I am definitely headed toward one of the busiest weeks of the summer. The week will consist of health/wellness appointments, work meetings, voice/acting classes, a concert, and my annual scrapbook convention with my girlfriends. What is a girl to do? Celebrate with gratitude! I am so very thankful to have the opportunities to take care of myself, stretch myself (classes), and rejuvenate myself. I am so very thankful for moments to be creative and explore my potential.
While my summer break seems to be passing by rather quickly, it has been wonderful. Andrew had Orientation this past week at SLU and is officially registered for fall classes. I have spent a fair amount of time preparing for my scrapbook convention by organizing layouts, ordering pictures, and buying supplies. I have also been prepping scenes weekly for my Saturday audition class and regularly practicing my song for my weekly voice lesson. Sprinkle in some reading, tv/movies, and other enjoyable events and I’d say I am blessed.
The only activity that would make my summer perfect is exercise which I should be able to incorporate starting the week of June 24th. I had a little accident this past Monday. I slipped on the step getting out of the tub, fell hard on the floor (ceramic tile), and bruised my big toe (right foot) really badly. At first, I thought I broke it along with my knee. I could barely walk. I consulted with Dr. Shelly (my BFF) and opted to ice it and take some Aleve. Thankfully, it was just bruised. I am so very thankful that I did not break any bones.
Before signing off, let’s not forget that today is Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day Blessings to my sweet Daddy, my hubby, my godfather, my uncles, my cousins, my brother-in-laws, my friends who are fathers, my friends’ fathers, new fathers, priests, all the fathers who have earned their angel wings, and all the men that have stepped up to fulfill the role of father. Hats off to YOU!
It’s time to bid you adieu for today, dear reader. I hope you are having an equally wonderful summer. If you seem to be having some unusually busy days or weeks, try stepping back and appreciating the opportunity to be involved in the tasks or events that you have scheduled. It may help approaching those moments seem a little less daunting. Happiness!
“The thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher
which is extremely beneficial when you want to see how you are REALLY spending your time. We all (myself included) like to say we are busy; however, that is a story we like to tell even to ourselves. I found her “three versions of the self” interesting. She describes each version: “The anticipating self is wondering about, planning, and worrying about the future. The experiencing self is in the here and now. The remembering self thinks back to the past” (Vanderkam, 70). The anticipating self sets our intentions or goals while the remembering self reflects on the fruits of our labor. Our experiencing self follows through or falls through with plans, intentions, or goals depending on the circumstances or feelings in the present moment. My experiencing self gets in my way of taking action on a regular basis. It is pals with FEAR and PROCRASTINATION which has robbed me from realizing a few goals or pursuing a couple of dreams. This is my year to COMMIT, so in order to take more action and waste less time, I need to commit to listening less to my experiencing self, plan the task/event, and execute.
No, I am not referring to my nest which is my temporary status at home this week while my hubby and I are on vacation. (Andrew is in Europe with STA.) I am referring to the spare room in my house that will soon become my scrapbook room. It is officially empty of stuff and is in the process of being rejuvenated. Today, the ceiling was repainted. Tomorrow (fingers crossed), the walls will be repainted. Instead of the off-white color which we painted the entire house when we built it 20 years ago, I chose Blue Shock to beautify my space. Crown moulding was purchased over the weekend, and my Daddy is coming over this Friday to help Barry install it. The air vent needs to be replaced, and I’m considering a new light fixture. Once the baseboards, trim, and crown moulding are spruced up, I can move in all my scrapbook supplies. The timing could not be better since I’ll be settling in my new creative digs around the outset of summer break.
Andrew is officially registered to attend Southeastern in the fall. Over the Mardi Gras break, he applied for housing and just this week selected a roommate. Thankfully, Dane is a friend from high school and someone he has known since Pre-K. Andrew also applied and was accepted to the Honors Program and scheduled his orientation for June. In four and a half months, my baby will be officially moving into his dorm and starting his college career.
by Shonda Rhimes, which I loved. I’m a huge fan of children’s literature, so I always read a couple of books per month in that category. I read Paddington: Here and Now by Michael Bond. I adore Paddington Bear and his adventures. When Andrew visited London last year, he brought me back a Paddington Bear figurine which I keep on my bookcase. I completed the Magisterium series by reading The Golden Tower by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. All excellent book choices. You can follow me on 
Since my last post, I have officially turned 50 years of age. My fantastic friends at school started my birthday celebration off with balloons, flowers, lunch, cards, and sweet treats. The next day was the shindig with family and friends from near and far. Son #1’s talented friend Tyler made delicious homemade pizzas for everyone in attendance. My BFF Shelly baked an amazingly scrumptious cake with a bra on top of it. And, my gifted cookie maker friend Darleen made incredibly yummy cookies for me to hand out to my guests. What a delight to celebrate ME surrounded by some of the most awesome people in the world! Although my birthday month will soon be over, my year of 50 has just begun.
The Kat Files 