The Daffodils Say That It's Spring

South Carolina generally tends to have fairly mild winters but what we've been having this year could be called anything but winter. There have, of course, been a few cold days but no snow. We've had some mild, sunny days as well as lots of rainy ones.

About three weeks ago or so, the daffodils in our side garden decided that it was time for them to push their way up. The lilies are acting the same, and the hyacinth - well, it's already been in bloom for two weeks. Some of the daffodils in the backyard are now open and a few are starting by the azaleas along the street. This morning, I saw a huge flock of robins in a yard.

I think the groundhog was wrong. Spring is officially springing in the south.

Now, this could be taken as a great thing and, believe me, I love seeing sunny yellow daffodils as much as the next person (except for those allergic to them, I'm sure). But it's just the middle of February and winter technically isn't over. I know there's some oscillation weather pattern thing that's keeping it mild (with the exception of Alaska) but what happens if that weather pattern suddenly shifts? What will become of my poor daffodils then if we suddenly get a freeze?

I suppose I shouldn't worry about it, like I shouldn't worry about a great many things that are beyond my control. This is a fault of mine that I've been trying to work on. Worry causes stress and white hair and wrinkles and heart conditions. I don't need any of that right now.

The arrival of spring, with the changing face of Mother Earth, has me wondering about my own personal changes. When the new year started, I opted for a healthier diet, giving up unnecessary things like fast food, soda, and processed sugar. I also tried exercising but I've been less successful at that, with the exception of getting at least a fifteen-minute walk in almost every day. The healthier diet has been easier to stick to than I thought, though I do have my occasional slip-ups. One thing I've discovered, though. If I try to take a sip of soda or eat a bite of cake, I just can't handle it. Too much sugar! I've really rather enjoyed my whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and salads.

Many other things will be changing this year and new phases in my life will be beginning, just as spring is beginning now. I hope I face my changes as bravely as the daffodils do and bloom into my own beautiful flower when this is all done.

Muppet Zen

Christmas was this past Sunday (in case you missed it). We opened our presents to each other here, then went over to my sister-in-law's house for breakfast. We ate sausage balls, breakfast casserole, and cinnamon squares before heading into the living room for more present opening. My sister-in-law and her husband have three girls, plus there was me, my fiance, and his mother, and we all had presents to share with each other.

That was a fun time. There's nothing quite like watching three little girls growing more and more excited as they unwrap toys, books, clothes, and games. One of the joint presents that my fiance and I received was the soundtrack to the new Muppets movie. We are Muppet geeks (is there a fancy term for Muppet-lovers, something similar to Ringers or Trekkies?). We saw the new movie with my fiance's family on Thanksgiving and we will own it when it makes it to DVD in a few months. The soundtrack was a great gift for us (it's currently in my vehicle's CD player as we speak).

One of the songs on the CD is "Life's a Happy Song." For those readers who have seen the new movie, it's the song that Gary and Walter sing as they go through their hometown on their way to Los Angeles. It's a very fun, peppy song, the kind that really makes you feel cheerful when you listen to it. We had the soundtrack playing in the background while we got ready to take a family self-portrait and that was the song that was up. We were settling in on the couch, my sister-in-law was setting up the camera, one of the nieces crawled into my lap, and this was the line being sung on the song, "I've got everything that I need right in front of me."

It's just a simple line from a song but at that moment it hit me with such profound awareness that I could only call it a "Zen" moment - in better terms, a Muppet Zen moment. "I've got everything that I need right in front of me." Yes, I do! It was Christmas, the time of the year when the air is just thick with love, which is the greatest feeling of all, when your heart is full of gratitude for all the good things and good times you've received. I felt so blessed at that moment - I am so blessed!

There is a "True Rule" that Gretchen Rubin mentions in The Happiness Project and it goes something like this: "Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have." For me, this translates perfectly into the line from the song.

I have a wonderful, loving fiance who will become my husband in August. I adore his family. My in-laws are fantastic and affectionate and so much fun! I have the best friends and a great family. I have a roof over my head, two playful puppies, a job, my health, my creativity, and my spirituality. "I have everything that I need right in front of me!" This is an undeniable truth and I am so grateful for it each and every day.

Starting in January, I Will . . .

I know that it's only the 6th of December but I started making New Year's resolutions. I make them every year, of course, and sometimes I even stick to them (for at least a month). I love to set goals and get all fired up about them, or say that I'm going to change something and get all fired up about that. The firing up is nice. It's a good push. Unfortunately, the fire burns out before it gets too far.

My journal can attest to this. Honestly, you should see how many repeats I find when I go back and re-read old entries. I sit there thinking, Seriously, Tara? Can't you follow through on one thing? Can't you keep that fire burning for longer than a few days? But the answer is pretty much the same - no.

What are these "resolutions" that I speak of? Well, I'm glad you asked. They are along these lines:

1) I will volunteer with a shelter or Habitat for Humanity.
2) I will go to the UU Church every Sunday and get involved in their community.
3) I will exercise in some form every day.
4) I will give up fast food.
5) I will only drink alcohol on social occasions.
6) I will be more spiritual in general with my prayers, etc.
7) I will plant and tend a garden and work at it so it produces a good crop.
8) I will write a chapter in my book every week.

Pretty good, huh? Fairly simple, you'd think (well, maybe less simple on the whole gardening thing). You say, "Hey, Tara, you gave up beer for 30 days, you can do this too!" Right! Right? I think? Maybe?

I thought about these resolutions some more today. I decided that I wouldn't be so strict this month, what with the holidays and all and the busyness of the season. Then the rational voice in my mind (or perhaps Divine influence) suddenly said, "Tara, why are you procrastinating still? Why are you making the same excuses that you make every epiphany, every year? Why does there have to be a January 1 start date?"

I don't have to start on a specific date or the first of a week or a month. I can start right now. Right now I can decide that I will start my chapter for the week. Right now I can decide that I'll do an exercise routine when I get home from work. Right now I can decide that the only one in control of my life is ME! The only thing preventing me from accomplishing anything is ME!! And the only one that can change things and take the first steps is ME!!!

I came home from work and I did an exercise routine that I hadn't done in ages: Total Toning Basics from Yoga Booty Ballet. I did it all, but ouch. I'm going to be feeling that in my legs and arms and abs tomorrow! But you know what? I feel really darn good about following through on it.

Resolutions, glorious things that they are, are completely pointless. Making the decision to change your life - or making a decision on anything - that is more important. That is where the real magic lies.

Scorecard

Well, the 30 day no-beer challenge is up. How did I do on it? Pretty well. How did I do on the other stuff I talked about giving up that month like soda and fast food? Not so well!

Beer - 0
Soda - 2
Fast Food - um

But you know what? It's all okay. The fact that I at least stuck to my guns on one thing (with the beer) is a good sign and a good proof that I can do whatever I put my mind to.

Movement is Required

They were sitting in my closet, all shiny and new, and they seemed to be calling to me, "Come, put us on! Take a walk! You know you want to!" Yes, I'm talking about my tennis shoes (running shoes, sneakers, whatever you want to call them). I had bought them the weekend before along with a pair of Yoga pants, determined that I was going to start going to our work's gym at lunch and walking on the treadmill.

Yeah. Right.

The first two days of last week I forgot to bring the gym bag, although it was packed. I brought it Wednesday and it was still there on Thursday, but, alas, it remained sadly on the floor of my cubicle. I glanced down at it and thought, "I'm really going to do this. I'm going to put together an exercise plan, starting on Sunday. We're going to walk the dogs!"

Strangely enough, we did actually walk the dogs on Sunday! The new shoes have been broken in! How great walking feels! What a pretty neighborhood we have to walk around in! What a pain-in-the-butt Atreyu is to walk on a leash! (Thankfully my wonderful fiance took care of him while I handled Sebastian, the easier dog.) We walked down to the duck pond, caught sight of a blue heron, then headed back up and around the neighborhood until we returned to our street. It was a nice, cool day. The dogs had a great time, and you know what? So did we.

This is good, right? I can do this! That's what I told myself! If I can stick with the plan and walk the dogs on Sunday, then I can stick with the plan for this week.

I know that it's only Monday but so far, so good. We got up this morning and did AM Yoga. It was a nice day today (well, it was at lunchtime, at least) and I took a twenty-minute walk around my work campus. My legs were thoroughly confused and they protested a bit before the walk was over, but I did it! I even ate a healthy lunch. I feel slimmer already. And surely yesterday and today's exercise burned off those calories from the chocolate peppermint cookies I ate Saturday evening . . .

Cookies aside . . . I like this whole morning yoga/walking at lunch/healthy food thing that I'm aiming for. I've aimed for it before (and failed quite miserably) but I know that if I set my mind to it, then I can accomplish whatever goal I've established. This will be great for my health and life in the long run. Yes, getting back down to a smaller size in clothing will be nice (and looking gorgeous in my wedding dress next year is even better) but I really look forward to being in the best shape for hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I would like to tell you about my best friend Nichole because she is my biggest inspiration in life right now. Last year in October, she set a weight loss and toning up goal. She has more than succeeded at this. She is kicking some major butt in the fitness department. She's even running! And let me tell you, she is looking great. I love it when she texts me a picture of the new mileage she's met in running or when she's reached a new goal. I am so proud of her. It's not just fitness, either. She and her husband planted a garden last year and got a great crop. They've been canning and making amazing meals with their produce. I wish my garden had done quite so well! But most importantly, I can admire her motivation and her determination and use her as an example of how to stick to my goals, stay motivated, and live life to my fullest potential. Thank you, Nichole, and keep pushing for what you want. You are a wonderful person, I love you like a sister, and I know that you can do anything!

It's the Little Things

Today is the day that the new Halo game comes out. This might not mean much to some of you but to my fiance it means a great deal. He's been like a little kid at Christmas this past week, waiting for this game to come out. It's very sweet. And it makes me realize that sometimes it's the little things in life that truly make us happy.

What do I mean? Well, some people think that they need big things to make them happy. "I will be happier if only . . . I had a new job, a new husband, a new house, etc." I admit, I have been one of these people in the past (I probably still do it from time to time). But why these "big" things can make people happy, it's only a temporary happiness. It's like buying new clothes or a new purse or getting a new haircut. There's a technical term for this but I don't remember what it is. The truth is, however, that it's not the big things but the little things that matter most in life and can add to your long-term happiness.

This past Sunday was spent working in our front yard. The house that we live in belonged to my fiance's maternal grandparents. I understand that they took great care of the yard when they lived here but it's been abandoned for many years and the yard has fallen into neglect. Leaves from our abundant neighborhood trees killed the grass, allowing weeds and poison ivy to grow instead. The decorative ivy that connects the two tiers of the yard took over everything, especially the steps from the street to the house. Getting the yard back into shape has been a struggle and we still have much to do, but we've come so far too! The stairs from the street to the upper tier of the yard have now been cleared of ivy. There's only the section of the sidewalk leading to the house on the upper tier that needs done. Trees have been trimmed and leaves have been blown. Azaleas have been trimmed (and some have been taken out completely). It may not seem like much but it has already made such a difference in the appearance of the front yard.

It's the little things, you see. Yes, in the long run this yard will be beautiful and grassy and kept in constant care with fixed fences and blooming peonies. This is a big goal and small steps need to be taken to achieve it. Every little accomplishment, no matter how tiny it might seem, is still an accomplishment, it's still a step that's now been completed to lead to the bigger goal. Yards are no easy work by any means, regardless of what shape they're in, but think of the happiness that can be found by growing your own vegetables and smelling your own flowers.

The little things are the best things. Coming home to excited puppies. My fiance coming home from work. Supper with family. Playing Cranium with friends. Standing in the yard surrounded by beautiful trees blazing in red and gold and watching the leaves fall, gently blown down from the passing breeze. Autumn is passing, and soon the little joys of winter will be ours.

30 Days?

At the start of November, my household dove into a thirty-day challenge. What is it? We gave up beer for the entire month.

I know, some of you are thinking, beer? That's it? Why not give up chocolate? (I'm not sure I could ever do that). Why not take on a more physical challenge of exercise or learning a new hobby? Why not take on a challenge as creatively stimulating as my (future) sister-in-law, who wrote a blog post every day for thirty days? (Her blog, by the way, is A Planting of the Lord - seriously, check it out, she's an amazing writer) But, no, us beer snobs decided to give up beer completely for one month.

What is the purpose of this, you may ask. Well, for me it's because I've noticed that while I like the taste of beer, I don't like the way it affects me. Plus, sometime in the near future, a time will come when I have to give it up for nine months so why not go ahead and start early? I'm not an alcoholic nor have I ever been. For me, this is not so much a health challenge as it is a general challenge to see if I can decide to do something and stick with it. The people who know me well will tell you that I am notorious for my indecision. I can hardly make up my mind about anything and whenever I think I do, I change it within days (sometimes even minutes or seconds). I made the conscious decision to give up beer a week or two before November started and so far, I've stuck with it. I also decided to give up soda and fast food (I did slip up on that one over the weekend when I ordered fries and a peppermint chocolate chip milkshake from Chik-fil-a, which, I might add, was absolutely delicious).

This may be a small challenge, yes, but as most people know, sometimes you have to take a big goal and break it into small, little baby steps. If I can decide to give up beer for thirty days and succeed at this, then perhaps next month I can try something bigger (like, yoga every day, perhaps?). And if I can stay firm in this decision and stick with it regardless, then this is a lesson that I can apply to other parts of my life (finish writing a novel comes to mind).