Category: gratitude

Touching base…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay10 Comments

Wednesday morning I met a new friend and we chatted and cried. I sipped tea and felt the heavy water-weight of this life that I’m very much drowning in. I don’t have any answers and I’m living a life right now that needs about seven hundred of them, yesterday. Post our tea and tear session, I had to drive through some back country roads. Tears turned to sobs and vision blurred as curves were hugged. Music quiet on the radio became background nonsense as I was lost in the wave of complete brokenness. I wondered how I would (or could) even live beyond that day.

And then a song came on from several years ago. The song itself didn’t signify anything but in the back of my mind a voice said “I really love his voice, I’ve always loved his voice.” He would be Gavin DeGraw. Did that make the world all better? No. But that tiny second of something else was enough for me to grab tight and hold on.

I’m really excited to be promoting Dolphin Tale 2 because the first film was such a special, special story. I was asked to share this video with you and well, when I first previewed it and saw it was by Gavin DeGraw, I couldn’t help but feel a boost. And naturally, the words are amazingly fitting for life right now and the video is exceptional! It makes me even more excited for this movie! So go check it out, and then tell me what you think… tell me how you get through the hardest/darkest times or just say hi (really, I need the “hi!” right now…) and I’ll choose a winner Sunday to receive a download of this song!

Have an amazing weekend, you guys!

A tale of woe, for these two souls…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay4 Comments

Once upon a time, after an unnaturally stress filled year, a couple had the opportunity to spend 5 kid (iow-teen) free weeks at home. They made plans which included picnics, bike rides and adventures. There was a sparkle in their eyes at the thought of how fun this adventuring could be.

To kick off the festive five-week empty nest preview, she accompanied him on a business trip to Chicago. Before hand they planned out local, unique restaurants and things to do, complete with a weekend trip into the city and a fancy hotel booked for a steal where they would take in a jazz club, good food, Taste of Chicago and finally visit Millenium Park.

The first day they stumbled upon the most incredible movie theater ever, and for movie lovers such as themselves, this was a true find…

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The second full day of the business trip, he (who never gets sick) did in fact do just that. They managed an amazing dinner (perhaps one of their best) but this was to be the last good moment, and for him it was only partly good…  IMG_1472IMG_1473IMG_1478IMG_1479IMG_1480

With each passing day he grew more and more miserable. By the time the weekend came, she offered they just go home but he refused to let their non-refundable city hotel go to waste. While it was beautiful, it wasn’t worth the stress driving into Chicago to sit in a hotel and then leave the next morning…IMG_1568IMG_1571IMG_1572IMG_1576IMG_1589IMG_1596IMG_1604IMG_1624IMG_1633IMG_1627IMG_1636IMG_1638

No Taste, no Park, no club. Just one short walk, a local italian dinner and then their stunning view until room service breakfast…  And a foggy, rainy Sears tower view from our room… Loved this view.

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With the first week behind them, he started to feel better and they realized that they still had four weeks of adventures (though, a significantly smaller budget.) Then, at a routine allergy medication appointment, she mentioned to her doctor that she’d had an increase in headaches. A few tests conclude a raging sinus infection. A prescription of a strong antibiotic is handed out and all should be fine, but it isn’t…

Within two days, she is experiencing a misery she has never experienced before. She’s always gotten fairly sick on this particular antibiotic, but this sensation is new and fiery. She returns to learn she has a raging infection (non-sinus) and is prescribed a little pink pill that should take care of it. (The doctor says sometimes the antibiotic can cause these awful girl-infections… she is mortified.)

The pink pill (which fights the infection, which was caused by the antibiotic which makes her very sick to her stomach, which is fighting the sinus infection she didn’t even know she had) causes debilitating headaches. Three days after beginning the pink pill (and 8 days after beginning the antibiotic) she wakes up with no voice. (this is the middle of week 3 of their 5, of which they have had one good evening) As thursday progresses into Friday, then into Saturday and eventually Sunday, she grows significantly worse. Monday morning she has a meeting she’s been waiting months for, which she refuses to miss, so she attends. Apologies for her voice and now awful sounding cough are plenty. Nearly everyone she encounters tells her she should see a doctor. Thankfully, she has an appointment at 3. (two weeks after the allergy appointment that ruined everything.)

Pneumonia. It is now Pneumonia. And the other infection hasn’t gone away, and apparently they’ve determined she might be, allergic to this antibiotic and it stripped me of all of my good bacteria causing me her to develop, oh, everything…

(One and a half weeks left, and it has been nothing like they, (ok, let’s face it… WE had hoped/planned/thought… BUT it hasn’t been awful either. Sick or not, I adore my husband and love anytime I get to spend with him. I don’t like the guilt for how long I’ve been miserable.)

all the, small things…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay2 Comments

grateful31.} nostalgic music, which shaped me, (and is just often good quality music.)

32.} my husband allows me to know when I need to rest, and when I can do more/be more.

33.} plans, goals, strategies and being a team. That’s so close to everything.

34.} that, after a killer sinus infection and strong prescriptions which played out hard on my body, I’m starting to feel human again.

35.} for little, daily mysteries.

36.} open windows, cool breezes, bird serenades…

37.} the perfect penned letter from one of my oldest and dearest friends.

38.} hilarious texts from Gen, with the WORST typos ever, and the embarrassment that she goes through because she meant DUCK… (So, so, so funny!)

39.} a bad date, with a bad movie and a bad frozen yogurt place, but getting to joke about them and hate them with the man I love more than anyone in the world. Absolutely nothing compares…

40.} an errand run, after a week homebound, complete with my favorite chai.

What stood out in your week?

slower than honey…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay3 Comments

grateful

21.} my own pillow, my own mattress, my own sheets and my own home…

22.} to come home and see my sweet dogs. My heart does not like going long periods of time without them.

23.} texting. While I’m not a fan of being tethered to my phone, (it happens, I’ll admit it) I’m really grateful for how easy texting makes certain things.

24.} I never thought I’d say this, but that my days of parenting littles are behind me.

25.} Seeing my dad and (finally) meeting his new wife. It had been 4 years since we’d seen him and that’s a long, long time. It was an unexpected visit and so good for my spirit.

26.} Seeing my sister Jennie. (It had been exactly 7 years since I’d seen her and that really was too long.)

27.} using my shampoo, there aren’t words for how great that was… (forgot to pack it. bought a replacement. It was BAD…)

28.} that the neglected stack of mail, from while we were gone, contained real letters too!

29.} For time to catch up on some reading.

30.} That my husband is feeling better. He’s hardly ever sick, so when he is, it’s horrible!

What are you grateful for, this week?

Cruel intentions…

Published on by Mae @ Rainydayinmay2 Comments

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Daily it seems I grow more and more aware of how honorable my intentions are, and how significantly far I fall from that mark. I think on this, as I sit in a quiet house after being in noise and busy for nine long days. Some ten days before this moment I saw myself further, progressed beyond the same place I’ve stood, unfinished. There are always grand excuses. Traffic, noise, construction, illness… But what did I manage to do? Distraction.

Well, that’s not entirely true either. A little.

Chw had a business trip in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and since Gen is gone for the summer, I decided to tag along and accomplish some writing. I felt I could (professionally speaking) use the inspiration of a change of scenery, and I love the hotel environment. As an added bonus, despite both of our infinities for Chicago itself, we had the opportunity to go into the city on Friday night. On one side of the journey I imagined it all so different than it was, and it wasn’t bad. That’s not what I mean. I was simply, well… Life.

During the week we put some of the best food we have ever eaten, in our mouths. We had great conversation, we explored. It started out really great. At the hotel, during the daytime though, my time was less than productive as there was major construction going on. It did not matter what I tried, or where I went, I just could not seem to accomplish anything, so by Wednesday mid-morning I simply gave up and buried my nose in my kindle. Then, Wednesday evening Chw got sick, and since he seldom gets ill, things plummeted quickly. Our too-late-to-change-plans adventure into Chicago itself was a gigantic waste of stress, energy and money as everything we wanted to do while there (Taste of Chicago and Millenium Park) were made much less appealing by A.) how my poor husband felt, and B.) the torrential downpour we were in. It was hard not to be a little disappointed, but if we haven’t learned life is anything but what we expect, by now- then I need to start paying better attention.

Once again home, and back in my office, I’m reflecting at my planner, my to do lists and just realizing that there has to be another way. Something isn’t quite “connecting” between the inspiration to do something and then opportunity to actually do it. But what? What am I missing? Getting away didn’t help… And sure, I could say “yeah, but it wasn’t as great as I hoped it would be!” But it’s not like we can all afford to redo every vacation or trip that doesn’t go as we planned. It is what it is, it was not a bad trip. I love my husband and we had fun, before he became miserable. I got to spend quality time with my daughter and her soon-to-be step-sons. I got to see my dad and sister. I fell in love with the wonder that is bacon wrapped dates. I went to the most incredible movie theater ever. My husband bought me the best umbrella I’ve ever owned! (If you didn’t know, I love umbrellas) and I got to sleep in a luxurious room with the best view of the Sears tower. I’m “stuck” because something is stuck… And I’m starting to think it’s just because I allow it to be. Maybe this disconnect is less of a seasonal thing (like it may have started out) and is now more of a pattern.

yuck…