Bfth's Boring Blog

Here I am, nearly 50 years old (shuddering in horror) and yet I still haven't learned how to properly use my two feet.  You'd think after all those years of walking, particularly in the past 5 years where I have been consistently walking several miles a day, I would have learned something.  Sadly this is not the case. Today I had no kid to rush to school (hurrah!) so I had some extra time to walk.  I figured I could go a little further, if not necessarily a little faster.  Yes it was dark out when I started (around 4:40 in the morning), but it quickly became light.  (It has become apparent to me over the last week that the longer days of summer are rapidly approaching.  I love seeing the day come as I walk along.  It used to be if the sun was up it meant I was running late, but now there is plenty of light before I am even halfway through.  It's a wonderful thing!)  It was important to get out this morning, as I knew it was going to be s...

I'm a year and a half into my self imposed "Pulitzer Project" (I'm reading as many of the Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction as my husband has been able to find for me electronically) and I've decided with summer almost here (I hope...we certainly haven't had a spring around here) I am taking a break.  I've got 35 novels under my belt.  I've got another 20 or so to go.  (Depends on when I finish and what we've been able to find electronically.  There are plenty of books that I have missed because my husband was unable to get them for me electronically.  I've also purposely left out books that I had previously read; the exception being   To Kill a Mockingbird  which I just HAD to re-read.) I've read great books, good books, so-so book and books that I just couldn't stand.  (I'm looking at you William Faulkner...I will never understand A Fable ...NEVER.) I've downed 10 novels since January of this year, including two which were ...

Today's meditation as I filled the pulpit for what is probably the next to last time.  (This a good thing...it means a pastor has been found!) First Scripture reading:  Romans 5:  1-5 5:1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.  5:3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5:5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Second Scripture Reading:  1 st Corinthians:  13:  4-13 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keep...

This morning I turned to my son and told him that while math was important and I always wanted him to do his best, MUSIC (instrumental and vocal) was more important and that I wanted him to spend more time on music than he does on math.  In the long run, I told him, music would be more important in his life than math. Am I out of my mind?  Perhaps, but I don't think so. Let me again say that I am NOT dismissing math as a subject.  I am not saying that it is an important part of life; it is.  We ALL need to know the basics of math in order to survive in this word.  Sure we've all got calculators, but we NEED the basics.  Those who love math (I hear such people exist) and who use it or plan to use it in their working life need to focus more on the subject, but as for my son I think he needs to focus more on music. Whether he likes it or not he is a musical kid.  I often hear him singing or humming when he's playing.  He's been involved ...

We've got a month left of 5th grade and I'll be so glad to see it go.  This has been the most difficult scholastic year for my son (and hence my family).  Adapting to middle school has been a challenge to say the least.  (I still think 5th grade is way too young to go to middle school and have multiple classes/teachers, "cycle classes" that last for 6 weeks and Day 1 or Day 2 which continually confuses me, but thankfully my son has it down.)  I am praying that 6th grade will be an easier year. While my son (and my family) have overcome many hurdles this year, one problem that we just can't seem to lick is math.  Let me be completely honest here:  I HATE MATH.  I am NOT good at Math.  (And it's not because I'm a girl...even as a struggling student I didn't believe in that crap.)  My husband is much better at the subject, so it is a good thing that he is the one who helps out with the homework.  We have a tutor who comes in and works...

The other morning I was all hyped up and excited.  I, along with some other friends, had good news we wanted to share.  It was a sunny day and all felt right with the world.  I couldn't wait for the opportunity for my group to share our announcement.  We had it all planned out (the way you do when you have exciting news).  And then... ...someone else let the cat out of the bag before we had a chance to say anything.  All that hard work and planning...splat...I felt like a balloon that had just been deflated.  All the joy that had been inside of me fizzled out. Did the person who spilled the beans mean to be malicious?  Certainly not, but clearly this person wasn't thinking, and in my book was a tad inconsiderate.  She was aware of the news that we wanted to share and should knew how excited all of us were.  Maybe she was excited too and just felt the need to tell everyone.  But it really wasn't her news to tell. W...

As I write this it's Friday, May 13th.  It is the only Friday the 13th in 2016.  While I am superstitious about some things (when I see a penny I will always pick it up), there's nothing about Friday the 13th that scares me.  After all it's a Friday!  It's the day that starts the weekend.  (Even if it is not until 5 pm for me!  I'll admit there are plenty of Fridays where I count down the hours until the end of the day.  These Fridays mostly tend to be in the summer, which gives you a little insight into me and where I want to be headed!) I can understand the mythology behind the number 13 and why it is a "bad" number. But I see a different side.  When we hit the 13th of the month we are almost half way through.  There is still time to do what needs to be done before the month is out (so there is no need to panic), and if I have been diligent in my work, the hard stuff may be behind me. The fact that Friday the 13th is considered unlucky ...

Back on April 18th when I started by 50 days to 50 experiment, I had high hopes for myself.  I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but it was something I wanted to do for myself.  I didn't think it was unreasonable to expect that I would lose a few pounds in the process.  I had a goal of 10 pounds in 50 days, but would have been happy with 7.  Reaching either of those touchpoints would NOT put me at the lowest weight I have ever been as an adult (nor would it be the even lower goal weight I had once set for myself when I was officially on the WW plan).  It would however, put me in a comfortable place. (I really didn't like the way I looked when I was at my lowest point.  I thought my head looked a bit too big for my body, even though I still had several pounds to go.)  I have been working hard especially over the past week and a half to get to that goal and am failing miserably.  Disappointing.  Depressing. With all that said, I am nowhere nea...

This past Sunday was Mother's Day (at least here in America).  Though it didn't' feel like spring for most of the weekend (rain, rain and more rain was the theme of last week and most of the weekend), the sun did peak out a bit.  I personally had a lovely and memorable Mother's day. What was so special about it?  Absolutely nothing.  There were no extravagant gifts.   There was no big party.  There was no Mother's Day brunch or dinner party.  It was just a weekend.  A plain, ordinary weekend and that's what made it so wonderful. I may have gotten soaking wet on my early morning walk.  (It wasn't raining when I started out; it never is.  It always starts when I am in the middle of things.)  But that was no big deal.  I just threw my wet, dirty clothes in the wash (along with some other stuff) and my husband took care of the rest. It was the little things that made my day:  my husband making coffee in the mornin...

So here I am 17 days into my 50 to 50 and I'm disappointed in my results thus far...as possibly my efforts.  The whole taking 10 minutes to relax/meditate has gone out the window.  Just not happening...too many days I forgot to even try!  This is the life of a SOMWaD (Stressed-Out Mom, Wife and Daughter). The alcohol ban went out the window this weekend too.  Although I did say that I was going to allow myself to celebrate on special occasions.  This Saturday marked a very special occasion for a group of friends:  while not the end of a hard task that we had been working on for years, we had overcome a huge hurdle and a very positive end is on site and it only seemed fitting that we should get together and celebrate with a glass or two of champagne.  Of course along with that went munchies.  Although I drank, I did try to eat somewhat responsibly...I had picked up fruit and veggies to eat.  I did have some dip and cheese and crackers, bu...

Bring May flowers...or so the verse goes.  May has just started, but it seems like Mother Nature thinks it's still April on the East Coast.  The showers are here and they seem to be here to stay.  The calendar says May, but the temperatures say end of March or maybe early April. But that seems to be the standard around here these days.  In December we celebrated the holidays in short sleeves.  Christmas day and the kids were out playing in the sunshine like it was a weekend in September.  The cold didn't catch up with us until the end of January, but it still wasn't too bad (or at least not as bad as it has been in winters past).  But now that spring is here and we expect warm weather (and a little sunshine too), it's sadly lacking.  I'll admit that I got a pedicure and haven't really had a chance to show it off since I got it in late March.  (And already my big toe is starting to chip away!) And at least it isn't snowing like it did bac...