Holly Hobby-less

Countdown til Cole is home = T minus 36 hours! While I'm sure it's sad for my mom and Bill (and maybe Cole a little) I will be SO incredibly happy to have him back home.

Meanwhile, I've beached it, started grocery shopping and cooking regularly, set myself on a schedule for studying and am attempting to read one book (for pleasure) a week! So, maybe haven't found THE hobby that I'll adopt permanently, but I've found things to do with my time.

In the near future (which could be anywhere from 2 months to 2 years) I'd like to take a painting class. I enjoyed art class in high school and, to this day, my dad still has a painting that we framed after it won an art contest. I see my best friend, Tiffani, lose herself in her art. While I might never have the talent to do what she does full time, I could see a "hobby" potential here.

For now, I'll anticipate the arrival of Cole and working the quarter close...during which time I'll accomplish none of the aforementioned newly found hobbies.

Nine

That's how many days are left til Cole is back in GA! I know he's having a blast in Alaska and learning and experiencing SO much but I'll be happy when he's back home on Georgia soil.
(Picture of him below fly fishing for trout with my mom)



Since he has been gone, I've had time to reflect. I work and volunteer but other than that, I'm home most of the time. While both of those, work and volunteering, do satisfy me and make me happy (for the most part), I'm missing that "hobby" or special thing that's unique to me that makes me happy. I've realized that in my bored weekends while Cole has been away. What do I like to do? What makes Angie happy outside of work? My boss asked, "What do you like to do for fun?" I was stumped...couldn't answer. Sad. So I'm determined to work on this...

I do love the beach but that's not a year round thing. I like to read books but not sure you can qualify that as a hobby. I like to cook but it's hard to motivate myself to cook for one. I enjoy knitting but don't do it enough to consider it hobby material. I love live music but don't want to be a groupie (if I'm not already considered one for Will Hoge). I love traveling but that requires money that I don't have!

So, I've narrowed down the things I do that are NOT hobbies. Now to come up with a hobby and stick with it. Suggestions are welcome! ;-)

The Beach is my Cathedral

That's right. The beach. It's where I find tranquility and peace and am at awe at creation. It's where I am reminded how small I am in comparison to the world and, in turn, so are my problems. I have been to the beach, with only one exception, every weekend for the last 8 weeks. It's starting to get hot out there so I know my regular appearance will be over soon. I've started looking around for good battery operated mist fans (like they have on the sidelines of football games) that are reasonable in price. If you see any, let me know so that my ventures to paradise don't have to stop just because it feels like an oven outside.

Sometimes I take a good book, sometimes my iPod and sometimes it's just me and the music nature provides. I sit and watch people, the tides, the birds and my toes. I've been known to build my own sandcastle or to body surf but, most times, I just sit and take it all in.

Maybe it's the Vitamin D from the sun or just the peace of not being at home (and all the tasks waiting there) or at work (and all the tasks waiting there)...but the beach (Tybee) is my happy place. It's where I can think as deep and long as I want or where I can clear my mind of all thoughts. If only I could move further south to have this year round...or maybe I can find some kind of indoor equivalent for the winter months. I'll be on the lookout.

Leaving you with my view from today's trip to my cathedral...enjoy!


PS - Update on Cole's trip: After traveling 20 hours and making two plane changes BY HIMSELF in Chicago and Seattle, Cole safely arrived in Anchorage, AK at 6am (EST) on Thursday! He will be spending the month there with my mom and will be back July 3! He's already been biking (20+ miles) and gone fly fishing...and that's only 4 days in!

There goes my baby...

He's 13 so, technically, he's not a "baby" but he'll always be "my baby". I've spent the better part of my afternoon, since leaving work, to get him packed so that I can put him on a plane tomorrow at 12:24pm and send him Alaska!

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited for him and for the adventures he'll have and all the experiences he'll get to have. I'll be sad not to be able to see him or squeeze his neck for a whole month and I will miss him greatly but I can live through that...he'll be back in July and work keeps me busy. The hardest part is going to be watching him fly away at 12:24pm tomorrow on a plane that will go to Chicago and land and that he'll have to change planes BY HIMSELF, get to the next gate and get on another plane to Seattle BY HIMSELF. Then, he'll make it to Anchorage where my mom will be waiting. Until that last statement has been accomplished, him in Anchorage with my mom, I will be a nervous wreck!

Growing up...watching your kids grow up...is so difficult. It goes back to the first day of pre-school conundrum. You want them to do well...go into the classroom and get to playing. But, as moms, we kind of want them to grab on to our legs and beg us not to go. Because, them not doing that means that we've done too good of a job and they don't "need" us. We always want our kids to be independent but a tiny part of us always want them to somehow, someway need us. So, watching that aircraft fly away with my pre-schooler in it as he waves good-bye confidently ready to tackle the next two plane changes and "any fool that tries to mess with him" (his words) means I did too good of a job and he doesn't "need" me anymore. Tear.

I'll keep everyone updated with his progress because, yes, I will not sleep a wink until 4am Thursday morning and until I know he's landed in Anchorage and my mom is there and has his hand in hers. I'll post pictures of him in Alaska as she feeds them to me via her iphone.

Be excited for him. Pray for his mom. ;-)

Multi tasking at it's best

I often look at facebook and think, Oh, there's "so and so", she had a nice day at the beach with friends and family. Oh, there's Katie, she's getting her drink on in Raleigh after a stressful week of school and work. Oh, there's Em, watching Lost with her friends in Athens. There's Caden at his first movie at the theater! Oh, Aunt Ann and her oral issues...yet another trip to Dr. Powell. I get a small glimpse of everyone's life just by small status updates or picture postings. I love it. Truthfully, it's not that I would just be picking up the phone instead, I just wouldn't know. Now, I just get to know.

And here I am. I'm here watching re-runs of episodes of TV shows that I have on DVD (no cable). And here I am planning my next day. Multi tasking at it's best. I can catch up on what my family and friends are doing, while watching TV, while typing my blog.

Cole is with me now. We had a good dinner and movie date with my dad, his "Pop", and it's one more full day with him til he's off to Alaska. More multi-tasking ahead...planning his trip, packing, laundry, anxiety, sleepless nights, and phone calls.

The question with multi tasking is that "If you're so involved with so many tasks, can you give one task your full attention?" The answer is "no". So, for now, my task is to spend the last few hours that my son will be on Georgia soil with him. Solely with him. No multi-tasking. Happy blogging!

It is what it is. Is it?

I've been inspired by a few friends to set up a blog. 1) I am really bad at keeping people up to date on my life and 2) I keep a journal anyway so what's the huge difference in putting it down on the computer to share?. Part of the intimidation in setting up the blog was what to name it. Sounds like something small but there are all these cute and clever names and I'm just not that creative. I went with "It is what it is"' for the title of my blog because no matter what I write about or what kind of day I have, "It it what it is", right? Plus, that is something I say, either aloud or to myself, at least once a day.

Another way to say "It is what it is" is the Serenity Prayer, which I say daily too. I find myself shrugging my shoulders a lot and saying "Can I change it? No? Okay. (*shrug shoulders) It is what it is." I've become a lot happier Angie since this discovery. I think those dealing with me on a daily basis have become a lot happier too.

My goal is to post about once a week. Sometimes more and sometimes less, I'm sure but hopefully, this keeps me in touch with those of you I've lost touch with and is an outlet for me to express my thoughts and get some feedback on just how crazy/dysfunctional/brilliant those thoughts may be.

See below: Adding some recent pictures of both my children.

Cole getting his Orange Belt - Taekwondo

Bailey being cute ;-)