Sheila and Sarah - Day 4

Sheila Day 4

November will soon be part of history, and a new month filled with Christmas wonder and joy will open its sleepy eyes.  December is a month filled with anticipation and excitement.  There are Christmas programs filled with little kiddos dressed like angels, shepherds, Mary,  Joseph and often completing the scene,  a doll that lays in a manger representing the wee baby Jesus.  There are sticky little fingers from gooey Christmas treats, the shaking of packages that lie beneath trees, and for some of us, the holidays might even represent a little more junk in our proverbial trunks as we vow to tackle that extra weight after the New Year!  There are wonderful smells of pine and spiced cider, there are lights that twinkle amidst the darkened night skies, there is the laughter and sometimes bickering of families as they gather together to share life and love, and the season is well, mystical and magical!   I can tell you for sure, this girl LOVES Christmas!

The last couple of nights have been heavy and somewhat difficult, sooooooooo I decided to shift gears a bit and focus on what I totally LOVE about the Christmas season.  After all, I know these things for sure!  I love that Sarah has had her tree up for weeks and I know that will always be the case.  She loves how the tree makes her feel.  She had a mini meltdown this year as her pre-lit light refused to light and she and Jesse do not have the money to replace her gold tree that her daddy bought her.  When I went there for Thanksgiving it smelled so Christmasy in her house, the tree was lit up with purchased lights, and there were cozy blankets for guests to wrap in if the need presented itself.  There were huge mugs that she got for a shower gift, and we wrapped up in blankets and drank coffee in the morning.  It was wonderful!

I know that Jordan and Sam could not wait to get their tree up too.  Monkey wrench, mom forgot it on her way to Fargo!  Bad mama!  My friend went to pick it up for them and bring it when she came.  She got the tree and one box of decorations, but then the landlord shut the shed and took the key . . . no more decorations for them!   I am hoping by now that they have bridged the moving gap and now have Christmas love and warmth in their new home.

I absolutely love KIDDOS!  Their smiles are never pasted on, they say what they think or feel and know that they will still be loved, and their anticipation for the magic of the season still astonishes me.  They believe in a large man dressed all in red, that flies in a magical sled filled with packages, reindeer assure that he will make his way through the night skies, and never, ever do they question if they have been too naughty to receive a gift.  They believe with a blind faith in a baby Jesus, born in a manger, in the little town of Bethlehem so many, many years ago.  They believe that Jesus does indeed love them!  If you doubt that, watch them as they sing Jesus Loves Me at the top of their lungs.  They don't question, they don't doubt, and they trust what they believe to be true.  I love little kiddos . . . sigh:)

I love how this season makes me feel inside!  I love thinking about stories of Christmas past.  I remember the Christmas when I was a little girl and I got the most beautiful red robe, with a black ribbon on the waist, and beautiful paisley prints for the skirt.  I felt like a princess in that robe.  I also got a smiley face piggy bank!  I do not remember a lot of things, but I do remember that year.  I remember coming home from my grandma and grandpa's on Christmas Eve to discover that Santa had come!   I remember going to church on Christmas Day, after all, that is why we have Christmas.  I remember Santa calling me to see what I wanted for Christmas and later he would call my kiddos until they caught onto who it was:)  I remember the Christmas that there was no money, and yet, magically some wonderful soul brought winter coats and electric blankets so we would all stay warm... I never knew that we got those things because we had no money until I was much older.  I remember the year when we sacrificed our gift so my sister could have a special black hills gold ring that she dreamt of having.  I remember having my own kiddos and seeing the bright eyes and smiles as that perfect something that they dreamt of had found its way under the tree.  I remember putting up the tree and dragging up all of the decorations.  I loved how we felt as a family when the tree twinkled in the darkness.  I would leave it on all the time as if somehow the spirit of Christmas would continue to fill me while I slept.  I remember giving my sister an American Girl Doll because she never had dolls as a kid.  And the memories just keep trickling in,  and I am sitting here, smiling from the inside out, with tears running down my face, remembering the joys of Christmas past.

I do not know what today holds, and I sure do not know about tomorrow, but I hope that this December opens the gift of memories of Christmas past and is a gift for you in Christmas present.

Sheila

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Sarah Day 4

Mom is right, the last few days have been more difficult than usual, so I'm excited to be writing about something much "lighter" tonight. There are so many things that I love about the Christmas season, which is why I choose to set my tree up the day after Halloween. I like my Christmas season to be EXTRA long! 

I have always been a Christmas person. When I was younger, Mom and I would usually set the tree up after Thanksgiving. We always made a full day out of it. We would usually start in the morning, Mom would have a pot of coffee brewing which made the house smell so good, I would turn on the Christmas music, and then we would go downstairs to bring up all the totes full of decorations. Mom and I were never completely happy with the decorations in the totes, so we usually made at least one trip to town to go shopping for some new things that would make the tree different than the last year. We have this shop in Thief River called H.D. Floral and it is always decorated so beautifully, especially during Christmas! They usually have close to 10 trees in their shop and each one is decorated differently. I always gravitate towards the bright peacock themed tree, and mom usually goes for the cream, brown, and gold tree with animal prints. We were inspired after seeing those two trees for the first time, so now my tree is peacock themed and mom's is cream, brown, and gold with animal prints. Most of the ornaments are hand painted by the gals who work there, and they also make the most gorgeous bows for tree toppers. And wreaths! I have a stunning peacock wreath that I've had for almost four years now and I'm still obsessed with it. Uff, I could on and on. Anyway, we would usually make a trip to H.D. and come out an hour later after spending at least $100 dollars. Christmas decorating with Mom is definitely my favorite Christmas memory.

I'm a winter person, so another thing I love about the Christmas season is plugging in all the lights first thing in the morning, starting the coffee, turning on the Hallmark channel to the Christmas movies, and opening the curtains to see the snow outside. There's something so comforting about being inside all warm and cozy when it's snowing and freezing outside. Jesse makes fun of me because I get a little grumpy this time of year when I open the curtains to see the sun shining with no snow falling. I would rather have it be cloudy and snowy so I can enjoy being inside and cozy. When it's bright and sunny outside, I feel like I should be doing something useful out there, which won't happen because the sun usually means it's bitterly cold. Around here, the sun in December is usually not a good sign. 

My kitties always make the Christmas season a little more fun for me, too. Jesse and I have three cats, so when I set up the tree, they have to play in every single tote and box, and then bat the bulbs all over the place with their paws, and they usually try to eat the garland. They can be a little annoying, but they definitely make me laugh and keep me entertained when I'm decorating. Plus, there's normally at least one cat sleeping under the tree which is just so darn cute! 

This year is especially exciting for me as Christmas gets closer because that means my wedding is getting closer! I've had this saying ever since Jesse and I set a date, "the colder the weather, the closer the wedding." Jesse and I are convinced that we probably picked the coldest day of the year to get married on. January is the coldest month in MN and ND, so we are preparing ourselves for a bitterly chill day. Which I'm perfectly fine with, as long as there isn't a blizzard. Please cross your fingers for us!

Yup, Christmas brings all sorts of memories and blessings to my life. When I see the decorations in my home and around town, I'm constantly reminded about all the things that I have to be thankful for. When I think about all that I am thankful for, I can't help but smile and feel all warm inside. Although this blog is often difficult to write, the thing that I love most about it, is that it gives me a couple hours every day to sit and reflect on the memories and blessings in my life. It gives me a little time to appreciate the things that I don't always find the time to appreciate. That is a blessing. 

Sarah

Sheila and Sarah - Day 3

Sheila Day 3

I have to admit that I am already struggling to communicate on some level what I know, because in reality, there is so much that I honestly do not know.  I think Rah and I are in the same place because at only day 3, we both feel as though we are searching for some sort of direction.  I am looking for something, I am listening for something I cannot hear yet, and I know something is out there, but why can't I seem to find the thread that will weave through the course of this blog.  I am looking everywhere for inspiration, for something that will spark the fire as I try and and meld the words together into something that has meaning for me.  UGHHHHHHHHHH!

My journey today began with a little trip to Facebook where I often begin my day on the weekend.  I grabbed a cup of coffee with peppermint mocha creamer, my blanket, and the laplander cat plopped on my lap as soon as I sat down.  I like to take some time and look at pictures, read some quotes, have a laugh or two, and just see what kinds of "stuff" has happened through the past day or so.  This morning, the first image that popped onto my screen was the one above, and for some reason, I just cannot seem to let the image go today. 

Robin Williams was a man that spent his whole life making people laugh.  I actually remember when he entered onto the scene in Mork and Mindy!  Dang!  I am getting old!  Then I got to thinking about all the films that he did that made me laugh, made me cry, and  I remembered that smile of his touched me on a lot of different levels.  That smile of his.  That smile of his hid so much pain and suffering that the world never really knew about until it was, well, too late . . . sigh . . .

I put that image into the back of my brain for the morning and moved onto other things.  Then my sister called.  My sister who spends her life capturing images and smiles for hundreds and hundreds of families to share for generations to come.  She was on her own journey today and headed to a joyful event, but she was not feeling so joyful.  This is her busy season and she has been swamped.  I am sure that there were 1000+ things that she would have liked to get done, but alas, she was going to celebrate the upcoming birth of a kiddo for a friend that she loves.  While she was there she would capture the joy of a pending birth, create more images, that would require her to do even more work to make others happy.  She is tired.  I could hear it in her voice.  Then she said these words, "I gotta go hun, time to put on my fake smile, and head in . . . I love you."  I know the fake smile was NOT because she did not want to go, but rather because she is simply physically and mentally exhausted.  And now, I have two images in my brain . . . one of the quote this morning, and one of my exhausted little sister putting on her happy face to make someone else happy.  

Putting on a smile to make someone else happy.  I wonder how many individuals in the world are doing just that?  On some level, I hate that this blog makes me think so much that my brain actually hurts.  Weirdly enough, once the brain hurts, my heart hurts even more as there is just so darn much pain.  I have watched people that have just dealt with a death, paste on their smiles, greet those who have come to mourn with them, and yet, I know behind the smile, there is so much pain.  I work with students that have a brutally hard life, where they have dealt with blow after blow after blow, and yet, they too put on their happy faces, and I know behind the smile, there is so much pain and suffering.  I have heard people say brutally cruel words to another where the words have cut the other individual to the very core of their being, and yet, they shove that pain someplace and put on their happy face . . . sometimes even to the individual who caused the hurt.  And then I got to thinking about my own life.  Many would tell you that I am a positive person; however, I cannot count the number of times that I too have pasted on my smile in a quest to hide the pain of my own life.  

I wonder on some level if the smile has the ability to hide the pain that is deep inside of us creating a place to house the scars and the worries from those that are around us.  However, in a way, the fake smile is like a wall that keeps those out that might actually be able to help us in our life's journey.  I wonder why that is so hard for us to do?  Why do we protect ourselves so much? Why are we so afraid to ask for help?  Why don't we take the time to ask what is behind the fake smile?  Or . . . do we care?  UGHHHHHHHH, the quest for knowing equals more and more questions that are seemingly unable to be answered, and then I found this quote: "Smile and let everyone know that today, you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday!"  

Ahhhhhhhhh . . . there it is young grasshopper, something that I learned on my journey today.  I smiled through the tough stuff, and each and every time that I did, I was able to gain strength.  Kind of like a fake it til you make it giving the pasted on smile an actual purpose.I think that when we have to gain strength from the inside out, we figure things out for ourselves, and on some level, through that journey we find peace.  Now that does not mean that we don't need others to help us on the journey along the way, because I know from my own personal experience that we do.  However, I also know that a lot of folks just don't want to know other people's "stuff" as it is painful enough to have to deal with our own. So I will leave you with this, "Sometimes a smile hides a huge pain that only God knows about" and "you would be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides."  Then next time you see a smile, stop and say a little prayer for the person wearing it, it might mean more than you could ever imagine!

Sheila

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Sarah Day 3

I'm a little frustrated right now as I have been trying to write this blog post since 8:00 PM. I have written, and re-written, and re-re-written, but here I am, starting over again. So if this is a success, I will have re-re-re-written it. Actually, there is really no possible way that I can fail this time because I'm literally writing about not being able to write. My writers block is kicked in full gear. 

I woke up early this morning, cleaned up the apartment a little bit, went over to check on Jordan and Sam's cats, and then I began my schoolwork. I have been writing non-stop since 1:00 PM on Oceanic Dumping, which is one of my final assignments. It's a topic that I chose because it is a problem. How can I work for so long on something that is so heavy, but now when writing should be a piece of cake, I just can't? This blog is supposed to be light and happy and cheery, but the things that I have learned today and the things that I know, all weigh a little heavier on the heart. 

Isn't it frustrating that we can love doing something SO much, but sometimes it is beyond difficult to do? Nearly impossible, almost. For the fitness coaches out there, you love working out but some days it's the last thing that you want to do. For the health nuts, you love being healthy, but sometimes you just want to eat the crap you're craving. And for the teachers, you love your students but the last thing your doctor ordered for that screeching migraine is 20 kids. Or for the servers . . . you enjoy waiting on people but for one day you would really rather be waited on. 

Sometimes, it's really hard to smile and pretend that you're doing exactly what you want to be doing. Who says we have to act like it's always easy doing what we love or what we're usually really good at? That's just not the truth. It's not always easy. I definitely love writing, but in this moment, I'm not so good at it. Fortunately, for me, I am allowed to be honest with you all right now and tell you that. I'm definitely not saying that you should be bluntly honest every time you do something that you don't want to. Greeting your table with, "Hi, my name is Sarah and the last thing I want to do tonight is wait on you" probably won't go over real well. In that case, the fake smile and pretending is your best bet. =) 

Sarah

Sheila and Sarah - Day 2

Sheila Day 2

BLACK Friday . . . I have to be totally truthful and admit that I do not know a ton about the after the holiday  chaos that commonly has folks on the quest to find . . . well, something!  A few years ago, Rah thought it would be FUN for us to spend a little quality mother/daughter time and do a little Black Friday shopping.  Our first indicator that something was HORRIBLY wrong should have been that we drove around for 30+ minutes searching for a parking spot.  It really was like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack!  Frustration had almost set in even before the day began!  Once we found a place to park somewhere in the west forty, we made our way into Herbergers.  The scene that I saw as soon as we entered the doors, really was a site, and I struggled to move forward amidst the sea of people and stuff and sales people, and I kind of felt like I was in a mosh pit at a rock concert where the crowd moved you in a direction that you may or may not have intended to go.  The lines wrapped around the stores like garland wrapped around the branches of a beautiful evergreen.  Saying I was OVERWHELMED was a vast understatement.  I found myself panicking to get out of there and find someplace that was more peaceful, less crowded, and that did not feel so constricting!  As we made our way into the mall, we soon realized that place of peace did not exist in the mall on Black Friday.  Amidst the masses of people, things, and chaos, we seemed so insignificant . . .

This week, I heard many folks giggling and talking about their planned excursions to go Black Friday shopping today.  There were some cute pictures on Facebook of individuals exhausted and happy from the hunt.  I chuckled, because  I could not think of one thing that I needed or wanted that would bring me into a store today . . . that I KNOW for sure!  I did decide to do a little research as it is hard to get a ton of writing inspiration in your pj's plopped in a recliner. My journey today led me on a quest to discover the true meaning of Black Friday, and discover I did. 

Often businesses operate in the "red" even though the goal is typically to operate in the "black."  Black Friday indicates the point in which retailers began to turn a profit and operate in the black.  Weirdly enough, this happened for many after the Thanksgiving holiday when sales were targeted towards Christmas shoppers.  For many years retailers would open at 5:00 a.m. In the late 2000s, the time got earlier and earlier, and eventually rebels like Target, Kohls, Macy's, and others opened at midnight for the very first time!  In 2012, many stores announced that they would be opening at 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day causing a walkout by many workers.

The goal for retailers is the same as it is for all of us as individuals . . . to find a way to operate free from debt.  And I found myself thinking about this concept today, Black Friday, what it means for us as human beings to be in the black and the red.  I think that this is much, much more than a money thing, after all, how many of us are emotionally operating in deficit mode?

Today's journey for me is kind of a blast into the past where I think about those that have touched my life that are in need or missing something. Where someone or something has left a gaping black hole where life once was, and perhaps they are feeling as though they are indeed operating in the with scars that are gaping and bleeding.  It seems like when there is a crisis or a death or some sort of tragedy, we come together as human beings in an attempt to offer support and acts of kindness.  BUT what about when the crisis is over and life's wounds begin to scab and scar?  Individuals are still operating in the red, but hoping to find a place of peace where they can once again operate in the black.  Sigh . . .

Life . . . and then my journey into my own spaces reminded me of those folks that have experienced such great loss and I remembered a song that is a good reminder for all of us as we get wrapped up into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to pay attention. We all Bleed Red by Brooks and Dunn is a reminder for us to really take some time and think about what it means for a human being to be in the red.  I would like to share the lyrics.

Let's say we're sorry before it's too late
Give forgiveness a chance
Turn the anger into water
Let it slip through our hands

We all bleed red
We all taste rain
We all fall down, lose our way
We all say words we regret
We all cry tears
We all bleed red

If we're fighting, we're both losing
We're just wasting our time
Because my scars they are your scars
And your world is mine
You and I

We all bleed red
We all taste rain
We all fall down, lose our way
We all say words we regret
We all cry tears
We all bleed red

Sometimes we're strong
Sometimes we're weak
Sometimes we're hurt and it cuts deep
We live this life breath to breath
We're all the same
We all bleed red

Let's say we're sorry before it's too late

We all bleed red
We all taste rain
We all fall down lose our way
We all say words we regret
We all cry tears
We all bleed red
Sometimes we're strong
Sometimes we're weak
Sometimes we're hurt and it cuts deep
We live this life breath to breath
We're all the same
We all bleed red

Indeed many of us are operating in the red this holiday season.  Please take this journey with us, look around you, and see and hear some of the things that Rah and I have seen. Look harder.  Harder yet. See those that are operating in the red, whose wounds are gaping, and help them to find a place of peace . . . after all, we all bleed red.

Sheila

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Sarah Day 2

Do you know . . . 

What makes a person a hero?

I know I said this in my post yesterday, but I love my classes. I'm wrapping up the final weeks of Intro to Humane Education and Environmental Ethics. We have some really neat assignments, and every assignment seems to be incredibly powerful. Both of my classes require us to do these things called Film Festivals, which I really enjoy. There are usually 3-4 Film Festivals for each class, and anywhere from 4-9 films for each festival. I just finished up the final set of films, and I can not seem to get them off my mind. 

I found the theme of the group of films to be bravery. Humane Education is very much about being brave and fighting for what you believe in. It's about standing up for your beliefs, standing up for yourself, and standing up for every other being on this earth. Being a Humane Educator means looking at the world critically, and finding a way to change it. Let's face it, we live in a pretty messed up place and we need to make some improvements before it's too late. Being brave is not always easy, and I certainly know that being a Humane Educator is not going to be easy, but I do know that I was born to do it. 

The narrator of one of my favorite films opens with,"What is it that makes a person a hero? Is it the risk they take, or the lives they change? There are people in the world today who are offering hope instead of despair. They are the new heroes." This got me to thinking about the qualities that make a person a hero. For me, I believe bravery makes a person a hero. No hero becomes a hero without being brave.

I consider myself lucky to have so many heroes in my life. My dad has been with the MN state patrol for over 26 years. He has had to brave so many times throughout his career. Police officers end up in so many intense and scary situations that they often do not get the credit they deserve. I'm grateful that my pops has had the courage to protect my family and our community for so long. His retirement in May will be a serious celebration! 

My brother is following in my dad's law enforcement footsteps. He is trying to get a job with the Fargo Police Department, but for the last several years, he has been an EMT. I think it takes and incredible amount of bravery any time you have someone else's life on the line, which is quite often when you are an EMT.

My fiancé is also following in my dad's footsteps. Jesse has been around the family for almost eight years, so my dad inspired him to go into Law Enforcement. Jesse is currently a deputy for Cass County Corrections, working towards becoming a police officer for Cass County. He is so good at his job which makes me incredibly proud! 

My sister-in-law, Sam has to be brave as she is an RN for Pediatrics Home Health. Not only does she have to be brave as a nurse but she has to be emotionally strong for these sick kids and for their parents. Nursing is something that I would not have the strength to do, but I strongly admire the people like Sam who do have that strength.

Mom is a different kind of brave. I love her professional title that she has on Facebook - Academic Dean/English Instructor/Pastor at White Earth Tribal and Community College. Talk about a person who wears many hats. Mom loves spending her time at the tribal college. She is always working towards positive changes, and inspiring her students to be the best they can be. Mom used to be a full time pastor, where her bravery showed through many times. She was there for other's at their lowest of lows and their highest of highs. Being a pastor means never being "off the clock." She was not only a pastor, but she was a mentor, a friend, and a confidant. 

Dad, Jordan, Jesse, Sam, and Mom are all heroes in my book. They are brave, they take risks and they change lives. They are courageous and they are determined. They care about the people around them more than they care about themselves. They would put their life on the line to save a perfect stranger. That is a hero. 

Sarah

Sheila and Sarah - Day 1

Sheila Day 1

Well . . . here we are again!  Another year has passed seemingly in the blink of an eye. The first year that Sarah (a.k.a Rah) and I did this blog, we did not anticipate that it would be a repeat performance every year.  We did it to help one another heal.  We did it to refocus.  We decided that if we could do for others, and write about the experiences, that maybe, just maybe we would feel the sparks and tingles of life in the places of our lives that had felt as though they died.  

The song Do You Hear What I Hear kept resonating through our hearts, and for some reason, that became the focus of the blog.  The first year used the words "do you see what I see" where we tried to really look and see what we could do for others, and in many ways, it cleared our minds and opened our broken hearts.  We did what we could do for others that might make the holiday season somewhat brighter.  The emotional words began to fill the pages, and I think I speak for both of us when I say, that blog changed us.

                             

Year two . . . A MAJOR CHALLENGE! Rah and I knew that we were in trouble almost immediately!  We decided to follow the lyrics of the song, and year two was "do you hear what I hear."  Now, I do NOT know about Rah, but a lot of what I heard made me feel like the monkey above.  I simply wanted to close my eyes, plug my ears, and scream LALALALALALALALALA at the top of my lungs.  I heard some really AWFUL things and really found myself struggling to make sense of this mess of a world that we all live in.  Where the first year gave to us through the spirit of giving, year two really had us searching like a quest to find Waldo in a circus of MESSED UP!   We had to work to find the joy of the season! 

I found myself challenged over and over and over and over again.  Amazingly enough, both of us were again forever changed as a result of the experience.  This year, as blog day got closer and closer, I found myself overwhelmed.  I was not sure if I was again up for the challenge?  After all, work is brutal, Rah is getting married in 57 days, and life is a crazy ride right now.  I know this is going to be HARD!  And the more I thought about this years theme of "Do you know what I know!" I kept thinking, I have NO clue what I am doing!  Rah and I talked and decided to let our journey be the place of discovery and knowing . . . we really don't know what we will be writing about.  So right now, we are in the same place, we all know nothing!

   

So, here we are again!  Last night, Thanksgiving Eve, I spent with my kiddos, my daughter-in-law, my soon to be son-in-law who all now live in Fargo.  Because their schedules are all kinds of messed up, we have to have time together when there is an opportunity.  Family time COULD be a selfish time, after all, so much in their lives has changed!  Maybe they would have just wanted to relish in something that was at least somewhat the same, but sometimes life throws curveballs!  Okay, a lot of the time!  Curveball!  One of my best friends is going through a tough time.  Her mama is incredibly ill and nobody knows what the future holds . . . she is very, very sick.  Her mom has always welcomed me into her home when I was alone, and last night, my kiddos opened their homes and invited my friend to share the holiday eve.  This could have been a difficult choice, this could have felt like just too much change, after all, the holidays are for family . . . aren't they?  Or are they?  The holidays are for welcoming people in, for helping people in pain, for paying attention for opportunities to help others.  And welcome they did!  The evening was quite lovely.  It was full of laughter, food, and conversation!  It was a blessing . . . and I KNOW I am incredibly proud of all of my kiddos!

I am sitting today, Thanksgiving Day, in the hospital.  It is not a good day for my friends mom.  She is in a lot of pain, she was sick when we got here, and there is no major holiday celebration.  We are sitting around a hospital bed and today is tough.  However, I am listening to a mama and her baby girl talk about life, silly things, and they are chatting about Alaska the Last Frontier which is on TV.  They are talking about family, and times of the past, and amidst the pain, there are smiles and the room is filled with love.  Last year we shared Thanksgiving in her mom's home around a table and this year we celebrate thanksgiving around a life filled with incredible love.  I do not know what their journey will be like in the next days or weeks.  I do not know what life will look like by next Thanksgiving.  Actually, I know a whole lot less than I know; however, I do know this . . . the greatest of these IS love!

Sheila

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Sarah Day 1  

Welcome back to our blog! I can hardly believe it has already been a year, but I must admit that I am so excited to be back at the blog again! Our theme this year is Do you know what I know, but Mom and I are unsure of what that is going to mean. We have spent a lot of time together chatting about where we could go with this theme, but in the end, we decided to just start writing and see what happens. I'm excited for this! I am usually very much of a planner and I don't typically just "go with the flow," it kind of freaks me out. But when it comes to our blog, nothing bad has ever come out of it, so this is the good kind of not knowing.

My brother and his wife moved to Fargo a few weeks ago, they live just across the street from Jesse and I, which has been great. But because of hectic work schedules, Jesse and I decided to host Thanksgiving at our apartment yesterday. Mom made the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. Because I don't eat meat, I made a quinoa and chickpea salad, green bean casserole, bread and cranberries. And Jordan made a delicious cheesecake with raspberry toppings from scratch. Yummm!! We are all pretty good cooks if we try, but I must admit that cooking is not my favorite activity. Mom, Jordan, Sam, Jesse and I started the evening off, and then Mom's friend joined a little bit later. We shared a lot of great food, good wine, and laughs. 

I have spent most of Thanksgiving day alone as Jesse is working until 7:00pm. Well, I shouldn't say alone. It has been me and our three cats, along with our one foster kitten. We have had a long, busy day of taking naps, watching Hallmark movies, and eating. But as I've been lounging around, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the last year and what I am thankful for. So I have decided to catch you up on a few of the good (and bad) things that have happened in my life since we wrapped up, Do you see what I see. 

Do you know . . . 

* Jesse and I got engaged shortly after the blog ended, on January 4th, 2014. We are planning a January 24th wedding, which is coming up very quickly! I can hardly wait to be Mrs. Castle! 

* I started graduate school! I am working towards my M.A. in Humane Education. The good news is that I absolutely love my classes. The bad news is that my classes started as the campaign that I was working on was ending, so I have been a little behind. I'm lucky that my professors have been very understanding, as they know the campaign world very well.

* Speaking of campaign, North Dakotans for Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks fortunately made it on the November ballot, but unfortunately it did not pass. I was pretty devastated for a good week, but after that, I was able to accept the results and look at the experience more positively. The campaign raised the awareness that we needed it to, and it taught me more than anything has ever taught me before. Sorry Mom for all those gray hairs I gave you because of campaign meltdowns. :)

* I have fostered close to 50 cats in the last year. I normally foster short-term which means a month or less, because Jesse and I are still living in an apartment. We don't want to risk getting kicked out. We normally foster kittens, sometimes with a mom and sometimes without. It's very rewarding, although I cry almost every time I have to let them go. I recently shared one of my pictures of six kittens that I fostered on Jackson Galaxy's Facebook page . . . He is a cat behaviorist and the host of My Cat From Hell. He ended up seeing my picture and shared it. The picture is currently at almost 17,000 likes, 830 shares, and 500 comments. Pretty cool, right?!

Of course there are several other things that I am thankful for that I didn't mention above, like my family, my friends, my health, the roof over my head, and lots of food to eat. Thanksgiving is a day that should be spent celebrating life and all that we have, and I am very grateful to be full and warm and loved! 

I hope you have had a very blessed Thanksgiving! 

Sarah