Life in Hats…

Welcome to The Writers’ Post Thursday Blog Hop!!  I am your host this week.

If you haven’t already noticed, my blog posts are few and far between as of late.   Life in a huge way has taken over.  I always write in my journal (you remember the pen to paper stuff) but finding time to express myself in my own little blog, let a lone the desire to do so, is very hit or miss.  And this has caused me to make some very heart wrenching decisions.

Honestly, there is a part of me that has felt over-stretched for sometime.  As one of my good friend likes to tell me, “Jenn, you are a woman with too many hats.”  I think literally the statement could have been more accurate if he had said, “Jenn, you are a woman with too many boots,” but well he hasn’t seen my boot collection—and he wasn’t speaking literally. 

I’ve known this person for almost 10 years and he has been saying this for at least 9 of those years.  Basically, he’s known I’ve always stretched myself too thin and I do have too many “hats” –you know the mom-hat, the wife-hat, the teacher-hat, the photographer-hat, the blogger-hat, the rescue-mom-hat, the working-woman-hat, the cleaning-hat,  the computer-tech-hat, and oh the list goes on.

My experience has taught me that life is a lot like the seasons, eventually things change.  For me—the hardest part is letting go of something I feel is very much a part of me, and yet if I am ever to solve my “hat” problem, I need to just let go of some hats, even if just for a little while.  And the funny thing I’ve just realized, while typing this is that, I’ve known this to be true for sometime, actually, longer than I am willing to admit.

Letting go of blogging, Wine-n-Chat, and The Writers’ Post for awhile is necessary.  My life’s focus has sprung a new direction.  My love for wine will never die—but my passion for writing about it and the chatty side of life needs to take a back seat.  I need to shelve this hat for awhile and it is time.

The Writers’ Post will continue to thrive—with Corinne from Everyday Gyaan stepping up to lead the way. The community will thrive under a new direction and it will still be a great place to get connected in the blogging world.  The Blog Hops will continue every Thursday!!  I won’t be completely out of the picture there—however, it will be nice to let someone else lead for awhile and breathe in new life.

So, in a figurative way, it is time for me to stop juggling so many hats, to dwindle down my hat collection, and appreciate the finer details of the hats that remain.   It is time to live life in a “one-hat-at-a-time” mode.  And the decision hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be, it has been a bit freeing in many ways.

This week’s prompt—is really wide open for interpretation—asked on a figurative level:

How many hats do you wear?

If you could cut a hat out of your collection, which one would it be and why?

I would love to hear from you!!   Join us in our weekly blog hop—you have an entire week to join in (Thursday through Wednesday!)

As Always~Cheers!!

 

 

Fulfilling My Dreams with Passion

This week Kathy of The Giggling Trucker’s Wife is our Host for The Writers’ Post weekly blog hop!!  She asked us:

Do you feel a person who pursues their passions will have a more fulfilling life?  What do you think of when you think of passion?

Last year, I had a dream.  I chased after that dream and what fueled me was passion.  Passion to do something worthy, even if it meant stirring the pot a little.  And the end result was realizing a long time dream of mine coming true.

I am a dog lover.  I love all kinds of dogs, but my hands down favorite breed is the schnauzer.  Miniature schnauzers and standard schnauzers have been around me all my life, and so I am drawn to that particular breed.  When I was in my 20’s, I had dreamt of starting a rescue or volunteering for one, but apartment living and later getting married and having kids wasn’t conducive to the situation. 

Almost 15 –20 years later, I thought, why not?   Why not open my heart and home and help some fur-babies instead of sending them to a concrete floored shelter?  We’ve owned our home 15 years, our children are over 6, and I’m at a point in my life where I have the time and energy to do something. 

So I did.

I applied with Schnauzer Friends for Rescue and Adoption to become a foster family for their rescue. I readied my house for inspection and prepared my family for the changes that would happen and the involvement level they would find themselves in.  Thankfully everyone in the family was on board and in June of last year, I was approved.

I’ve since had several fur babies come to stay with us until they found their forever homes.  I am actually part of the process of helping them find the right homes, by sorting through applications and checking references and doing home visits.  I help train these dogs and teach them manners, in preparation of sending them off to a good home.

A lot of people tell me, “I could never foster because I would want to keep them all.”  And when I set out to do this, I wondered if I would have that problem?  But when I started doing this I realized a couple of things. 

First, no one can “keep” them all, and if anyone really has their heart set on doing what is in the dog’s best interests, then they will realize this rather quickly.  And besides you can’t help more dogs in need if you don’t help the one you already have.  So I haven’t had that problem.

Next, the excitement of bringing a new foster into our home is like having Christmas in July.  There is so much excitement and discovery involved.  The little fur baby quickly grabs our hearts and loves us unconditionally and we get to love him or her unconditionally right back.  This unconditional love includes finding the best home possible for him or her—because we want only the best and we want to keep helping.

Last, letting go—well no one said that part would be easy—but it isn’t as hard as one might think. I am getting ready to place a little foster puppy in her new home on Monday.  And I am so excited for her, because I really think I’ve found such a great family for her.  She is going to be thrilled with this family, their house and their yard…and she’s got people who are whole heartedly dedicated to giving her the best life possible.  So I might be sad for a moment saying goodbye—but the tears will be happy ones, because I know deep down she is going to a wonderful forever home and she will be so happy growing old.  And the consolation is I get to help another rescue find that kind of happiness!

That makes it worth it, to pursue my dream with the utmost passion!

Will I have a more fulfilling life as a result?? 

I already am! 

The joy is immeasurable!!

When I think of passion, I think of fulfilling my dreams in a real and tangible way. I think of no longer dreaming but actually doing. And by doing, my dreams are coming true!!

So what fuels your passion?

Do you think passion can lead you to fulfill your dreams?

What do you think of passion??

I’d love to hear back—or better yet—have you join our blog hop!!

Cheers,

Songs That Make Me Smile

Last Week, Our Host for The Writer’s Post Weekly Blog Hop was Corinne Rodriguez of Everyday Gyaan.  Her topic was “The Little Things That Make Me Smile”.

This week, Our Host for The Writer’s Post Weekly Blog Hop is Suzy Que of Someday Somewhere, and her topic is “What is Your Song?”

If you haven’t already figured out, I’m way behind on posting so I’m doing a two for one kinda deal.  Be sure to check out each of the Host’s topics above!  And here is my take on each of those wonderful topics!

Little things that make me smile (in no particular order) include:

An“I love you” from one of my children,

Holding a new born baby,

An unplanned passionate kiss,

A wonderful conversation with someone older and wiser,

Learning something new,

Puppy kisses,

Splashing in Mud Puddles,

Talking to my Grandma,

Going on a date with my husband,

A bottle of wine,

Going through old Photographs,

Reconnecting with a long lost friend

and hearing my favorite songs.

(Thinking back on it—while they might seem little—they hold a huge place in my heart!)

~~

Yes there are certain songs that always put a smile on my face!!

The guitar solo in this song always makes me think of falling in love. It is one of my all time favorites:

While it makes me smile—that is NOT my song. 

I had to think long and hard about which song was My Song.  I am not sure I can really narrow it down to just one.  I listen to a lot of different music, and depending on what is going on in my life at any given time—a particular song will speak to me and be my song for that moment. 

When I was having my second daughter, Faith Hill’s Just Breathe got me through those last few months.  Is it ironic that a song titled “Just Breathe” became my song when in the process of having my daughter, I really needed to just breathe?  Well, perhaps—but it was more than that, that song had a calming vibe to it and it just would relax my whole body and my mind and it helped me to focus.  And of course, I love Faith Hill’s voice and so it worked out well!

And when I think of the journey my husband and I walk in this life together, this song really resonates with me.  It will instantly make me choke up and think of us.  It is Alan Jackson’s Remember When. 

I certainly don’t want you to think I’m a country bumpkin…well a part of me very much is…but another part of me is not.  Anyway, like I said, I listen to all sorts of music and music has a way of striking that chord with me when certain things are taking place in my life. 

Right now, my life is very blessed.  I am not saying I don’t have my fair share of woes, but perhaps right now the blessings in my life are more prevalent than the problems I face.  I just feel very fortunate to be surrounded and loved by great friends and family, to have a wonderful job which I absolutely love and I find more and more each day ways to accomplish the things I really want to do.  So yeah, I am blessed and humbled by the way things are going lately. 

So, if you were to ask me today—which song really is My Song…it hands down has to be Matt Redman’s 10,000 Reasons.  For the life of me, I can’t stop singing this wonderful song.  It feels right with my soul and so I sing it, just like the song says.  I sing it while I’m working, while I’m cleaning, while I’m showering, while I’m driving down the road and any other time I may not have mentioned.  It resonates with me on some very deep levels and basically gets me through the day.

 

Will this always be my song?  I can’t be sure, but for now it is…and so I will continue to sing it!!

So tell me about you!!

What are the little things that make you smile?

What is your song?

Cheers,