by mssinglemama on February 2, 2010
I took this picture of myself in my office the other day.
It felt weird.
To take my own picture, but I had to for our Sway website (currently in the works). So I set the camera on top of three books and an end table then hit the auto-timer. Somewhere in the span of 10 seconds it caught this picture.
I like it. Not only because it’s a cute shot (it is pretty cute – it’s okay that I think that, right?) but because it captures exactly how I feel right now.
When I am an old lady (hopefully I get there) lying in my bed, daydreaming about some of the best days and times in my life – this will be one of them, one of those shining years. And when I am grasping for the memory, the feeling of what it feels like to be living my life in this moment – I’ll look at this picture (assuming I can still see).
It started one year ago, last February when I went to Joshua Tree. The oasis where the past and the future meet. Remember? That place is magical. Seriously.
So, what are you going to do to set the wheels of change in motion for your life today, this week or this year? Last February (before Joshua Tree) I quit smoking. Cold turkey.
On my one year anniversary of quitting (February 16th) I am going to challenge each of you to quit something for seven days. Just seven days. You can pick it back up after. But I am hoping all of you (under the scrutiny of myself and my readers) can stick to your commitment. You can quit anything – maybe it’s quitting thinking negative thoughts about your hair or using plastic cups. I don’t care what it is. But we all need to quit something. And if you can do it for seven days – well, that’s a start.
Little victories like that are huge in the game of life.
I hope you don’t all throw eggs at me now and boo me away for being all preachy. I don’t mean to be. What do you think? What will you quit?
P.S.
Check out even more pictures of our new space and our team on the Cement Marketing Flickr account.
by mssinglemama on January 6, 2010
I am not sure working like this is entirely healthy for anyone, let alone a single mom. My back and shoulders are a tight, tangled mess of nerves and poor posture induced kinks. My face keeps breaking out and my bedroom is constantly messy, always a sign of being too busy to breathe.
I need to buy one of those jacuzzi tubs or enslave a personal massage therapist. Between work, the house and Benjamin I rarely find a moment to myself – in the peace and quiet of the nothing to do.
How can us professional parents keep up with the childless who can devote 100% of their energy to their work? And isn’t there something wrong with this picture? Overworked workers, unemployment lines growing, parents who are left with no time to raise their children and young people who know having a child would spell disaster for their career.
Are we all just being taken for a ride? A ride that ends at the last and final stop when we wake up (too late) to realize we have worked our lives away. Shouldn’t we all slow down a bit? Seems like we’re all getting a bit carried away. Or maybe it has always been like this and I am just the mother of a three year old lost in the Land of the Toddler standing her gaping at the Land of Employment During a Recession. [click to continue…]
by mssinglemama on November 7, 2009
This is Holly.
We met one month ago when I decided to have my first manicure and pedicure in over three years… maybe four. On one of my afternoon escapades with Benjamin and just after I’d found out about my new job, I noticed a sign outside for her salon for a $20.00 manicure and a $35.00 pedicure. The sign and her low price (manicures are ridiculously expensive in Ohio for some reason) got me I made an appointment for some long overdue Me Time.
So there we were, two single moms, one in the midst of year three and beginning the best relationship she’s ever had and the other just beginning, only a single for five months with two daughters-ages 11 and 5. We spent a good amount of our time that day talking about everything from ex-management to bad boy complexes and facing your fears as a single mom.
Today during my pedicure (oh, so awesome) I pointed to a headline on one of those magazines with a quote from Kate Gosselin, “I never knew how strong I could be,” something to that effect. I read the line to Holly and then she said, “Yeah, but there are a lot of emotions along the way before you get to that point.” [click to continue…]
by mssinglemama on September 3, 2009
I spotted my first fallen leaves in the grass of the baseball diamond near my post office last Thursday.
The bag over my shoulder was bursting with little brown packages. Each containing a silver or bronze new leaf necklace destined for one of you. I make this walk to the post office, with Murphy in tow and sometimes Mr. Benjamin, at least a few times a week. And still, two months after quitting the day job, these post office trips are my favorite part about my new job.
The walk itself is the last step before the necklaces will be around your necks. I’ve sent packages all over the world now. One even went to Saskatchewan. Another to Argentina and yet another to Great Britian. On these walks it all comes full circle. I feel like a bearer of hope, sending little packages of it one by one to each of you who so generously chose to support my little blogging career by buying one.
When I saw the leaves I stopped for a second to digest the sight of them. August, I thought, it’s still August but I guess Fall is almost here now. I gave Murphy a little whistle and we kept walking. Now about thirty feet from the busy street I had to cross to reach the post office and with the building before me, I started thinking about her.
The first time she processed a pile of my packages, stamping them all and tucking them away under her counter she asked me what was inside.
“Necklaces,” I answered.
“Well, you’re not allowed to send jewelry to Canada,” her words were cold as her hands rested on one of my brown envelopes destined for a single mom in Ontario. [click to continue…]
by mssinglemama on August 26, 2009
On the Friday after the Wednesday night when we finally got home, we took off again. This time Benjamin and Murphy were stuffed into the back seat and we were driving John’s car instead of Fiesta Dave. Even after hours of driving on our vacation, John never could get comfortable driving the stick.
The rehearsal would be on Saturday afternoon with a rehearsal dinner out at my mother’s house and then the wedding on Sunday. Up until now John’s exposure to my family has been limited, only because, aside from my mother, my family just isn’t around. When we do get together it can be quite overwhelming for anyone new to the mix. My stomach flipped on the way down just thinking about what John may or may not witness.
It was nearly dark when we pulled into our cabin, the Big Pine at Lake Hill Cabins. Tucked just one mile away from my mother’s house where wedding madness would be ensuing all weekend.
The cabin owner, Shelly is a long-time acquaintance of mine so she gave us a sweet deal. If you’re ever in Athens, Ohio mention you saw her cabin here on my blog and she’ll give you a discount too.
On Saturday, I reluctantly left Anna knee deep in cooking and party prep
while we headed off to the rehearsal where Benjamin practiced his impromptu role as his cousin Josie’s flower basket holder. He absolutely loved the idea of “going to work.”
Later that afternoon we headed back to Mom’s for a rehearsal dinner that would have made Martha Stewart envious. My mother and sister are master chefs in their own right, and had food fit for royalty. [click to continue…]
