I need to re-find myself.

Here's to 2014!

Irony, Time and New Year

Today I'm home sick. Nothing to pass on to someone else. I think I had a reaction to a medicine. But, who knows really. It could have been that bad orange juice coming out of Brazil that was on the news this morning. Time will tell.

The good thing about feeling sick is that I'm home and only partially working. It is wonderful that you can be a completely competent conference call participant while laying on the bed feeling like a zombie. As long as you say "yes" at the appropriate places, ask a question or two and respond with a follow-up email, all is well in the world of work. Lucky for me I have over 300 sick hours that are just sitting there for times like these...which I hope will be rare.

Another good thing about being sick is the time it provides me to think! Really think. Answer the big questions -what am I doing with my life? Why am I doing it? Should I be doing it? What do I value most? ...and the list of questions go on.

I'm wanting something different for 2012 and beyond. I want time to see friends, time to share insight into health, religion, money, art, and exercise. I want to really get my business off the ground and not let the day job overtake everything. I want a family above all else. I want to travel beyond all the day trips I'm taking. I want to be out of debt and invested in the right things. Perhaps I'll sell my house. Perhaps not. Either way, it is time to move beyond these small walls into something that allows room for growth and creativity.

There is one fact of life that I'm sure of - it never goes as I plan. That is OK because it has turned out fine. But, that doesn't mean the anticipation is easy. I've had a session or two of tears when I realize that I'm way off course in some areas and feel like some opportunities passed me by that others take for granted. Yet, I've gotten to have experiences that others may never know.

Gratitude comes back when I remember these things.

So, today is rather ironic. I'm going to take a meal to a young woman that is giving birth to twins. Right after calling her, I called my own doctor to find out what I should do about my reaction to my medicine. Medicine that is supposedly helping my body get healthy so I can have kids. One person is on bed rest and I'm just laying on my bed for an unknown reason.

Ah well. All in good time they say while also hinting that time is of the essence.

For now, it is a new year and time to make the most of it.

Cheers!

Quote Garden - New Year quotes

Found a great little blog that is called "Quote Garden." I have always loved and collected quotes, which is why I started Blogger Pickles - http://bloggerpickles.blogspot.com/ - so that I could keep some of them straight.

Take a look at quote garden. They have a bunch of quotes specific to the New Year!

http://www.quotegarden.com/new-year.html

Happy New Year 2009!

It's already a new year! Wow! 2008 has come and gone. It was a year full of goals and I met quite a few of them. Unfortunately, I didn't meet two or three of my largest goals, but I'm confident that I will do so by the middle of 2009. In fact, now I don't make yearly goals. I make six month goal charts and they are set up similar to the categories that are listed in Provident Living...though I started them long before that website ever existed. My parents taught us about this concept long ago and I just kind of held on to it.

Perhaps I should put the goals here, but that means this post will most likely remain in draft mode seen only by me. Most of them will remain private, but some are obvious - lose weight, eat healthy, max the 401k, pay down debt, rent out my condo, read more scriptures and good books, serve more, love better, work smarter, act on ideas, and enjoy life.

Today we went to a movie (Benjamin Button - sad, meaningful, and thought provoking come to mind) and one of my friends said something a few people have said this past week - "I'm so glad 2008 is over. 2009 is going to be a great year."

Yes, 2009 will be a great year! Thank goodness that we have year cycles. It gives us a legitimate excuse with society to start over, change, and improve upon the past. January is the one time of year where it seems ok to share this fact with everyone.

Good luck to you this year. Let's hope that we all make it the best and if we haven't met all of our goals in the next 12 months, at least we have comfort in knowing that 2010 will come with another chance.

Happy New Year and New Resolve in 2009!

Merry late Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's January 4th and I'm barely writing my yearly Christmas letter. It seems that it comes faster every year! But, here it goes...

2007 started out fairly stressful. Work stressed me to the point of my first gray hairs. As a result, I decided to make work a lower priority even though I still go everyday to manage expectations, people and projects. Responsibility isn't all that it is cracked up to be, but we all have to experience the "greener pastures" for at least 5-6 stressful years, aye?

This year I didn't take many trips. Those I did take involved seeing family members. My youngest brother graduated from high school. There's almost an 18 year gap between us! That means that 2009 brings my 20 year high school reunion. Gasp. I'm finally experiencing those weird feelings of being old. However, my first haircoloring erased some of those strange feelings. ..temporarily.


We've had a few family gatherings, but none with everyone. A few of us met up in San Franscisco in the spring to cheer on the BYU Rugby team in a national championship game. BYU came in 2nd place again. All of my brothers (and Mom and some cousins) were there and all participated either as alumni athletes (cheering) or in the game (Craig).



Craig made it to the All American team again and played a great game at West Point in New York. Mr. Adam Brett Clark is making his debut on the team this year and will be the 4th, and last, brother to play on the team. His high school team won the state championship and so hopefully that carries over in Utah. Go BYU Rugby!

The largest event of my year was actually a project that took a few hundred hours out of my life. I converted all of the old family videos onto DVDs so that they could be viewed and shared by all. I had finished the project and backed up on appropriate hard drives only to have two hard drives fried in the same week. Not good. Luckily, the second time around was faster and more efficient with a new round of technology at my disposal. I also compiled all digital photos and videos to date. Let's just say that 10 copies of everything gets old after a while. Costco photo center became a close friend. I got my time back and they got all of my money. (-:

I'm teaching little five year olds at my church. In the past, kindergarten was my least favorite grade, but these little people grew on me. This year I will be teaching 10 year olds. That is typically the age I enjoy working with, but I'm sure my work will be cut out for me.

Other than that, life moves along. I always appreciate interacting with family, friends church members and some co-workers. Thanks to all that stay in touch. I'm a little slow at times. Does everyone get a couple hundred emails a day like me? By the time I get home from work, I'm completely technology weary.

2008 is shaping up to be a great year! Hopefully there will be wonderful news from me and wonderful news to me from you.

Happy New Year and keep in touch, Rebecca

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