(bonus points to anyone who knows that song title 😂) Ever since I can remember I have enjoyed reading.  I do not have some grand illusions of my parents reading to me every night before bed.  I know I had lots of books as a child and I know my mom read often and we had piles of books around the house.  I know as I got older, I would anxiously await the release of the newest Baby-Sitters Club book and beg my mom to take me to the mall so I could purchase it.  She rarely turned me down, if ever, because I think she was thrilled I enjoyed reading so very much. I would take that new book and head to my room.  I would rarely emerge until I had finished reading it.  I have always been a fast reader and if the book is good, I will not put it down until I have finished it.  I have zero self control when it comes to reading.  I do not hear things or get hungry or have to pee when I am reading.  I can do this for hours.  No lie. You can...

To begin with, what good is Winter Break if you can't stay up way past your bedtime watching movies, eating snacks, drinking a beer, and writing?  No good.  It's no good. I was getting ready for bed when, as usually happens, my brain started writing.  It's a thing that happens to me often.  I feel as though I am writing a manuscript or some such nonsense in my head.  It's been this way for as long as I can remember.  Maybe I think too much.  Or maybe I am just more fucked up than I thought.  Who knows.  But there seems to be a constant narrative running in my head.  Sometimes, I let it out.  Lucky for you, tonight is such a night.  😂 Get. Excited. I do not know what it is about breaks.  When I stayed at home, things looked very different.  I would not trade that time, but looking back it probably wasn't the healthiest of situations for me.  I am beyond thankful of the time I was given with my children wh...

Full confession:  I am NOT a morning person.  I never have been.  Life has forced me to be up early.  Emmaline was born and the child was a great sleeper.....but she was up at about 4 a.m. Every. Damn. Day.  Lord help me,  I was not prepared for that nonsense.  😂 More kids came and I homeschooled and mornings were still not my thing.  I tried. Who are we kidding?  I begged my children to stay in bed.  I was possibly in tears doing so.  I am a night owl and my nature is just that.  Needless to say, it never worked.  I put the kids in public school.  I drove them to school those first couple of years and yes, I was in my pajamas.  Do you know what time school starts?  Too early, that's when. So when I got my big girl job, the idea of getting kids up and to school and myself to work by eight was daunting.  And the very thought exhausted me.  Soon enough we fell into a routine and I adjusted....

For a few years, I have participated in Thankful Thoughts. I have always found it to be a very good thing to do.  Remembering no matter life circumstances to be thankful for things is good for your heart and mind.  And I am all about doing things that are good for your soul. This year, at work, my girl Sarah gave us calendars and challenged us to write at least one thing we were thankful for each day.  I tried to not always do the same thing that I posted to social media.  Challenging myself to think of multiple things to be thankful for.  Pausing in the middle of the day to remember to be thankful, especially during the work day, has a way of changing your perspective.  You could be having a truly shitastic day, but then you stop and look at the big picture and it turns it all around.  We also all went around the room and shared what we were thankful for that day.  If thinking of the thing you were thankful for wasn't enough to get you ou...

I have been told that runners are annoying.  I am fairly certain I was annoying before I became a runner (still not sure I can call myself that).  If so, I have increased in annoyance.  I did not set out to even remotely like running.  It just kind of......happened.  Like a lot of the best things in life do. Years ago, I took up running for a short time.  I was a stay at home mom and I had gained quite a bit of weight.  Going to the gym was not something that was likely to happen as I still had two littles at home full time.  Needless to say, that stint did not last long. Fast forward to moving and tossing myself down the stairs.  That had me believe that I might not ever walk again.  Yes, a little dramatic, but damn that hurt.  I realize now I probably should have gotten the physical therapy, but I am a tad on the stubborn side.  I was determined to figure it out on my own.  In time, I was up and walking again....

I live in my head way more than most people.  I am constantly talking to myself, working through thoughts, making up stories about people.  😂  I wish I were kidding, but I'm not.  I have done this for as long as I can remember.  Which is probably why I love words.  I love to write, even if I am not great at it.  I love the way words can paint a picture or make you feel something or bring something to life.  I love metaphors.  I love using different experiences to relate to another experience.  And I love using words to do these things,. This weekend I got to do one of the coolest things I have ever done,  I was invited to attend the adoption of a child.  I have never been to an adoption hearing and upon receiving the invite I was honored and intrigued.  I was able to go as I had nothing else going on that morning.  I was a bit nervous as I had to navigate parking and figure out where to be.  Dressed in my unic...

Since I participate in Thankful Thoughts November and I like to attach a picture to each one because I am extra like that, I was Pinteresting some quotes today.  I had chosen to be thankful for finding my passion and typed that in my search.  Many quotes came up including this one: It did not fit where I was going with my thought, but I clicked save because, well, I loved what this said. So strong they can be gentle.  Strong:  able to withstand great force or pressure.  Gentle:  moderate in action, effect, or degree; not harsh or severe.  When you take a moment to ponder that, you begin to see that it does indeed take great strength to be gentle.  And it is not about being weak, it is about withstanding the great forces of life yet remaining gentle in spirit. So educated they can be humble.  Being intelligent and knowing your stuff is important.  Being arrogant about what you know is not.  Remaining humble in many situations...

I have always been too much.  Say too much.  Feel too much.  Pick a word and add too much and you have me summed up.  I have heard it my entire life.  Often times, it causes people to pull away or maybe not come close at all.  I am just too much for a lot of people to handle.  I have tried scaling back, but most of the time it doesn't.....feel right.  If I scale back I do not feel like I am being my authentic self.  If I  am my authentic self, I am too much.  You see the predicament? So, here is this blog.  Of all my rambling thoughts.  I have always been wordy.  If you can locate my high school  English teacher, he would tell you that is true.  He would always say, as he handed back yet another paper of mine, "Abby,  you are too wordy.  You are telling me, I need you to show me."  And I would roll my eyes and mouth back, "Did I get an A yet?"  But that teacher helped make me...