Holiday Hustle

A good friend reminded me of the time I did this fun countdown til summer thang....so, here we have the holiday hustle. Same idea...we have lots of holiday things coming up and I know for me that I don't always take care of myself very well. I also hate the winter and sort of want to give up on life. But this winter I want to choose to at least show up...here's my list:

Write a letter a week and actually mail it
Meditate, pray & journal each day
Put together a puzzle instead of watching tv (I need to find a puzzle)!
Run and lift 3/days a week
Work out even though I'm exhausted from work
Run the stairs at the Y monthly
Celebrate NSV (non-scale victories)
Set a goal for my 30th bday (Mar 1, 2011! WOOHOO) (30 til 30! I want to lose 30 pounds by my 30th bday...let's do it to it!)
Make a savings plan
Walk Dolly even when it's cold

quick update

I didn't realize that being in front of a computer so often during the day gave me more time to type and blog :) SO, I'm on my feet most of the day working at Trader Joe's...

I'm burning around 3600-4100 calories a day...just by working on my feet. It's kind of a nice change from sitting in a desk 8 hours a day. I just need to figure out how to still work out when i'm dead tired...and still be a functioning person in my family. :)

Any ideas? If you work on your feet all day...how do you not get exhaaaaausted?!?!

Do you love me?

When was the last time you told yourself: I love you? 

No, really. This will be a short little blog...if you're reading this via facebook, twitter or plain ole blogger...leave a comment.

Let your comment be:

I love you, your name. Your name.

ex: I love you, Jara. Jara

Transition: Another First Week

I started working at Trader Joe's last week. Everything was a whirlwind a few weeks ago...I kept driving to my temp job, praying for clarity in this cloudiness of transition. I applied at Trader Joes...had a pretty fun interview and was offered a job the next day...I promptly accepted the job :).

I took one more day of jaraployment and then made my way into another first week. Working at TJ was a decision that I felt I needed to make in response to what and how I feel God moving in my life. I enjoy working with women and helping them find ways to be healthy (mind, body and soul) and TJ is a place that I can work, learn from others and have benefits :) dental, vision? Yes, please.

But more than what TJ offers me in benefits, I'm inspired by being surrounded by a number of people in career changes. From djs to social workers, I fit in this group of transitioning people. And I'm pretty darn comfortable and ready to grow.

Here's to my second week at Tjs. :)

First week of new employment

So, I managed to apply for a lot of jobs with pretty decent waiting periods...so I had to start looking for some temp positions. I had an interview, another interview and was hired and then started within four days.  Jaraployment was a little too short lived, but i'm thankful for this new little gig that I have for the next 6-8 weeks. I'm making phone calls 6 hours a day, I get an hour lunch break and i'm done by 4 pm sharp.

Things that have helped me in the transition and in me finding my health:
• I like getting off of work at 4, I get to still get to the gym and home in a decent amount of time. I likey, I likey.
• You do your job and you go home...I have only worked two days, but I know that I won't be taking any work home with me...I feel lighter as I drive home (that may be part of me shedding the past few years + this new job)
• Acknowledging the present. I had a pretty crazy weekend and then my bff Mandy reminded me...I'm going through a huge transition into the unknown...for someone who LOVES and likes to know what's next...this is a huge step for me. I am forced into looking at the very present moment. I love calendars and I love planning...this job doesn't require me to do it. I just have to show up.
• What can you handle? I was in a bad place yesterday. I asked God a series of questions...like you say that you don't give people more than they can handle...do you know me? This is too much...etc etc. I think that a lot of times, for me, when I'm faced with the unknown, I don't want to walk through it...I want to walk past it and let it figure itself out. I have to stay in this holding pattern...

The holding pattern...that's an amazing theme. I'm not saying that staying in the same place circling around is the best idea...but in our health journeys, there are times when we may not know where to go and we may go back to places that are familiar to us...but sometimes we just need to hang out in a holding pattern. And just see where we are...for the good, the bad and the ugly..the present.

jaraployment

So, September 30 marked the end of my time at WMF. I spent the next week unwinding in Maine and New York. I arrived back to Omaha ready to figure out myself and my life. I had these grand ideas of waking up each morning and walking Dolly. Then after walking Dolly I would have coffee in my new coffee mug while sitting in my sunroom meditating...and all of that would happen before nine. Then, I would make a round of oatmeal, read from the many books I need to finish and then I would leisurely walk to the Y where I would then run and lift weights. After working up a sweat, I would head home where I would take a long bath and then perhaps take a nap. Upon waking I would find myself looking through cookbooks to find the perfect dinner to make for my family. Oh what should I make? What should I make? Inspired, I'd make some delicious and intricate and detail-oriented dish with no trouble while cleaning the house from top to bottom.

Monday morning I woke up to a cold. I watched a lot of television. I journaled a bit. I got some crazy emails. Had to digest the crazy emails. Went back to trying to figure out life here at jaraployment.

I started to read "Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life." I'd waited to read this book until I was good and ready (aka diet starts Monday! mentality). I begrudgingly started to read it and felt right at home immediately. I haven't gotten in it enough to offer a great summary...but from the first part I think that the book breaks down clean and mindful eating in very accessible and adaptable ways.

So, today, I woke up, still cold-filled, and slowly made my way into Wednesday. I thought working at jaraployment has to be better than watching tv all of the time (though I do like that). I started to figure out how to recover our garden space...we had about five tomato plants fighting for the same spot...so I started to prune and pick. Then I gave Dolly a much-needed bath. She sat with the water on her, shivering...and when I finished that, I had to go back to the garden. I had a lot of thoughts while in the garden. I was thankful for the ways that God created nature to produce such amazing plants. I thought about pruning and weeding and letting things go out of control. I thought about the weeds that started to grow in our mulch...and I just kept going.

I took pictures of tomatoes that had fallen. I took pictures of our new hammock. I took pictures of Dolly sitting around. And I was happy that I worked at jaraployment for the time being.

I sat down to eat lunch...I'd thawed some bread that Caldy had made...and warmed up some soup...found my coffee mug and made some tea...and I just rested in a full day at jaraployment. I'll find myself in my hammock in a little bit.

boston, deer isle, boston, somewhere in connecticut, new york city, brooklyn

So. Since I've last blogged....

I had my last day at work. I celebrated in downtown Omaha. I rode to Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas, aka the little apple...flew into Boston...drove with some of my most favorite people to an amazing wedding in deer isle, maine...had no cell phone service and thought this is great....celebrated an amazing amazing amazing wedding. cried, the photographer cried...a musician cried...ken cried...we all cried...

rode back to boston...walked, took the megabus to nyc...saw one of my friends from elementary school (wow so fun)...hung out w/a few of k's crew...saw besties and the concrete jungle. walked. walked. walked. walked. 

celebrated. walked. walked. 

arrived home with like 500 photos. 

will update soon. have lots to write.