All about my sabbatical...

My to do list for sabbatical
- take a nap everyday
- type hand-written recipes into computer
- burn rest of the music cds to computer
- dust silk plants in house
- sort boxes of photos
- shred old documents
- enjoy some lunches with friends
- overall, get organized
- take some day trips for photography purposes

What I did...
- sorted through 10+ years of photos
- painted the bathroom
- cleaned out/painted the laundry room (top to bottom)
- took the long road to/from my errands
- went out on a few day trips for photo fun
- stayed up late, later than i've seen in years
- slept in late, later than i've seen in years

What I thought I would do... but didn't...
- get a daily nap in
- exercise more regularly

What I lost...
- shredded 10+ years of old documents
- purged stuff from closets and under beds
- 8 large trash cans full of junk


What I gained...
- knowledge of many things (caught up on reading)
- desire to be at home more
- inspiration
- appreciation for routine


Did I spend the 6 weeks like I thought I would? No
Would I change any of it? Maybe just a few things
Do I wish I could have travelled somewhere? Sure ... but being at home during the late winter/spring isn't all that bad when you live in San Diego!


Am I the luckiest girl in the world?! Yes! My company gives me paid time off every 5 years and I get to use this time however I want to... on top of my regular vacation benefits. Such a great benefit.

I love my job. Seriously - I know full well that not most people can say that. I love how my strengths are put to work and my weaknesses are challenged. I love how it makes me grow as a person and a friend and an employee. I am far from perfect when it comes to how I do my job, handle conflict or work on a team - and for those things I'm grateful that I'm where I'm at. They give us room to grow and the opportunities to stretch our wings doing what we love to do.


Yes, I'm the luckiest girl in the world! I get to do what I love in so many areas of my life...

A quick rant...

For the record, I have no problem shopping at WalMart. But only before 8 am. I can't stand it when it's so busy that I can't walk through the aisles. Why can't I walk through the aisles? I'm glad you asked! Because of some dimwit who is so oblivious to how his/her actions are affecting other shoppers. Mainly because said dimwit's shopping cart is completely blocking the aisle and his/her 3-8 children are running around like banchees... or the banchees are climbing the shelves and pulling puzzles down on to the ground and blocking the aisle. And I don't shop there for everything... just a few things once a month or so.


OK - now that I got that off my chest... you can see why I shop at WalMart early in the morning, before the masses wake up.



Go ahead and start throwing your rocks. I know that quite a lot of people truly HATE WalMart (and I'm sure this blog post will garner some comments to remind us of a few of those reasons)... but it's been good for my wallet. Call me a cheapskate, call me selfish, call me a sell-out, call me un-american - but I do not want to pay almost double for my shampoo or cleaning supplies. And the big box company has provided a lot of jobs for local people... for quite a few people whose smaller companies laid them off. WalMart has even posted some pretty successful numbers through this rough economy.

I am not the type of person to drive across town to get shampoo for $0.50 cheaper. But I am not going to buy it full price just because it's at the store I'm currently at - unless of course I'm having a "shampoo emergency" and just don't have time to wait for the monthly WalMart stop. But when I can save $15-20 on a few select items (shampoo, conditioner, light bulbs, tissue and toothpaste) you can guarantee I'm going to make a stop in to WalMart.

But, WalMart may have just convinced me to look elsewhere for my savings...


The first sign I read when walking into WalMart yesterday morning was a clothing line in the section for young men (ages 10-16), by "Jesse James". The shirt display was right on the aisle, at the front of the section... as if to say "TAKE ME HOME TODAY!" Across the olive green t-shirt was scribbled "JESSE JAMES" with a grungy looking swirl and paint splatter on it. Very stylish! And a bit funny as well...

The news on dirt-bag Jesse James broke about two weeks ago, right?!

Just checking...


Yes, that's the t-shirt I'd want my 13 year old son wearing (if I had a 13-yr old son)... I'm sure WalMart is going to sell out of those t-shirts real quick!



Good reminder, when we idolize people (aka humans) we will be disappointed...

more blossoms in my yard...

If you've seen my back yard in the last 2-3 years you'd be surprised that anything is even alive back there. And yet I find these blossoms randoming dispersed in various corners of my parched yard.









And the calla lily that I tended to week after week, and hasn't blossomed in nearly years?! Look at it now... all it needed was a few years of neglect (oh yeah, and the wettest winter we've had in years!)... ;-)

This plant started as a bulb from my Grandparents' yard. They moved out of the area in 2003 and left me with a few bulbs. Gramma will be happy to hear and see that there is finally a blossom on her plant (no thanks to my efforts)!!!






What does the rest of the yard look like?! Glad you asked... ok, maybe not so glad...



(Ahem) This is the yard shortly after we had the 3-4 foot high weeds cleared out. Yes, we neglect our yard. Shame on us... but starting on Sunday we have a "gardener"!!!

Woo hoo! My prayers have been answered! More pictures to come soon... which will include sod, flowers, plants and working sprinklers!

To my surprise...

My hyacinth has a 2nd blossom springing out...





Have I yet said how much I love spring?!

More of God's creation...

... right in my own backyard!












Life IS good...

Spring has sprung! I have the proof!!!

On Thursday I hit up Trader Joe's for some food goods... and couldn't resist buying myself a hyacinth. When I brought it home it was only a tight cluster of green knobs sitting atop a stem.


By Friday morning around 10:15 am this is what it looked like! I count about 9 open blossoms. It was rapidly coming to life... but there wasn't much of a scent yet...




Later on Friday afternoon (around 3 pm) I noticed there were even more blossoms... and it was starting to smell like hyacinth in my kitchen! See?! Now I count about 13 open blossoms.




And today?! Look at what I woke up to!!! And on the first day of Spring...








Isn't she beautiful?!

I've moved her from the kitchen window sill to my Grandma's old table next to the couch... where I currently sit and enjoy my Saturday morning. The birds are chirping outside, rays of sunlight are streaming through the windows and Southern California is waking up to a beautiful first day of Spring.


And me? I'm the most blessed girl on the face of the planet. I'm in love with life...

What a beautiful day...

I decided to go for a drive today...

To look at California Lilacs ... and I was surprised with so much beauty!




Not sure why I was surprised... but once again my soul was touched by the beauty of God's creation!




He created this?!
He gave us all of this?!



Just to show us a glimpse of Heaven?!



To remind us of His love?!



As encouragement to keep trusting Him?!



After all, if He cares enough to feed these plants precariously perched on a hillside... no human waters them, fertilizes them... prunes them.



Just God himself...



And if He cares for the wildflowers... who do not verbally lift praise to Him, testify in His name or serve Him through walking in faith...



How much more is He going to care for us?! Take care of our needs?! Feed us and "fertilize" us... "prune" us and shape us...





What an amazing God...



That He can orchestrate this beauty...











Matthew 6:30-34
"If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Tuesday is when I visit the Farmers' Market, downtown Escondido

If a picture is worth a thousand words... then today I'll be brief.