You Are My Samshine!

It is time for Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus post.  This week her prompt touched my heart for many reasons.  Her original prompt is You Are My Sunshine, and I can write up to 50 words and add a picture, provided I include the prompt.  There is even a giveaway with this prompt so if you have not joined Saturday Centus yet, give it a go...this is a good week to start!

Being me, and that this prompt has a personal meaning to it, I am actually throwing away any chance of winning said giveaway as I want to adapt the prompt and plagiarize like crazy to make my point.

Background:  Many of you know my son has leukemia.  He is almost done with treatment and is doing extremely well, all things considered.  He was asked to create a picture with some words for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Kick Off Celebration for Light the Night.  My entry for this week is his picture and words because the song, You are my Sunshine, was always his song, I just adapted it to Samshine.  Sam wanted to draw a picture of the sunshine, copied from a picture frame I have:

Here is my Sammy's entry for this week: (sorry about the poor scan)

I had no idea how much this song would mean to me when I sang it to Sam as a tiny baby.  I now truly sing with all my heart - "Please don't take my Samshine away!"

3 in 30 - Friday Update

In an attempt to make myself a better person...or at least a more organized, healthier person, I am trying out a new challenge. I can be found at http://3in30.ashleypichea.com/ 


See here to view my goals in detail
See here to view my first day


Today's update on the three goals:

1. Get to bed at a reasonable time: Oh boy!  This one has been very difficult.  I have actually been better at getting myself into bed before midnight, but I have not been able to sleep at all.  I find that my mind is wandering all over the place.  I do have a lot to think about right now...some major events are happening in my life, (see here if you want to peek at my craziness), not to mention all the blogging ideas flying through my brain!  I have not been very good about the routine...no camomile tea, reading or calming myself down properly before bed...I must make more of an effort this week. 
2. Set reasonable limits on my blogging:  Um....what's reasonable?  NOT one hour a day, that's for sure!!!  I did try to resist logging into all the social media I have developed a habit for, but blogging alone takes so much more than one measly hour!  So, I am trying to schedule one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening for blogging, and some in between time for all the rest, as needed.  Goals adjusted...here's to a good week ahead. 
3. De-clutter my house: This one has started well.  My garage actually has a pathway through it so we can enter the house through it instead of getting the front hallway all messed up after a trip to the pool or beach.   I also streamlined my kitchen cabinets thanks to the extra storage space in the garage.  It is so nice having easy access to the items I use most instead of having to rummage around the cabinets trying to find things.  Some time was spent getting rid of clothes in my closet...mainly the ones that were too worn out to do anything with.  Organizing the clothes that can be donated will be next.  

3 in 30: How the First Day Went!

In an attempt to make myself a better person...or at least a more organized, healthier person, I am trying out a new challenge. I can be found at http://3in30.ashleypichea.com/  Today's update on the three goals:

1. Get to bed at a reasonable time: having had no sleep the previous night, I was pretty sure I would sleep well last night.  I decided to wrap up chores and blogging early enough for me to spend some quiet time reading ( a good historical fiction book) and then turn out the lights for a good, solid eight hour snooze. What I got, instead, was a strange panic about meeting my goal...I HAD to to it, I am publicly offering up my successes and failures and I CAN'T admit defeat so early on!  Tossing and turning was the order of the night.  I did not clock in the requisite amount of sleep to fully recharge my body and mind...humph!  But at least I did start the ball rolling..I am going to try to carry on the same routine each night.  Routines work for children, so surely they will help me, right?  Time will tell. 
2. Set reasonable limits on my blogging:  I DID NOT blog much at all day today!  I was very good about keeping my reading, commenting and posting to a single hour.  Unfortunately, I did spend a long time online...Facebook, Twitter, emails, browsing online shops, deciphering the world of Etsy to see if I can survive in it....hours went by!  So I need to rethink the goal:  Set reasonable limits to my online activity!
3. De-clutter my house: My goal today was to have the mammoth pile of laundry put away to make room for the even more gigantic pile awaiting me in the basement.  I intended to sort and thin out the clothing that my four person family owns.  Ha!  Somehow I know I just might fit into that top again, or peanut really needs sixteen pairs of shorts incase my washing machine packs up for several weeks and he can't wear the same pair two days in a row!  Too tired to worry about clothing now...but I did move the twenty pairs of shoes from my hallway and throw then in the back of my closet :)  Oh, just so you know, fifteen of said pairs of shoes belong to my husband!  

Observation

As I'm getting the blog up and running again, I cannot believe how many searches for Eddie Vedder have led here.  It seems most of the traffic is for any posts on him.  Believe me, I understand....his voice is amazing and Pearl Jam is my favorite band.  So, to please my audience, here is a little sample of the 'Young Eddie Vedder" as the google searches seem to be mostly looking for!

Enjoy!  I hope this is the opening song at Alpine Valley:)

3 In 30 Challenge

In an attempt to make myself a better person...or at least a more organized, healthier person, I am trying out a new challenge. I can be found at http://3in30.ashleypichea.com/

 I have to set three goals for the month of August.  It is said that it takes 21 days to develop a new habit so by the time I rock and roll off to see Pearl Jam at Alpine Valley, I should have at least one of these goals checked off.  Oops, I'm already predicting failure...okay, I will have all three checked off!

Here are my goals:

1. Get to bed at a reasonable time:  this should be easy as I am always exhausted but I find I come alive at night, in the wee small hours, and don't get to sleep much at all.  As a result, I am running half-charged and it really does impact my family.  I see this goal as the most important due to the knock-on effect it has on everyone.
2. Set reasonable limits on my blogging:  while this may seem contradictory to my recent post's announcement that I'm determined to get back into the blogging seat, it is actually essential to me achieving goal number 1.  You see, I would be up all night reading and posting if I could....it relaxes me....but it is not good for my health.  So, I am going to allow myself an hour each day and that is it.  Gulp!
3. De-clutter my house:  simple tasks are like great obstacles for me.  I see clutter but don't know where to put it so somewhere else isn't cluttered.  I hoard to a very small degree, but the boys have a ridiculous amount of toys and so does my husband.  Then there is the sentimental factor of old pictures, works of pre-school art, etc.  I am going to be kind to myself and give myself a 15 minute de-cluttering time every day.  Hope that doesn't consist of thinking about what to do and then having no time to actually do it!  

What A Yoke!

As a way to get back into Saturday Centus, I have to think of a post of no more than 100 words that is connected in some way to the picture looming above.  I am going for the leaping before looking approach....wish me luck:

What A 'Yoke'

She carried it with extra care,
So lovingly to the table.
Her family all gathered round,
Excited for the breakfast staple.


Then from great heights,
With whoosh and flap,
The great bird swooped right in.
The family fry-up soon became
A 'yoke' fit only for the bin.




Ouch!

I'm Back

Well, it has been a long time hasn't it?  Life has been rather full of late.  Not that I'm complaining, but blogging has not been a high priority.  The trouble is, I have missed it.  I have wanted to log into Saturday Centus to see what everyone is writing about.  I have wanted to try to put my own daft thoughts down on paper with the excitement of reading peoples' comments and kind opinions.  I miss it all.

I am not sure how I want this blog to go now.  I need to find some kind of direction.  I NEED to find some kind of focus or else all hell will break loose with ramblings about anything and zero quality whatsoever.

So...as I am lacking in brainpower right now...and hubby is nagging me to come and watch a movie....I will let this post end with the great news that I am back in the driver's seat...I just need a destination and a map on how to get there :)