tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26636936276553719692024-02-26T02:04:51.666-05:00LSCsiddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.comBlogger789125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-31853196886644647952022-10-26T11:54:00.001-04:002022-10-26T11:54:14.341-04:00the back and forth.<p style="text-align: justify;">Justin had to turn on the air conditioner again last night. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's October 26 - doesn't that mean the heater can stay on? Doesn't that mean we're fully in the throes of autumn (the best season)? Doesn't that mean there should be a distinct chill in the air, whether it's 6am or 4pm?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I've always lived in the "south." I put it in quotes, because now I live in North Carolina, and is that really the south? When you're born and raised in Louisiana, I can attest that when you move to North Carolina at the age of twenty-five, you're expecting it to be the North, as its name implies. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it still gets - and stays - hot here, for a lot of the year. We've all seen the memes that mention "first fall" and "fake winter" and the pits of hell that is summer. It really is true, that meme. I can't tell you how long I held out on turning on the heater, because I wanted to be really sure. It would dip into the 40s, but I'd put on a sweater and go about my day. A cool haze would set about the house at night, but we would put extra blankets on the bed. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But one morning, I woke up, and as I crept down the creaking wooden stairs, I had had enough. I felt certain that, had I blown out any substantial volume of breath, it would have been visible in the dim morning light. So, I did it - I clicked on the heater. I waited for a moment, and there it was, the first-time-you-turn-on-the-heater-for-the-season smell. One of my favorite smells. I went to stand in front of the kitchen sink, with the blessed air vent at my feet, and I felt my toes tingle and thaw. It was bliss. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For days, the heater stayed on. And for days, the temperatures stayed in a non-offensive range. Highs in the low 60s, lows in the mid-to-low 40s. The house felt comfortable, a temperate 72 degrees. The window panes were cool to the touch. I could wear a sweater all day, from school drop off to school pick up, and not break a sweat. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But, slowly, the house felt warmer. Audible expressions of disgust (mine) happened when asking Alexa for the forecast. "Highs in the 70s," she would say. I knew I'd be peeling my sweater off during midday errands, too hot to continue wearing it, but reluctant to stop. I'd put a leg out of the covers when laying down with my kids as they fell asleep. I turned the fans up full blast. I tried to avoid it, I really did. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But last night, there was no denying it. The air conditioner had to be turned back on. Defeat. I admit it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Is this all a bit dramatic? Of course it is. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it's all part of the back and forth, the uncertainty, the changing on a pin that is expected in periods of flux. I like feeling firmly planted, in every way. Firmly planted on the ground, firmly planted in autumn, firmly planted in the cool weather season. But that's not how life is. So, we go back and forth. We change, we adapt, we adjust. We turn the heater on, even if it's turned off again the next day. We yield to the back and forth, because we have to.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We have periods of writing, of reading, of experiencing all the richness the arts have to offer. We have periods of survival, of falling into bed right when everyone else does, asleep nearly before head hits pillow. We have periods of social enrichment, of friends and conversations and feeling understood. We have periods of isolation, of hiding in our houses, servants to the chore list, the endless stream of needs and wants and seeming drudgery. We have periods of movement, of walks outside, of post-dinner soccer, of running and swinging and playing. We have periods where we must peel ourselves from the couch, out of bed, off of social media. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it's never forever, it always changes. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The back and forth. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And I, for one, and still learning how to swing with the changes, how to flow. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">But I will keep trying. </p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-81422580486225395112021-11-21T21:32:00.004-05:002021-11-21T21:33:46.738-05:00sunday log four.<p style="text-align: justify;">Thought you got rid of me, did you?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hi, hello there, how are you? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am sitting downstairs in my living room. I need to clean up from dinner. I need to drink some water. I want to drink some coffee. I am texting with a friend. I am tired. I am looking forward to having a productive week. I need to do the dishes. I need to set the coffee pot for the morning. I need to plan some fun activities for this week. I need to pack. I need to... I need to... I need to...</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There seems to be a lot volleying around in my mind this evening. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are Christmas decorations up in my house already. I am usually a strictly after Thanksgiving kind of decorator, but since we were not home for a lot of the Christmas season last year, we decided it was ok to break it out early this year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I came here thinking that I had a lot to write about, and maybe I do, but it is all coming out in a weird, jumbled mess. So I think I will spare everyone and bid you all adieu. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Good night. </p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-46150178039974047362021-07-11T22:50:00.005-04:002021-07-11T23:14:29.006-04:00sunday log three.<p style="text-align: justify;">Well, I am coming to you at 10:36 pm, but... better late than never, right?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Three Sundays in a row. I may well be on my way to forming a habit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to level with you right here - my leisure reading of late has been nearly nonexistent. I used to be a person who read, at the very least, a chapter of an actual, real life book nearly every single day. And now? I scroll various social media before passing out with my phone in my hand each night. How the mighty have fallen. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier today, however, I opened up and read an article in <i>Smithsonian Magazine</i>. Call it small, but it made me feel better about myself. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now, I just have to address the issue of how I have managed to be in the process of reading the same book since last. year. I don't even really know what to say about that, other than... ugh. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I know this is a short post, but really, I just need the accountability. So next time you see me, if I have a phone in my hand, do me a favor and hand me a book instead. </p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-88972282956593323732021-07-04T06:50:00.004-04:002021-07-04T06:50:58.054-04:00sunday log two | Pilates and commas.<p style="text-align: justify;">Two Sundays in a row? This has to be some kind of record, right? All joking aside, I am very happy to have found my way here today. It's 6:30 in the morning, I am sipping coffee, and the morning light still has that blue tinge to it. It's the Fourth of July - we are going to grill hot dogs, slice a watermelon, play outside in the baby pool, and later on, we will make and enjoy angel food cake with strawberries and cool whip.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I hate to say it, but the last few days, I've been in a bad mood. I've been short-tempered, I've been withdrawn, I've just been... whiny. I know, everyone has these kinds of days, but I woke up this morning feeling tired of it. It is a goal of mine for July to be a very productive month, one in which my house is well maintained, I cook more nights a week than not, and I take care of my body by drinking lots of water, eating delicious and healthy food, and working out consistently. So far, my water consumption needs a reboot, I'm doing moderately well with food, and I've actually done really well with regard to workouts. I've been doing Pilates with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjXa9ErUqMDzaI3plO8a-FA" target="_blank">The Balanced Life</a> since 2017, but I held off on becoming a member, with access to the workout calendars and the whole collection of workout videos (and all of the other resources <a href="https://thebalancedlifeonline.com" target="_blank">Robin</a> supplies), until August of 2020. Since becoming a member in August of last year, I had yet to reach the milestone of "completing the calendar," that is, doing every workout scheduled for the month. In June, I did it, and I am really loving the way I feel. My body has changed so much in just that short month of real, true consistency. I am stronger, and my body just... feels better. More flexible. More... stable. I am really happy to have found Robin all of those years ago, searching on YouTube for "quick, effective Pilates workouts."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This post wasn't supposed to be about workouts. But then again, I'm not entirely sure what it was supposed to be about. I just kind of opened my laptop and started typing. And aside from possibly picking a topic other than Pilates, I probably could have used fewer commas. But, I am here. And that is an improvement.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Happy Fourth of July, from my better-mood-on-the-horizon, Pilates-and-comma-loving house, to yours. </p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-55997083915491025082021-06-27T07:01:00.003-04:002021-06-27T07:20:30.991-04:00sunday log one.<p>Good morning, and happy Sunday! If you have read my blog for any length of time, you will likely be familiar with <i><a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" target="_blank">The Sunday Currently</a></i>. Last I checked, I had completed 125 volumes of this particular series (!), and for a long time, it was a great joy in my life. However, things run their course, and, as they say, "all good things come to an end." This was true of <i>The Sunday Currently</i>. I even thought I was ending TSC when I wrote <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-centennial-sunday-currently.html" target="_blank">the 100th edition of it</a>, but I eventually came back to revive it for another 25 volumes, because I loved the practice so very much. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the last couple of years, as I've sporadically revisited this space, you may have noticed me talking a lot about missing posting consistently, how I really wish I could start posting consistently again, and "remember the glory days of blogging in [insert any give year here]." Another theme I noticed when re-reading some old posts yesterday, was that I kept coming back to the idea that I would "always be a person who has a blog." I am fairly certain that is true. And, well, here I am today, in 2021. This blog has been written on since 2011. I had never really stopped to think about the fact that this blog has been going on for 10 years - but when I do think about it, I am filled with a very particular kind of pride, and definitely sentimentalism. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">With this milestone in mind, today I am bringing you (and myself, haha) the prospect of a vehicle through which to begin posting with regularity again - a Sunday post that goes up every week, sharing tidbits and miniutia of everyday life. Thoughts and feelings and things I love. This will not exactly be the rebirth of <i>The Sunday Currently</i>, but rather, <i>The Sunday Currently</i>'s.... second cousin? I don't know. They will be related, but they will not be identical. One week it might just be a scenario where I open the blogging window and let words pour out (kind of like today). Another week it may be a categorized list of thoughts and snippets of everyday life, like the TSC posts of yore. Another week yet, it might be a collection of photographs, and perhaps some ramblings about those photographs. It all remains to be seen. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am unsure if the excitement is adequate in its translation from my fingertips through the screen to you, but suffice it to say, I am thrilled and immensely looking forward to having a consistent place to call my writing home for the foreseeable future. I hope you share my excitement a little bit, dear readers. After all, we've now been in a relationship for 10 years. And that is something. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">See siddathornton's first post <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2011/08/starbucks-sunday-weekend-snapshot.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">See the beginning of siddathornton's very first series <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2011/08/carolina-summer-day-one-beginning.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">[Editor's Note - it is not lost on me that this blog needs a facelift. It will be forthcoming.]</p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-77624621860590591022021-04-26T17:54:00.001-04:002021-04-26T17:54:30.185-04:00in the spirit of brevity.<p style="text-align: justify;">My kids are watching <i>Masha and the Bear</i> and enjoying a fruit plate while soup simmers on our stovetop, so it felt like the right time for another (what feels like) yearly update here. Here is where I'm going to talk about missing the blogging glory days of 2011-2014... I really do miss it. There were so many people that I was able to connect with, build a sense of community with, and share ideas with. And of course, the writing itself was always cathartic, renewing. In the last few years, my writing practice has waxed and waned, existing mostly in the ink and paper universe. But, there is something in writing here, in sharing the kind of words that only seem to come when I am typing into this little box on the internet. Every time I write here, I feel a kind of resolve, a kind of contract with myself... "I will write on my blog more. I will share. I will just open the browser and type something as often as I can." A quick check of the dates will expose my lack of dedication to this idea. But who knows... maybe this time will be different?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A lot has been going on since I last wrote here. I opened <a href="http://Instagram.com/edgepinehouse" target="_blank">a business</a>, which is so fun. I have forever searched for a creative outlet like this, and it feels so good to be here. Soon, I will have a website, and eventually, an Etsy store. I also have plans to soon return to work as an occupational therapist. During the early stages of the pandemic, the hospital I was doing PRN for had a drop in census to prepare for the surge (as many hospitals did), and I was no longer needed in the capacity I used to be. Additionally, Justin needed more flexibility in his schedule in case he had to work more hours to cover an increased patient load. Now that the bulk of that is - blessedly, thankfully - behind us, I am really excited to return to work. I am still in the very early beginning stages of that process, but I am happy that it is in motion. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Other than that, we have just been growing and changing as a family, in all of the expected ways. Activities, learning, outings, and travel have slowly started happening more frequently as the world opens up a bit, and we have more such things on the horizon. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I also started reading the Outlander series, and though I am reading at a snail's pace, I am loving it so very much. A trip to Scotland is hopefully in my very distant future. I am currently about 2/3 of the way through the second novel, <i>Dragonfly in Amber</i>. I watched the show with Justin last year, and was deeply moved. It's so great to get to experience it all over again through the written word. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As usual, there is a lot more I could say, but in the spirit of brevity, I will end this here. I sincerely hope to return sooner than months from now, but I suppose only time will tell..</p>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-35844867322852640522020-07-07T21:21:00.001-04:002020-07-07T21:21:32.211-04:00a post.<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm writing to you from the couch. It's a dark and rainy summer afternoon. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are only two things I like about summer: crepe myrtles and thunderstorms, and I was lucky enough to experience both today. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A lot has been happening in my life recently, and I feel like I'm in a period of flux, of transition, and if you know me, you know I royally suck at transitions. I can prepare, I can meditate on it, I can make nearly-tangible plans. It doesn't matter. If things are changing around me, I feel like the mental depiction of a cat thrown into bath water. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A member of my family passed away as spring was turning into summer this year. A combination of factors keep me from being present, something that makes things feel unfinished. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Opportunities and ideas and creativity have been swirling around in our house this year. Unable to travel, we sit tethered to our home, and the ideas come, bringing with them excitement and hope and at times, overwhelm. My thoughts feel jumbled, and I am working daily to disentangle the good stuff from the chaos. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But aside from that and other things, I know that... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... both ice cream and cereal taste better from coffee mugs. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... writing daily - even just a little bit, even a tiny scribble in the margins of a planner - is transformative. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... working out daily - even if only for ten minutes - is also transformative in ways I wasn't previously aware of. Pilates is my favorite, followed by barre. What's yours? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... there is value in being as direct as possible. I am a sugar-coater to my core, but I am working on saying things and expressing my opinions more plainly. I think sometimes I give off the impression that I have no opinion, but that couldn't be further from the truth. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... it is important to get outside. Despite being, in Jack Dawson's words, "kind of an indoor girl," I can't quite describe the benefits I feel from walking outside for a little while. As a mother of two children, I recognize the benefit to them as well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">... I will always come back here, to this place, to this holder of memories. And every time I return, the inspiration is there, waiting for me, like an old, time-worn friend. </div>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-44310234971888637092020-02-09T11:02:00.000-05:002020-02-09T11:02:11.169-05:00the sunday currently, volume 125. <div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>reading</i> a mish-mash of things right now. I don't usually like to read more than one book at a time, but I am in a reading rut... and I'm really just trying to get a little reading done here and there before I'm back in the swing of regularly reading. Selections currently include the following: <i>Slightly South of Simple</i>, by Kristy Woodson Harvey, <i>Atomic Habits</i>, by James Clear, <i>Me</i>, by Elton John, <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i>, by J.K. Rowling, and <i>A Simplified Life</i>, by Emily Ley. I know. That is a ridiculous amount of books to claim to be reading. I don't like it any more than you do. Like I said, I'm ready for the reading bug to bite me again. </div>
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<i>writing</i> futile to-do lists in my planner, in my head, and in my phone. Much like my current ridiculous reading list, my writing has been scattered, distracted, and frankly, ineffective. I need to get some organization and simplification going. I'm really just spinning my wheels at this point. </div>
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<i>listening</i> to my February 2020 playlist on Spotify. The boys and I often listen to the same few songs around the house, and we have slowly built up a good collection. I added some other familiar favorites, mixed in with some new (to me) songs from familiar artists, and I like to think I have a nice little mix going. </div>
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<i>thinking</i> that baby/child sleep in one of the most difficult parenting things for me. Planning to get my guys back on a better schedule in the coming week. Thank goodness for Taking Cara Babies - her advice has really helped me! </div>
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<i>smelling</i> like <i>Warm Vanilla Sugar</i> lately, and I love it. After a holiday season filled with <i>Twisted Peppermint</i>, it's nice to return to something a little more subdued. </div>
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<i>wishing</i> I didn't have to make such a conscious effort to drink water each day. If only coffee counted as water, I would be one well-hydrated person. </div>
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<i>hoping</i> I can get myself together and have a pleasantly productive week ahead. I need a week of productivity for my personal well-being, as well as for crossing some long-awaited items off of my to-do list. Plus, my house needs some attention. I can do this. And I will feel so much better if I get my house (and life) in order. Dramatic, I know. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>wearing</i> workout clothes. After I tap out this blog post, I'm going to do a HIIT workout. I've been doing workout videos on YouTube, which I love. Justin and I are also talking about joining the YMCA near our house again, which I am really excited about. They have Body Pump classes, as well as some other classes I haven't yet tried. The truth is, I really love going to the gym and look forward to getting back into it soon. </div>
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<i>loving</i> my life, despite my productivity dry spell this week. I have a lot to be thankful for, and that it not lost on me. Being able to be home with my boys from day to day is a huge blessing and opportunity. I have greatly enjoyed this uninterrupted time with them since Grayson was born. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>wanting</i> another cup of coffee. I won't tell you how many I've had already. It's really just been that kind of week, where I could never drink enough coffee. Unfortunately, my energy to coffee ratio seems to be deficient this week, for some reason, and that is a sad state of affairs indeed. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>needing</i>... well, isn't it obvious? More coffee and more productivity. Can someone send either of these things my way? Thanks a lot. 'Preciate ya. </div>
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<i>feeling</i> proud of myself for one thing I have been succeeding at - I have worked out every day of February so far. My main personal goal for February is to work out every day, even if it's just a little bit, and I already feel a lot better. I need to work on further cleaning up my diet (though I have been cooking a LOT more, which I am also proud of), but I feel like I'm off to a good start with getting more active. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-15316868443145878272020-02-05T21:18:00.001-05:002020-02-05T21:18:26.593-05:00more about music. <div style="text-align: justify;">
Tonight, I am working on continuing education for my upcoming license renewals, and along with chugging away with that, I am listening to music on Spotify. This is something I have been doing in the late evenings recently, after putting my younger child to bed and getting ready for bed myself (while Luke watches Captain Marvel with Justin), and I have to say, I quite like this little routine. </div>
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The truth is, I absolutely love music. I know in years past I have written about this on my blog, but I'll say again that music transports me, transforms me. My favorite songs echo through time and remind me of former versions of myself, younger ones, inexperienced ones, carefree - yes - but with so much good, so much depth, to come (I now realize, obviously). </div>
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Tonight's melodic transportation came by way of "Why Am I the One," by fun. Those first few notes played, and I was instantly transported back to Gulf Shores, in a condo on the beach. September 2012. My bachelorette party. We had all risen from bed, and the familiar scrape of pots and pans and utensils and the drip-drip-gurgle-drip of coffee were the soundtrack to the morning, until someone - I don't know who - turned on some music. </div>
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I danced around to this song while eating a plate of scrambled eggs, surrounded by my best friends and my sister, and I will never forget it. </div>
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And that's all there really is to the memory. And I am thankful for it. </div>
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Thank you. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-73254887950497277732019-10-30T14:13:00.000-04:002019-10-30T14:13:29.423-04:00on making time to write. I am currently drinking coffee and (accidentally) eating a couple pieces of the candy I bought yesterday for the Trick-or-Treaters tomorrow. Muffled light seeps into the kitchen from the laundry room - every other light is off downstairs. And even though I feel like I would rather be in bed snoozing during this (usually small) window of time when both of my children are asleep for nap time, I am writing.<br />
<br />
It's so easy to scroll Instagram in these moments, isn't it? To escape out of our own lives for a bit, to see what others are up to, to see what leggings and boots and coats our favorite "influencers" are pushing. To watch story after story after story.<br />
<br />
I get it, I really do. But I have to make a change.<br />
<br />
I used to have a lot of time to devote to reading and writing. It was one of the main things I did each day, and looking back on it now, I know that is because reading and writing bring me a joy that is life-enhancing. Give me a well-worn library book, give me the latest issue (or perhaps an unread issue from months back, as is the case lately), give me a notebook open to a fresh page alongside a pen, give me an open laptop. These are my people.<br />
<br />
I noticed a large shift when I went to grad school. And then another large shift when my first child was born. And then another shift when my second child was born. The common denominator in all of these scenarios? Less time.<br />
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A long time ago, one of my favorite YouTubers said that once she had her daughter, it taught her invaluable time management skills. Being pre-child at that time myself, I was like, "Yeah, ok, whatever. Having a kid really can't be that time consuming, you're just doing your normal life with someone in tow."<br />
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Let me just go ahead and say that is inaccurate, and let me just go ahead and insert my foot into my mouth.<br />
<br />
Life is changed by having children. Priorities shift wildly. Hobbies and interests that are not iron clad are thrown to the wind. There is the birth of the child, yes, but there is also the birth of you after that child. A rebirth. You become new, and your new self has different responsibilities, and even though it sounds trite, it is enormous in a way that is unimaginable before you find yourself in these exhausting-challenging-rewarding-glorious trenches.<br />
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My children have absolutely taught me an encyclopedia-set-sized amount on time management. I have succeeded some days, I have failed miserably other days. Sometimes I don't brush my teeth until after lunch. Sometimes (like today) I wear pajamas all day, even though there is someone coming over to my house. Sometimes tears are shed (by both parties) when one of my children refuses to nap. But sometimes, I throw things into a crock pot and let dinner simmer all day long, filling the house with delicious, comforting aromas. Sometimes I fold all of the laundry and even put it away. Sometimes - sometimes, but not often enough - I sit down to read and write.<br />
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I am so happy that is how I chose to spend this gloomy, drizzly nap time today. Sipping coffee, tapping the laptop keyboard, letting the thoughts flow. Thank you.siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-43277488408521768452019-06-23T07:45:00.000-04:002019-06-23T07:45:09.588-04:00from the floor of a bedroom, part two. <div style="text-align: justify;">
Good morning from Lake Norman. </div>
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Yesterday, Justin, the boys, & I went out for Saturday morning coffee. When it was time to return home, we decided to just keep driving, & this is where we ended up. It has afforded us an impromptu visit with family, as well as a respite from daily life in our own little bubble. </div>
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Life lately has consisted of adhering to nap times, drinking inordinate amounts of coffee, having hummus & crackers with my two-and-a-half-year-old, & trying to squeeze in some sleep here & there. We are currently making our way through the four month sleep regression. I phrase it in that way because I truly believe that this particular developmental milestone demands that you simply survive. Sure, I've read the books, I follow the sleep experts on Instagram (and watch their stories religiously)... but somehow, we are still met with a bit of a challenge in this department right now. </div>
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I won't sugar coat it - it's hard. And unfortunately, I am one of those particular individuals who are grumpy when they lack sleep. </div>
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But, it won't last forever, and we will persevere. </div>
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I'm making it sound far too dramatic, but that's what happens on little sleep & a lot of coffee. </div>
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I was chatting with a friend yesterday via text, and she remarked that maybe, one day, we would look back on this time in our lives and miss it. </div>
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I replied that I thought we certainly would. After all, despite the challenges of our daily lives, there is an overarching tone of joy, of purpose. From moment to moment, hour to hour, I find myself already missing it. The whole-face smile of a four month old baby, the stories told by a nearly-three-year-old, punctuated by the question, "Ee-mem-er?" On two hours' sleep or twelve, nothing could be sweeter, nothing could be more significant. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-15181050024581636622018-11-26T19:36:00.000-05:002018-11-26T19:38:35.870-05:00travel diary: SHV to ATL. <div style="text-align: justify;">
I've always been an emotional person. As a nine year old, I recall watching The Secret Garden on repeat, crying at the end every time. I remember feeling overcome with emotion as I reflected on how far all of the characters had come, how much they all had grown. My parents always asked me, "Why do you watch that movie, if you know it makes you cry?" </div>
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Excellent question. But I didn't know the answer then, and I still don't really know the answer now. </div>
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Now, I am an overly-emotional pregnant person. Things like seeing my favorite Christmas decoration on display the day after Thanksgiving in my parents' home made me cry. So did multiple commercials that we viewed in between football games over the last few days. </div>
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It's always been a part of who I am, and I am guessing that it always will be. The one thing that makes it hard? I get embarrassed. Our society isn't one that really accepts emotional outbursts of any kind, especially in public. So, what am I supposed to do? </div>
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I've tried lots of different techniques to stop the water works, whether it be on the comfort of my own couch or standing in line at Chipotle. Looking up, biting my tongue, thinking of something funny. I'll be honest and say any combination of these techniques works roughly 25% of the time. Every other time, I'm left with watering eyes and a red nose, which gives me away immediately. </div>
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Maybe, as humans, we're designed for public displays of emotion. Maybe it makes us all appear a little more relatable to our peers. Maybe it reminds us all that we're in this together, that things don't always have to be easy, that we don't always have to be strong and appear braver than we are. Maybe I'll stop trying to hide my tears and just let them flow. Maybe we all should. </div>
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So, if you see a pregnant lady crying outwardly in public, just hand over a tissue and give reassuring nod. True, maybe something big is going on in their life, but maybe they just saw a puppy in a sweater and their hormonally-overloaded heart just can't take it. </div>
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Or, you know, maybe they're just human. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-60290868305329843892018-11-21T12:40:00.002-05:002018-11-21T12:40:51.480-05:00thankful. <div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course this week lends itself to the making of mental lists of things for which we are thankful. My list this year contains all of the usual suspects, including family, health, and safe travels down to Louisiana to celebrate. </div>
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But this year, there's another item on my list. Something I have taken for granted in the past, though I always should have known better. It's something that has largely evaded me in recent months... well, years. It's something I've felt intermittently, sometimes unexpectedly, but haven't acted upon in quite a while. </div>
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What is it? </div>
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Inspiration. Simple, blessed, inspiration. </div>
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I feel it most often when I return to Shreveport, to the Ontario House. Something about this house leads me right into the arms of waiting words. Maybe it's the proximity to so many loved ones. Maybe it's all the work and labors of love that have gone into making this house our family home of so many years. Maybe it's the memories of sitting at the dining room table with a steaming cup of coffee, creating blogging schedules, tapping things out on my beloved white MacBook, scheduling posts for months in advance. </div>
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I don't know exactly what it is, but for reasons I can't adequately explain, I feel immense gratitude, overflowing thanks. </div>
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Happy Thanksgiving to whomever may be out there, reading this. Thank you for being part of this story. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-23087843161537220192018-07-12T22:37:00.001-04:002018-07-12T22:37:09.273-04:00on consistency & self discipline. <b>hastily tapped out in my phone notes while en route from Denver to Raleigh last week - </b><br />
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I'll never understand why I stop doing things that I like.<br />
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Working out. Eating healthfully. Writing on this blog. </div>
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Human nature seems to dictate this weird need to depart from routines and activities and tasks, even if those things are beloved to us. Do we need a break from the monotony? Do we secretly need to rebel? Are we all just that wishy washy? </div>
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Maybe it's just me. But really, drawing from conversations with friends, I'm quite sure that it is not just me. Many of us seem to have to struggle inwardly against ourselves to make sure we are doing - consistently - the things that we love. </div>
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I know people who don't seem to struggle in this way. And a character trait that I observe in them, alongside this faithful, relentless, and unfailing consistency? Self discipline. </div>
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A long time ago, in what was probably 2006 or 2007, there was this feature you were able to install on Facebook that allowed individuals to write anonymous messages to you, that only you could view. I'll never forget one of the messages I got one night (in fact, it's the only message from that feature I even remember at all). It read, </div>
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"I wish you weren't such a flake." </div>
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Even now, I am not sure who of my friends wrote that message to me, though I have an idea or two that would certainly make sense*. At that time in my life, I will admit that I was flaky. I was flighty and anxious and always trying to fit in and please people and be viewed as fun. And now, I can recognize that life - and living a happy one at that - is not about pleasing everyone with what a lively and vivacious person you are, with how many stories you have to tell, with how new and exciting your life is - and remains - day after day. Your real friends and family will love you, even when you're dull, even when you don't know what to say, even when you're in a dark place. </div>
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I wish I would have known that back then, so that I could have been the kind of friend to whomever wrote that message, that I try to emulate now. I wish I would have known how to look deep inside myself and recognize all that I truly love and hold dear. And I wish I would have had the courage then, to be true to myself. I wish I would have had more self discipline, to stick beside plans, to stick beside my friends, to stick beside myself. </div>
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And now, I hope and pray for the kind of self discipline that yields consistency. Consistency with exercise, healthful eating, sharing by way of this blog, connecting with dear friends. </div>
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I hope and pray for that magical, unyielding consistency. </div>
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*If you wrote that message to me, and you are reading this, please know that I am truly sorry that I was not there for you. I sincerely wish I would have been. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-48243752404505196222018-07-08T11:49:00.000-04:002018-07-08T11:49:02.687-04:00the sunday currently, volume 124. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcpiQDkIuhBYp1cQkMRm-xM1w2YKfgqjM39L0Zx_Xwz-qpuKo1eFpbdmgHvl65a9H34_nPipRE3F_9JXDfGhWD9TWHYdzlbQHM9aE6pwcOcXlBmIAgaPyUgxP6RJRa3_3ickq-A8w2A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-08+at+11.42.24+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="959" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVcpiQDkIuhBYp1cQkMRm-xM1w2YKfgqjM39L0Zx_Xwz-qpuKo1eFpbdmgHvl65a9H34_nPipRE3F_9JXDfGhWD9TWHYdzlbQHM9aE6pwcOcXlBmIAgaPyUgxP6RJRa3_3ickq-A8w2A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-07-08+at+11.42.24+AM.png" /></a></div>
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<i><b>beautiful flowers all around vail</b></i></div>
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<b>reading</b> <i>Fierce</i>, by Aly Raisman. A couple of weeks ago, I finally finished <i>Big Little Lies</i>, by Liane Moriarty, which I really enjoyed.<br />
<b>writing</b> a lot in my bullet journal, including adding photos and keepsakes. It's been a while since I've done this kind of journaling, and it really is my favorite.<br />
<b>listening</b> to the Office while typing out this blog post. Nothing makes me feel better like this show does.<br />
<b>thinking</b> that I am really glad that Justin and I built in some trip recovery time on the back end of our trek to Colorado. It really does take some time to get re-acclimated to the time zone you've returned to. We've both been feeling so tired since we got back.<br />
<b>smelling</b> coffee and donuts. The breakfast of champions.<br />
<b>wishing</b> for some tortilla soup today. I had some at a place called Hacienda Colorado in Denver. It was so good, and I've been craving it ever since.<br />
<b>hoping</b> for a productive and joyful week ahead.<br />
<b>wearing</b> pajamas, just like I have been doing since we arrived home from Colorado.<br />
<b>loving</b> the flowers we got to enjoy all around Vail (see photo above). <br />
<b>wanting</b> tortilla soup. I'm telling you, I can't stop thinking about it.<br />
<b>needing</b> a shower and a fresh perspective.<br />
<b>feeling</b> sad for a dear friend and praying for healing and comfort for her and her family.<br />
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See all volumes of <i><a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" target="_blank">The Sunday Currently</a></i> here.<br />
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<b>What little pieces are making up the normal in your life today? Link up & share below. </b><br />
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<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=2409afbc-eaf2-4e04-88c8-63b4779f9f0e" type="text/javascript"></script>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-11644633029478083482018-02-20T09:20:00.000-05:002018-02-20T09:25:07.807-05:00small kindnesses. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlq-pTp5QScC98W_XWG7YIF_evg-n0GJflKrIXQw4lkH_lySjePvIVov_xyc1pRXX-QnUCYM7EtPAyCia7543uhyphenhyphen60iEJxMIpE5xIUhNzNK2PLENj6HYT2Z4XQJYw-bntazyJu63j-7U/s1600/blogflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="670" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlq-pTp5QScC98W_XWG7YIF_evg-n0GJflKrIXQw4lkH_lySjePvIVov_xyc1pRXX-QnUCYM7EtPAyCia7543uhyphenhyphen60iEJxMIpE5xIUhNzNK2PLENj6HYT2Z4XQJYw-bntazyJu63j-7U/s1600/blogflowers.jpg" /></a></div>
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Last night, Luke and I met Justin for dinner at a little Italian restaurant around the corner from our house. We had only been there once before, but I had really loved it and had anticipated going back. </div>
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When we walked in, I was struck again with the little joys of this place: green and white penny tile flooring, the glow of tea lights, and these white and pink roses, dotted with cranberries. </div>
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As we sat down and got settled, I took my phone out and snapped a quick photo, as you see above. As I was doing so, the waitress swept over and greeted us, began asking what we would like to drink. Slightly embarrassed at being caught doing something so vaguely rude and touristy as photographing flowers in a restaurant, I quickly slipped my phone away and stammered an awkward hello (it's true - and I have the "live photo" evidence to prove it). </div>
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Rather than be annoyed at yet another person tinkering with their phone at the dinner table, the waitress smiled and asked, "Are you taking photos of my flowers?" Relieved that I wasn't being quietly chided for this minor faux pas, I admitted that yes, I was, and that they were beautiful, launching us into a polite, light-hearted discussion about flowers. Frivolous? Yes. Refreshing? Also yes.</div>
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The night was punctuated by a lady who had been dining with her husband, approaching our table to tell us the following: "What a good baby. He was a delight to watch at dinner. Was that him singing?" </div>
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Anyone who has dined out with a toddler knows that things aren't always predictable. Sometimes there's shrieking. Sometimes there's crying. Sometimes there are loud outbursts of talking. Sometimes there is the throwing of any number of table-top objects. Luke is, usually, relatively good at the dinner table, since he loves to eat and socialize. He hadn't been perfect at this dinner (really, what child ever is?), but I had counted it as a success, because he had devoured the manicotti, drunk plenty of water, and had, in fact, been singing (at a polite volume). </div>
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But for a stranger to approach your dinner table, simply to sing your child's well-mannered praises? Well, that is something very special indeed. A small act of kindness, which definitely does not go unnoticed. </div>
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And as the lady walked away, I smiled and said to Justin, "Really, there is no higher praise than that." I am thankful for the kind of dinner we had last night, because to me, it's the small kindnesses that sometimes make the biggest difference. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-84573069868702877712018-02-18T13:33:00.002-05:002018-02-18T13:33:42.582-05:00the sunday currently, volume 123. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwHmA7ra6JmDF_YlJckZhzA_tQi8hyphenhyphenZLWgjez7MBpWquVlFkERy1veqVtQAtnz0lD_OkxSc8TLdX01AgyJfmLVNcJZloLhzXSdO7f0qLcnhC-F4WW6SArtUv_jdMQXr1trZ3AR9nkfXw/s1600/TSC123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="670" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwHmA7ra6JmDF_YlJckZhzA_tQi8hyphenhyphenZLWgjez7MBpWquVlFkERy1veqVtQAtnz0lD_OkxSc8TLdX01AgyJfmLVNcJZloLhzXSdO7f0qLcnhC-F4WW6SArtUv_jdMQXr1trZ3AR9nkfXw/s1600/TSC123.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>reading</b> nothing at the moment. A little under a year ago, I started reading <i>Big Little Lies</i>, following watching - and loving - the show. I need to pick my iPad back up and re-start, and finish this book.<br />
<b>writing</b> daily pages in my pocket traveler's notebook from Chic Sparrow. I have the pocket Maverick, and I love it. Other things I write in my TN? Blog post drafts! I've also been writing in my new bullet journal - my second one ever. I finished my first one a couple of months ago, and dropped the practice for a little while. I'm so glad I picked it back up - I really believe it's the best planner/journaling/memory keeping system for me. My first bullet journal was a large, black, squared Moleskine. My second one is a blue, dotted Artists' Loft notebook from Michael's. I'm hoping to try the Leuchtturm 1917 next.<br />
<b>listening</b> to a playlist that I made in anticipation of my 30th birthday. The songs remind me of the wait for Luke to arrive, wondering if we were going to share a birthday. Little did I know, I'd have to wait until September to meet the little guy.<br />
<b>thinking</b> that Luke and I are ready for Justin to get home. He has been in Austin since Thursday, so Luke and I have been holding down the fort since then. We've enjoyed our Mama-Luke time, but we're definitely ready to be a household of three again.<br />
<b>smelling</b> like <i>Sensual Amber</i> from Bath and Body Works, a year-round favorite, despite its silly name.<br />
<b>wishing</b> for an end to the violence that's been going on in our country. That's all I'm going to say on the matter.<br />
<b>hoping</b> for a productive week. Luke and I need to get some stuff done around the house, run some errands, and I am beginning a 10-day health and fitness challenge tomorrow. Time to get in shape!<br />
<b>wearing</b> one of my favorite necklaces lately. It's a gold bar from Stella & Dot, and it has the coordinates of the hospital where Luke was born etched into it. It was a gift from Justin when Luke was born.<br />
<b>loving</b> being back in the blogosphere. There's nothing quite like it. I've missed it. And I'm loving starting again with <i>The Sunday Currently</i>!<br />
<b>wanting</b> to eat sushi every single day. Hibachi is a close second.<br />
<b>needing</b> to clean out my email accounts.<br />
<b>feeling</b> ready to get in shape. And thankful. And hopeful.<br />
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See all volumes of <i>The Sunday Currently</i> <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently">here</a>.<br />
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What little pieces are making up the normal in your life today? Link up & share below.<br />
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<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=befc5e2c-3ccc-4f60-9295-b038506b70b9" type="text/javascript"></script>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-81410379437223045412018-02-14T15:07:00.000-05:002018-02-14T15:07:13.863-05:00blogging in twenty-eighteen. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in December, <a href="https://www.emilyabernathy.com/">this kind girl right here</a> commented on one of my Instagram posts (see above). </div>
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She asked if I planned to start writing again in 2018, and to be completely honest, I hadn't even given it much of a thought until her question. And believe me - I'm glad, so glad, that she asked. </div>
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Sometimes, I find, even when I love to do something, miss doing something - it takes an extra external push to have the courage to jump in with both feet. It is often at the prompting of friends, the asking of family, that I press on, keep at it, remember to make time for writing. And when other external forces inadvertently work to quell that desire to write, it becomes more difficult to put energy into it.<br />
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First, OT school happened, which took almost all of my mental energy. Then, I became a mom - one of the biggest changes and challenges and joys in my life - and that took all of my mental, physical, and emotional energy. Then, I graduated OT school, and a few months later, started working, and that took up quite a bit of all of those energies also.<br />
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It's no wonder that I was absent from one of my most loved hobbies - even though I continually missed it. In addition to the things I mentioned above, I was also happily trucking along with everyday life, keeping up with family, friends, figuring out how to manage my household (still working on that one)... etc. I've been settling into myself, and it has taken some time.<br />
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All of this to say... I hope to write more here this year. I've been thinking up some series to start doing, possibly falling back on some older series, and really, just planning on opening up my browser and typing more often, whatever it may be about.<br />
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Here's to the joy of blogging, of sharing. Thank you, Emily. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-54187056947125279492017-11-14T19:16:00.002-05:002017-11-14T19:16:37.311-05:00this november. <div style="text-align: justify;">
the days are getting shorter, the nights longer. there is a crisp freshness carried in the air, the leaves blowing behind it. trees stand guard in red, yellow, orange. it's been years since november has felt this distinctly fall. and i love it. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-42014388902290955162017-05-03T08:30:00.000-04:002017-05-03T08:30:18.573-04:00the sunday currently, volume 122: wednesday edition. <div style="text-align: justify;">
Good morning from the C residence, and happy Wednesday! Obviously, I have missed posting editions of <i>The Sunday Currently</i> for the past couple of weeks, so I thought I would go ahead and post one on Wednesday, rather than wait until Sunday again. Make sense? Good. </div>
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<b>reading</b> <i>Big Little Lies</i>, by Liane Moriarty. Actually, I haven't been reading it, because my iPad is not upstairs by my bed. I need to find where it is and put it back, because I miss reading. I really, really miss reading Shannon Miller's book, so much so, that I may re-read it after I finish the current book. </div>
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<b>writing</b> in my large, black, squared Moleskine, and loving every minute of it. Also writing in? My Filofax. I realized how much I missed that beloved planner, so I ordered some inserts, and it is back in commission. </div>
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<b>listening</b> to Luke's singing cow. It has long been a tradition that he visits with his singing cow during morning swings. Also listening to Glide videos. </div>
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<b>thinking</b> that I can't wait for OPI's <i>Cajun Shrimp</i> to arrive in the mail tomorrow. I've never owned that color, and I am so excited that I finally will, as I have always wanted it, since around 2010. </div>
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<b>smelling</b> freshly brewed coffee. I'm drinking it right now, too. </div>
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<b>wishing</b> that I was a more innately productive person. And that I was good at prioritizing. And that I was a good cook. </div>
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<b>hoping </b>for a productive day. </div>
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<b>wearing</b> pajama pants and a baggy black shirt. Soon, I'll be putting on workout clothes so that Luke and I can go for a walk. </div>
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<b>loving</b> getting to spend so much time with my son. It is hard to be productive with a baby, yes, but I cherish these days spent getting to know him and watching him learn. </div>
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<b>wanting</b> coffee, coffee, and more coffee today. Oh, the constant I'm-tired parent struggle. It's real. </div>
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<b>needing</b> to drink lots of water, in edition to that coffee. My newly-instituted habit tracker in the above-mentioned Moleskine has revealed that I absolutely suck at drinking water. As if I didn't already know that. I think that I will drink water instead of absolutely anything else (except for coffee) over the next few days. That should help, right? Or just dehydrate me. Lauren, you can do this. Just drink water. Just do it. It's not difficult. </div>
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<b>feeling</b> sore. I have worked out every day of May so far. But also inspired. And ready to make this a good day. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Lora, serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">
<i>siddathornton through the years</i>:<br />
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<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2012/05/quote-that-really-takes-me-back.html">2012</a>, <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-photo-challenge-day-three-something.html">2012</a> | <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2013/05/fridays-fancies-68-southern.html">2013</a><br />
<br />
See all volumes of <i>The Sunday Currently</i> <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" style="color: #bf8b38; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What little pieces are making up the normal in your life today? Link up & share below! </b></div>
<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=29ac67e0-4e71-4ab9-9db3-12bac4812acc" type="text/javascript"></script>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-15106198062271330932017-04-09T14:41:00.003-04:002017-04-09T14:41:54.679-04:00the sunday currently, volume 121. <div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gEU7NYh-6zxhTVD19rk7mn3XD3kiEtMF7b-j5YoR1rwWoAHhl1Zv9GWaBHglhHJASQU7pgyqN0tV_6MBDrg7ArCJRkGjnkacu27bzYU1a4ETT0-eo1lYWum_rbggq5MLnEE6w2t3k0M/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gEU7NYh-6zxhTVD19rk7mn3XD3kiEtMF7b-j5YoR1rwWoAHhl1Zv9GWaBHglhHJASQU7pgyqN0tV_6MBDrg7ArCJRkGjnkacu27bzYU1a4ETT0-eo1lYWum_rbggq5MLnEE6w2t3k0M/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><b>rainy day last week</b></i> </div>
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Good morning & happy Sunday, everyone! Welcome to the reinstatement of <i><a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2011/07/the-sunday-currently.html">The Sunday Currently</a></i>! I've recently had <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2017/04/on-loyalty.html">a bit of a revelation</a> where blogging is concerned, & I am so happy to be back here with you, sharing the normal details of my Sundays. Back in grad school, & right after having my son, I felt like I was too busy to pen one of these posts each week. That makes me very sad, because I feel as if these posts are a kind of living time capsule. When I go back & read past TSC posts, I respond in one of two ways, usually: </div>
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1. <i>Ohhhh, I remember that.</i></div>
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2. <i>Cool! I don't remember doing that.</i> </div>
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While I greatly enjoy the experience of the former, it is the latter that inspires me to write these posts and keep up with this practice. The capturing of small memories that may have been lost, the window into a moment in time... that is the impetus for these posts & the reason I have decided to bring them back. I can make time for this, and I will. </div>
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Currently...</div>
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<b>reading</b> <i>It's Not About Perfect</i>, by Shannon Miller. So far this year, I have read <i>Talking As Fast As I Can</i>, by Lauren Graham; <i>Scrappy Little Nobody,</i> by Anna Kendrick; <i>Letters to a Young Gymnast</i>, by Nadia Comaneci; <i>Off Balance</i>, by Dominique Moceanu; and <i>Little Girls in Pretty Boxes</i>, by Joan Ryan. I am planning to read <i>Big Little Lies</i>, by Liane Moriarty, after I finish Shannon Miller's book, since I enjoyed the television show so much (and I am now making Justin watch it with me!).</div>
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<b>writing</b> lots of to-do lists on the magnetic notepad I bought a couple days ago at Marshall's. I have lots of stray, random items that need to be accomplished, & it is already helping to corral all of them so that I can remain focused and actually productive. </div>
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<b>listening</b> to "Selling The Drama," by Live, was a good idea this morning. I listened to the <i>Throwing Copper </i>album a lot at the end of junior year of high school, so, to me, this song & many others sound like new beginnings. </div>
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<b>thinking</b> that this stage of motherhood is pretty sweet. I have a post coming soon about Luke's birth story, & after that, I'll be sharing a post called <i>life after birth</i>. I have decided I want to share my story, even though I hesitated for a long while. More on that coming soon. </div>
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<b>smelling</b> a freshly-bathed baby is the best thing! Luke takes a bath every other night, & it is one of my favorite things!</div>
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<b>wishing</b> I had kept up with the practice of writing TSC posts through the last couple of years, as I mentioned in the introduction of this post. The only thing there is to do, is to keep up the practice now, so that's what I'm going to do. </div>
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<b>hoping</b> for a great week ahead. Justin is off, so I am looking forward to us spending time as a family of three! We are hoping to put some stuff up in the play room so that Luke can practice pulling up, which he is already starting to do!</div>
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<b>wearing</b> the Patagonia fleece that my parents got me for Christmas. Like, all the time. I love it. It's one of my greatest comforts at the moment. </div>
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<b>loving</b> the way that Luke's personality is developing. He is such a sweet baby, and curious, and stubborn, and talkative! </div>
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<b>wanting</b> more coffee. And I've already had two cups. It is Starbucks Sunday, after all, so I will probably indulge once we get out after Luke's second nap. </div>
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<b>needing</b> to drink a ton of water this week. Luckily, I joined a 21 day fitness challenge, and drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day is one of this week's assignments. I'm very much looking forward to not only this individual part of the challenge, but getting back into a healthy lifestyle over all. </div>
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<b>feeling</b> content & inspired. And happy to have written this TSC post today!<br />
<br />
<i>siddathornton through the years</i>:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2014/04/wilmington-snapshot-wrightsville-beach.html">2014</a><br />
<br />
See all volumes of <i>The Sunday Currently</i> <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently">here</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What little pieces are making up the normal in your life today? Link up & share below! </b></div>
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<script src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=fae81aaf-efa9-4161-a414-ce09285471be" type="text/javascript"></script>siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-2217158102498167752017-04-06T21:49:00.000-04:002017-04-06T21:49:05.994-04:00on loyalty. <div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a funny thing, isn't it, to think of being loyal to a blog. To a place on the internet. </div>
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This blog - <i>siddathornton</i> - & I have been through a lot together. 120 volumes of <i><a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2011/07/the-sunday-currently.html">The Sunday Currently</a></i>. Many hastily tapped out confessions. Many caffeine-enhanced ramblings. Many days spent tucked into the very back corner of the new Starbucks on Oleander Drive in Wilmington, shivering in the cold, coffee-scented air while I switched between writing in my many journals & planners, applying for OT school, and blogging, always blogging. Mornings at Port City Java, when things felt so new. Afternoons at Port City Java, when I ate chocolate chip muffins, burrowed into a fuzzy, cream colored scarf and tried to write a business plan. Travels to & from Shreveport. A cataloguing of the weddings of my friends, and then, our wedding. </div>
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These things are all the moving parts of the things that I hold most dear: my relationships. </div>
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So, I guess it's not really a funny thing at all, loyalty. It's familiarity, it's sinking deep into a warm blanket of memories, of identity, of knowing one's self. I can't think of anything more comforting. So, here we are, ready to make even more memories, <i>siddathornton</i> & I... ready to keep holding on to the old ones, too. </div>
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-- </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>siddathornton through the years</i>: </div>
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<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2012/04/friday-fancies-26-flower-power.html">2012</a> | <a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-sunday-currently-volume-81.html">2014</a> </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-32512072962343340652017-02-08T13:08:00.000-05:002017-02-08T13:08:32.494-05:00hello again. I miss this space.<br />
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I created a new blog, have written on it spottily over the last few months, and still, I am drawn back here.<br />
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That means something, right?<br />
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There's something about blogging that makes me value and celebrate and experience joyfully all that goes on in my life. Why should I stop?<br />
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It's kind of like exercising. Every time I start, I can't believe how amazing it feels and why I ever stopped doing it. But, it takes time and effort, and when those commodities are running low, I feel forced to cut "non-essentials," and that is how I get to the point of not blogging, and, similarly, not exercising.<br />
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Since becoming a mother, I have read a lot about continuing "self care" and everything associated with that. I'd be lying if I said that this isn't something I've struggled with. However, a quote that really resonates with me is the following: "You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first." A quick Google search did not produce the author of this quote, but I find myself thinking of these words often.<br />
<br />
Luke is 5 months old now, but I am still struggling to adhere to any kind of routine for myself. Showering, fixing my hair, getting dressed, and putting on makeup, among other self care activities, often fall to the wayside as I attend to his needs. I know that there has to be a way to have both, but I haven't found the magic time management recipe yet.<br />
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I figure I've just got to keep trying. If I keep these things at the forefront of my mind, eventually I will figure it out, right? I will say that the experience of becoming a parent has led me to respect parents who have it all together so much (and parents that don't have it all together). This is a big job, taking care of a human being. And right now, all I'm doing is the best I can. And that is enough.siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-28921722932818980512016-06-19T10:20:00.004-04:002016-06-19T10:20:56.931-04:00goodbye & hello. a brand new place for memories is right <a href="http://camelliavignettes.weebly.com/">here</a>.siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2663693627655371969.post-65155872147183933592016-05-28T16:50:00.000-04:002016-05-28T16:50:43.177-04:00a recognition of myself. <div style="text-align: justify;">
i need to remember to write. </div>
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not only is it like therapy to me, </div>
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but i just don't want to fall </div>
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out of the practice.</div>
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i already feel rusty at just </div>
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simply writing my thoughts down.</div>
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i always have myself. </div>
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i always have a pen and paper.</div>
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i always have books and stories</div>
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and movies and shows on netflix. </div>
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i need stillness and quiet</div>
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and a recognition of myself.</div>
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to have those things</div>
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is to have peace. </div>
siddathorntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566532867568697455noreply@blogger.com0