tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92854552024-03-16T13:52:02.851-05:00ShoeGirl CornerCome on in and read the reflections of a middle-aged Hispanic American writer & working-mom. I'm passionate about writing, reading, Little Libraries in Laundromats, the historic McDaniel Street Cemetery & art (especially collaging) & corporate philanthropy. I hope to inspire people with my words, especially women, to show them that we all have challenges & struggles, in different ways. You can also follow me on Instagram @shoegirlcorner and LinkedIn at loidacrShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.comBlogger1055125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-35432344702660068922024-01-03T23:16:00.004-06:002024-01-04T20:18:42.175-06:00Recap of 2023 and Onward Forward into 2024<p>As we enter 2024 here's a recap of what I was up to in 2023.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtnu898qZCox-b-gygxWksCjS6mF9dTpRoz9msaYG1WXQjUvWg9PYfEICPlJif6Ih2NjytHkF2JEdpLZkCfssknU51FvB1VBKDzEBGK4NIUdAmw8kJ7Zk-avDZKTfVyUoNcVM6Mrug4gV-zdR4ubZaRAo7xAh6kPrv0HUWZFNumw_f837yHru/s640/My%20Magic%20Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtnu898qZCox-b-gygxWksCjS6mF9dTpRoz9msaYG1WXQjUvWg9PYfEICPlJif6Ih2NjytHkF2JEdpLZkCfssknU51FvB1VBKDzEBGK4NIUdAmw8kJ7Zk-avDZKTfVyUoNcVM6Mrug4gV-zdR4ubZaRAo7xAh6kPrv0HUWZFNumw_f837yHru/s320/My%20Magic%20Collage.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><p><b>My Art/Collaging</b></p><p>I have to mention collaging first because this is something that I have really been enjoying and it's so good for my soul. It's soothing and almost like meditating. It's funny because I've always considered myself an artist because I'm a writer, but I've never considered myself a visual artist. Collaging has made me realize I am an artist. Honestly I think all of us can be artists.</p><p>I've created over twenty collages since February when I started collaging with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scissorsoftexas/" target="_blank">Scissors of Texas</a>. Some are good, some are okay, some are simple and some are elaborate. This one is one of my favorites. The prompt word was Magic and I decided to represent everything that is magic to me-Art, writing, corporate philanthropy, cemeteries and books. </p><p><b>My Novel/My Writing</b></p><p>It's a slow process and I need to be more self-disciplined. That's my goal for 2024. I'm going to buckle down and really work on editing my novel the way it should be edited and not half-ass. I still meet with the Central Nebraska Writing Group every month to read what I'm working on and to push ahead. It keeps me honest and consistent. I'm so grateful to this group for being my sounding board.</p><p><b>Corporate Philanthropy</b></p><p>I've served as the Hearst Gives Back Champion at the Houston Chronicle for almost a year and half. It's interesting to think about what brought me to this point in my career. It all started with<a href="https://www.littlelibrariesinlaundromats.org/" target="_blank"> Little Libraries in Laundromats </a>and serving on the board of the<a href="https://westcottcemeteryassociation.org/" target="_blank"> Westcott Cemetery Association</a>. Those were two passions that I pursued on my own time. </p><p>In 2022 I received a service award for my work with the little libraries. I feel like that was my butterfly effect. After I received the award our HR VP asked me if I was interested in leading our Hearst Gives Back efforts at the Chronicle. Somewhere around that same time I also completed our DEI training called Hearst Conscious Inclusion. When I graduated I became a Change Agent. In 2023 I was asked to lead a team a team of Change Agents in Action and I've been busy organizing volunteer efforts for the Chronicle team, but also to fulfill our goal to volunteer with organizations that empower women and girls. I also lead our United Way campaign efforts.</p><p>This volunteer work with the Houston Chronicle and Hearst has really awakened something in me. I've realized how much I enjoy working in corporate philanthropy and it's made me feel like I have a purposeful career. I'd like to explore this in the future, after Seth is done with college.</p><p><b>My Career</b></p><p>I had a phenomenal 2023 and I only hope to match and surpass it in 2024. I'm grateful all the good things that happened in 2023 and I will work hard to keep it going. I'm constantly looking for ways that I can refill the bucket and keep my pipeline full. I believe that the energy I put in is the energy I get out of it. </p><p>Zig Ziglar said, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." I have this quote as a screen saver on my computer. </p><p>As I approach my 54th birthday next month it's hard to believe that I will be retiring from my day job in 11 years. Eleven years will pass me by in no time. I need to make sure that I have everything in place for when that day comes, so I have both a 6 year and an 11 year plan. </p><p><b>My Family</b></p><p>We had a graduation in the family. Miranda graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in May. She started working in the Pathology and Bone Marrow department at MD Anderson Cancer Center in July. Seth finished his freshman year and got his first real job during the summer. He went back to school in the fall and finished the fall semester strong. He's home for winter break now. </p><p>I am grateful for all the great things that happened this year. </p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-66533023079506737442023-10-01T16:07:00.008-05:002023-11-19T20:24:35.885-06:00I Hung the Halloween Wreath<p>September flew by and I'm SO EXCITED that it's October. Bring on the cool weather! Today I did something small, that is actually quite huge. I hung this Halloween wreath, that my daughter made, on my door. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcsBhR_TiFILJiz-GYyp6oCsDRYNnTpE_GT7ZPNtAaXpmImxjiZJ_I8C5mrPEDb-MxuMNc3zfMF6uZJ3OjxDm_p58tAo3EZXRkpAugGGKuZT6g45PepdidIYXm0m15lGmB89-Xm0VLLgN3o36LC4Sd8ZsY6OJGWFHIYQROlYsWbg6eYefdNvY/s876/Halloween%20Wreath.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcsBhR_TiFILJiz-GYyp6oCsDRYNnTpE_GT7ZPNtAaXpmImxjiZJ_I8C5mrPEDb-MxuMNc3zfMF6uZJ3OjxDm_p58tAo3EZXRkpAugGGKuZT6g45PepdidIYXm0m15lGmB89-Xm0VLLgN3o36LC4Sd8ZsY6OJGWFHIYQROlYsWbg6eYefdNvY/s320/Halloween%20Wreath.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p>Most of you may look at this and wonder why it's a huge step for me until I tell you that I've never decorated for Halloween in my 53 years of life. I've never put up a wreath like this, announcing to every person that comes to my door that I celebrate Halloween. </p><p>Even though I've posted photos of myself in costume, at my friend's house giving candy to kids and such over the years, there's something more personal and significant about me hanging this wreath on the door to my home. It's a message to everyone that I will never be a part of my old religion again and that I don't care who knows it. </p><p>I struggled even saying that this is huge, because by saying it, I feel like I'm giving my old religion more importance and power than I should. It suggests that I'm still controlled in some way. I told my daughter this and she pointed out that there's nothing wrong with acknowledging it, because the religion was such a big part of my life for so many years. It's natural to feel something.</p><p>She's right. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">“I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had, and I'm not sad because I have it no longer.” - Collette</span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Everything in my past shaped who I am and by leaving an organized religion I learned how strong I was. I didn't realize how strong, until I had to discuss it with my elderly father. As the youngest daughter, and the last, to leave the religion that was a hard conversation to have. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">So if I could have that conversation with a person I loved, if I could disappoint him, and stand by my decision, I can hang this wreath on my door. </span></span></span></p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-57343424844517580652023-08-10T04:54:00.008-05:002023-08-10T13:32:32.513-05:00Celebrate All the Things! Happy Half Birthday to Me<p>This Thursday marks 28 years since my sister Hilda passed on from this earth. Last week while my daughter and I were cleaning my upstairs room we found an old card she gave me. I was 24 when she wrote these words to me. She was 41 and was diagnosed with leukemia four months later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccHWKRPgWppXHIP83uDvpjkIPyFYzFeJFOcfJYjOe4fdl9PW7slOQ6et6b9BDaxhQa6p4gX6P9Fqj0Y9W1xzEn7BjEHtdyeNi-HoEu6O19_y7afen9_Wp_8uUwCaiZiYyAL7BOnmJcYHiXMZHWpCDTQZJN1ma8uTFHbkXep2prC__gzHVd16Z/s1440/Hilda's%20Card.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccHWKRPgWppXHIP83uDvpjkIPyFYzFeJFOcfJYjOe4fdl9PW7slOQ6et6b9BDaxhQa6p4gX6P9Fqj0Y9W1xzEn7BjEHtdyeNi-HoEu6O19_y7afen9_Wp_8uUwCaiZiYyAL7BOnmJcYHiXMZHWpCDTQZJN1ma8uTFHbkXep2prC__gzHVd16Z/s320/Hilda's%20Card.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What a great reminder from her that I need to keep working on my fitness and eating right. What got me was the "Love you always and forever" part. It reminded me of the quote, "Love transcends time and space." Thank you Hilda for the reminder!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm going to wear her earrings on August 10 to celebrate her spirit. In her 30s and 40s she always wore big loud earrings, bright colors and cool shoes. I told myself years ago that I would celebrate every year that I live past 42, the age she was when she passed away and I can't lose sight of that promise. I recently told a friend that we have to #celebrateallthethings, because she wasn't acknowledging her victories, and I need to practice that too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6Vo883SzjsyPWOG2BAjo6EwclHVI42rIPJaGGRo-e0g2j6sZZsTAYlcI90qsgnbVb9h0OAsD58KvwRpLFZHCtOAQxWSBtB_1m0Z1J8lfc3nNLR9TO1ZBwdCC281n_f_OwziXiIgOcF6vHTfPFSP5g_WaHTHZgOIyWxmmHYXDLYP5aoisEKoc/s1080/Me%2046%20years%20Old.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6Vo883SzjsyPWOG2BAjo6EwclHVI42rIPJaGGRo-e0g2j6sZZsTAYlcI90qsgnbVb9h0OAsD58KvwRpLFZHCtOAQxWSBtB_1m0Z1J8lfc3nNLR9TO1ZBwdCC281n_f_OwziXiIgOcF6vHTfPFSP5g_WaHTHZgOIyWxmmHYXDLYP5aoisEKoc/s320/Me%2046%20years%20Old.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Me wearing Hilda's earring in 2016. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This week is also my half birthday. Tomorrow on Friday the 11th I'm halfway to 54 and it's the time of year when I review my goals and how I'm doing. It's also a good excuse to celebrate!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I choose to concentrate on the positive I can say that I've gotten a lot of things done lately. I cleaned out half of my garage and I finally cleaned out the extra bedroom upstairs with the help of my children and my son's good friend. I'm getting my son's doctor's appointments done before he has to go back to school in New York in September. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I finally got my mammogram and extra ultrasound done and I had all my yearly physicals. All is looking good across the board, from my breasts, to my cholesterol, A1c level, and heart. I've even dropped 16 pounds in a year, which is always a win. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've made a morning meditation a daily habit, but I will have to revise my overly ambitious goal of either 400 or 500 Peloton rides by 54. I'm thinking that what sounds more realistic and cool is 354 rides and strength workouts by 54. #354to54 is being sensible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also done a good job of editing my novel right before each Central Nebraska Writing Group meeting, so I can read for the group at our bi-monthly meetings. Goal is to have a portion done for each meeting, so I can have the whole book edited in approximately 9 more months or less. It's a marathon, not a sprint and I want to do it right this time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On another note, at my day job of selling advertising and doing my part to defend the free press... I'm so happy that I can bring my whole self to work and that I can follow things I'm passionate about. We have an awesome DEI training called Hearst Conscious Inclusion and when we complete the training we become "Change Agents." I'm now working with a group called "Change Agents in Action." I'm leading a group of Hearst employees from other divisions and our focus will be on external projects for Women's Rights. I can't wait to see the work we all do and I'm so grateful for the opportunity! I was also asked to do something else, but more to come later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my little libraries world. I am so happy to report that an organization is donating two bookshelves for my little libraries and a local art organization wants to paint them for me. I'm so excited to see what they do! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In my historic cemetery world. I'm looking for a corporate sponsor who will do matching donations for Giving Tuesday for the Historic McDaniel Street Cemetery. If you know of anyone who is passionate about historical cemeteries send them my way!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Life is definitely not boring and I have a lot to keep me busy. I'm grateful to be making it to 53 and a half and let's see what I can accomplish in the next six months. #354to54</div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-6701833907753807812023-07-16T13:35:00.004-05:002023-07-16T15:05:18.682-05:00The Fools Who Dream<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: georgia;">"A bit of madness is key</span></p><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">To give us new colors to see</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Who knows where it will lead us?</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge"><b><i>And that's why they need us"</i></b></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">So bring on the rebels</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The ripples from pebbles</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge"><i><b>The painters, and poets, and plays"</b></i></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Song: Audition (The Fools Who Dream) from <i>La La Land</i></span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 14px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KOi-2rWStSrVkzUMLieFKukfGETzT4FxAKO-ORtlC3yPZqB54b0U76JOFlCyWd2YXVTUYUnMzoIOjobAOoUAWS2rCO4x2MCeU6V_Gcp92hjUw7I5r8UykSa46uU8BDgx2LGddYsnLrp-ARYTdsYlYPwuO5p60r_NctxMbyZKvEbU8pijWX84/s334/Lala%20land%20Poster%202.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="216" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KOi-2rWStSrVkzUMLieFKukfGETzT4FxAKO-ORtlC3yPZqB54b0U76JOFlCyWd2YXVTUYUnMzoIOjobAOoUAWS2rCO4x2MCeU6V_Gcp92hjUw7I5r8UykSa46uU8BDgx2LGddYsnLrp-ARYTdsYlYPwuO5p60r_NctxMbyZKvEbU8pijWX84/s320/Lala%20land%20Poster%202.JPG" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">La La Land poster owned by Lionsgate</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I love this version of the movie poster because it's the scene when Emma Stone goes into her audition for her big break and Ryan Gosling is sitting outside in the waiting room. This is the scene that did it for me and the reason I keep listening to the song "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)."</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A couple of weeks ago my son encouraged me to watch the 2017 movie </span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958/" target="_blank">La La Land</a></i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I'd never watched it because I just never got around to it, and honestly I didn't think I would enjoy it. I was curious to find out why it had it touched him so much. I suspected that it was because he's a creative song writer, a lyricist, an artist. </span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Imagine my surprise when the movie really spoke to me, a 53 year old woman. I especially love <a href="https://youtu.be/NlIVb0DgmLA" target="_blank">the audition scene</a> and the emotions the song evokes. It's a message of hope for the dreamers and inspires them not to give up because the world needs them. I know others have felt the same and it was a topic of discussion on <i>Vulture</i> as <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2016/12/song-exploder-inside-la-la-lands-audition.html">the pivotal final number </a>of the movie. </span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I love stories about people who don't give up on their dreams, especially writers. A few days ago I came across an essay by the writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andre_Dubus_III" target="_blank">Andre Dubus III</a> <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/the-lows-of-the-high-life" target="_blank">in the New Yorker</a> about the first time he went on a spending spree in New York with his family, including his blind aunt, the guest of honor. He planned this trip to celebrate her birthday. I Googled what book he had finished before the summer of 2001 and I found that he had published <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Sand_and_Fog_(novel)" target="_blank">House of Sand and Fog</a></i> in 1999 and Oprah had chosen it for her book club in 2000. By 2001 it had probably already been optioned for a movie because<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Sand_and_Fog_(film)" target="_blank"> the movie</a> debuted in 2003. That explained it.</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The New Yorker article is a story of hope. It's the kind of story that gives writers hope that they will have a New York Times bestseller one day. It reminded me of </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">La La Land</i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and the "Audition" song again. </span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The way the article is written I didn't read it as a successful author boasting about his success and money. It's much more than that, because it tells the story of a little boy who grew up poor and didn't have a lot of money as an adult, before becoming a successful published author in his early 40s. It's a heartwarming story about freedom from poverty. </span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As an aspiring writer this essay gave me hope too, because I am a "fool who dreams, crazy as that may seem." At the age of 53 I still believe in so many things and that is what keeps me writing and dreaming. </span></div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-4145902263571695012023-06-30T00:22:00.004-05:002023-07-01T10:06:47.244-05:00Changing the Narrative for Working Moms<p>I am so in awe of this new generation of working mothers who demand to be seen and taken seriously. I admire how candid they are about raising children while working. One influencer on LinkedIn posted that she will over-share what her life is like as a working parent. "TMI is my default until the default becomes the norm." I love that. I love that she refuses to shrink to make others comfortable.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjc9KANIvLZtkRn7Ot4Up-KGg3hA5ZwBwkZGJ_lAJEnD1RmWqOrJ1IhY_x01lLjiVK8ePvUVfb-vWitEugH7zmhZmySW-YeOSYYo0ETbAuCGHa_CD1gk7A0RDUgt_MhEtJVdo3h0cCy1p8YjLJqOfIVUppBDHt6AEWdmmKJmQYdw_ms5Rqois/s640/Favorite%20Mama%20Photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjc9KANIvLZtkRn7Ot4Up-KGg3hA5ZwBwkZGJ_lAJEnD1RmWqOrJ1IhY_x01lLjiVK8ePvUVfb-vWitEugH7zmhZmySW-YeOSYYo0ETbAuCGHa_CD1gk7A0RDUgt_MhEtJVdo3h0cCy1p8YjLJqOfIVUppBDHt6AEWdmmKJmQYdw_ms5Rqois/s320/Favorite%20Mama%20Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my kids when they were babies, 18 years ago.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I know I am incredibly lucky to have worked for a company that was very flexible and made it easy for me have and raise two children, while working full time. But that doesn't mean I felt okay discussing the challenges of being a working mom, especially when I became a single working mother. </p><p>In fact, I even stepped back two years after the divorce to stay home and work contract, until I could work through my son's ADHD diagnosis. Coincidentally my elderly father had to come live with me during that same time. </p><p>Recently I listened to an older woman speak about her career experience and it was very inspiring for all of us to hear her stories and experiences.</p><p>However, when it came time for the questions from the audience someone asked about being an older woman who stepped back when her children were young and if it was possible to get back onto the same career path. </p><p>I could relate to this question, because although I have done very well in my career and I think I'm well respected as an experienced employee, I don't see myself leading projects and initiatives again, partly because I took that time away when my kids were younger. </p><p>The speaker's response surprised me. She said that women didn't need to step back because they should ask more from their spouses. I didn't have a spouse when my children were young so where did I fit in? What about single women who decide to have children on their own? What about widows? Where does that leave us? Where does that leave older women who want to return to the workforce?</p><p>My corporation has done such an excellent job, especially in the last few years, to train us on diversity and inclusion. I was certified as a "change agent" after completing all the training. Now I will be helping to lead an external working group and I'm thrilled to see that one of the three areas we are going to address is women's rights. I'm also on the team for the internal working group. I'm looking forward to those discussions and plans and I hope that this gives me an opportunity to address the needs of single working mothers.</p><p>Even though I'm not the mother of young children any more I want to help young mothers get to the comfort level of that LinkedIn influencer. I want to help change the narrative at work so women feel safe juggling both their career and their children. I want to pave the way to change attitudes so women can step away if needed, but then I want for it to be okay for them to step back in and continue on their career path, despite their age. It's going to take time, but I believe we've already made a lot of progress in recent years and we can make more.</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-19778142212337458162023-06-25T18:38:00.002-05:002023-06-25T18:44:16.504-05:00So What Ever Happened To That Peloton?It's been a while since I mentioned my Peloton. <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2018/09/how-peloton-bike-is-changing-my-life.html" target="_blank">That Peloton</a> that I was so in love with in 2018... Yes, I still have it, but I don't know what happened to that loving feeling. <div><br /></div><div>The last time I mentioned it was in <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2022/07/an-empty-nest-and-world-is-my-oyster.html" target="_blank">July of last year</a> when I said that I knew that my blood counts were significantly lower when I was riding the Peloton and I said I was going to get back on it. I didn't... </div><div><br /></div><div>Here is where I was on February 3, 2019, the day I reached my 100th bike ride.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhoMag7xV77O3VPYB8a8OSaIobg_kvraLYygpO8spicqWW8iN8oa_IghDQdEuBqYZHabN84jvHTEjAEJ-RsW7MEdm2ZuXleqTlorrSZDZKSj5dQPFWfvRTGjXahstqG6hkA8Z5ji4NLdte6dNLuDtZTtlHBdHPvBALIHimvgDGkvLlxLvfleA/s1349/100%20Rides%20Feb%202019.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhoMag7xV77O3VPYB8a8OSaIobg_kvraLYygpO8spicqWW8iN8oa_IghDQdEuBqYZHabN84jvHTEjAEJ-RsW7MEdm2ZuXleqTlorrSZDZKSj5dQPFWfvRTGjXahstqG6hkA8Z5ji4NLdte6dNLuDtZTtlHBdHPvBALIHimvgDGkvLlxLvfleA/s320/100%20Rides%20Feb%202019.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is where I am today!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYgQwQiBl8jn4GiVQMsfUM9pqV74zj89TdQLhQWgxWouEX_qCpb-AElW_zFWn1xchiVxyzWD-ta49goKkKl71MtmeLsy6s321O440BcusVSGuE4v0LWTNSY4WU7rvJAmMD4lbx6OqdZlXxWAz0v6I4sXT0JRTz9H9jP39Z0TDRgKgYRew9CJv/s1624/Peloton%20June%202023.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1624" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYgQwQiBl8jn4GiVQMsfUM9pqV74zj89TdQLhQWgxWouEX_qCpb-AElW_zFWn1xchiVxyzWD-ta49goKkKl71MtmeLsy6s321O440BcusVSGuE4v0LWTNSY4WU7rvJAmMD4lbx6OqdZlXxWAz0v6I4sXT0JRTz9H9jP39Z0TDRgKgYRew9CJv/w296-h640/Peloton%20June%202023.PNG" width="296" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've owned my bike since approximately August, 2018, that's almost five years! In that time I've worked out 803 times (I don't really count meditations as workouts but Peloton does so...) I've only ridden my bike 139 more times, but I've done 223 more strength workout and I've completed 63 runs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the last couple of years I've been running with the Peloton app more and cycling less. I've also really gotten into the strength workouts, most recently trying the standing core strength workouts. I love those!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know I shouldn't beat myself up about this. I know that 803 workouts is still something. 803 divided by 5 years is 160.6 workouts per year. That's 13.38 workouts per month or approximately 3.34 times per week. Or as some of the coaches point out, it's still working out more than people who don't work out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't explain why I haven't been on the bike and why I've been running more than cycling. I've written about how I<a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2020/07/one-hundred-and-fifty-rides.html" target="_blank"> self-sabotage</a> and <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-sabotage-myself.html" target="_blank">here.</a> It didn't help when I logged on the other day and I received a warning about the bike seat recall. I'm yet to address that issue, but I know it has to be done. Luckily I've never had any issues with my seat thus far. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Either way, I do have to call about the seat and I do need to get back on the bike. I still love everything about Peloton, especially the strength workouts and the walks and runs. My challenge is to get myself back on the bike, and loving the rides again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I want to set a #400by54 goal for myself for both Strength and Cycling. I know I can do it for Strength, but can I reach the same goal for Cycling? I want to! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">New goal for the second part of the year and my soon to be half birthday in August!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-53665193120664120892023-06-19T18:25:00.002-05:002023-06-21T18:34:01.648-05:00I'm a Little Morbid, Just a Little, but I'm Also Realistic<p>Some people would find this morbid or maybe even negative. I find it damn realistic, especially at my age. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7QUNya9dKf5p-RlFwMcuPNxRHcpda9wiF4ObIUR2sPMBfveB22tm-hImluYYqXbLkCx8Dr2y0g_DZdCwAeIh8QegVkyNzkVDH51gAn2AiQUb3M1DfgPW4hf_1HXhCxmUY-7wTcEWcfJZxqvLRl6tU2-H6WmxwOaIsFeu71kiOZ2KAeHwsA/s750/Hurston%20Quote.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="750" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7QUNya9dKf5p-RlFwMcuPNxRHcpda9wiF4ObIUR2sPMBfveB22tm-hImluYYqXbLkCx8Dr2y0g_DZdCwAeIh8QegVkyNzkVDH51gAn2AiQUb3M1DfgPW4hf_1HXhCxmUY-7wTcEWcfJZxqvLRl6tU2-H6WmxwOaIsFeu71kiOZ2KAeHwsA/s320/Hurston%20Quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>A few years ago I started a list of people who I knew, who died before 50. Topping the list was my sister, who died at 42. As I started getting older the list grew and I found myself adding co-workers and former classmates around my age to the list. These are classmates from Waltrip High School, the University of Houston and colleagues from the Houston Chronicle.</p><p>Facebook memories served up a memory recently about a trip I took with the kids to Marfa, Big Bend and Terlingua in June, 2021. I had a comment from a friend about how she loved staying in the Chisos Basin. She made this comment in June and she died that November. One morning she woke up, had a headache and passed out. She was only 52, one year older than me at the time.</p><p>I often see comments on old Facebook posts from friends who have passed and it always makes me smile to remember them fondly and then I feel a little melancholy too. I've started to think of these past messages as little whispers, reminders from them. "Hey live your best life! Life can be short."</p><p>I'm 53, eleven years older than my sister was when she passed away. The past eleven years have flown by and I think of all the things I wanted to do, but didn't, because I let life get in the way. </p><p>I came across <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/04/on-cusp-of-something-amazing.html" target="_blank">this blog </a>about feeling like I was on the cusp of something amazing in April of 2021. It blows me away that it's been two years since I wrote that. </p><p>I joined the Central Nebraska Writing Group the fall of 2020 and in April 2021, when I wrote that blog post, I started the first draft of my current novel. I was pretty much finished with the first draft by April of 2022. That's over a year ago! </p><p>So the question is, "Am I done editing and revising it?" The answer is NO. Like I said in a current Facebook post about this, time marches on and when we put off doing things, we look up and the time has passed. So just do the thing. Time is going to pass anyway.</p><p>This is why it is so important that I take the time to write 30 minutes a day! Life is short.</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-73144040920855567122023-06-10T19:54:00.005-05:002023-06-17T11:43:19.307-05:00How Things Are Going...<p>The kids have been home four weeks now. Seth got a job and he starts on Monday. Miranda is taking a gap year and is currently searching for her first job, post graduation. She's adulting! Confession. It's really hard having the kids back after being alone for five months straight. (maybe more on that later)</p><p>We've gotten into a routine, and although I ran a few times to train, leading up to our Memorial Day 5K run, I'm still struggling with getting back to a regular exercise routine. I <i>have</i> been diligently writing each day, even if all I can squeeze in is 15 minutes to be made up the next day with 45 minutes. I'm glad to report that with this blog post I'm all caught up. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGY4GR9Q9WizRpm-21DzzUei0M7uJ9FhXPHkGwRm-65aNgWyMU269oX987H0yLnSKdBazzFTTc3BYll0sEij1qLCuX8i8iHHnOoVqt0oNpYe8Bv6dABqZYis6y24PDc6A9_vmAkJMDzBytgIb0AcPwbH-Jfdre3O8lThriptHiPy_2e8Evw/s640/Collage%20May%202023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="640" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGY4GR9Q9WizRpm-21DzzUei0M7uJ9FhXPHkGwRm-65aNgWyMU269oX987H0yLnSKdBazzFTTc3BYll0sEij1qLCuX8i8iHHnOoVqt0oNpYe8Bv6dABqZYis6y24PDc6A9_vmAkJMDzBytgIb0AcPwbH-Jfdre3O8lThriptHiPy_2e8Evw/s320/Collage%20May%202023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Collage by Me </div><p>I have a daily/weekly To Do list reminder written in Italian on a sticky note on my bookmark inside my Franklin Covey day planner. </p><p>It reads:</p><p>1. Mangia bene.</p><p>2. Fare esercizio.</p><p>3. Scrivi.</p><p>4. Imparare l'Italiano.</p><p>5. Fare arte.</p><p>Why is it in Italian? Because of #4. I also subscribe to Italian "Vogue" online so I can receive the daily email and read all the headlines. I also attempt to read some of the articles sometimes. #1 says to eat well, #2 exercise, #3 to write, #4 to learn Italian and #5 to make art. </p><p>Fare arte. I've been trying to make art too. I greatly appreciate art and even though I've never considered myself an artist, I know what I like. So I've been going to a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/scissorsoftexas/" target="_blank">Scissors of Texas</a> events, mostly at St. Arnold's Brewery once a month for the past few months and I've created four collages. I love it! I love making collages so much that I actually feel emboldened to say I feel like an artist. I mean, I know I'm an artist because I'm a writer, but now I feel like a visual artist too.</p><p>Another one of my passions are old cemeteries. Update on the <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/westcott-cemetery.html" target="_blank">Westcott Cemetery</a> Association that I wrote about so many years ago. I sit on the board of this historic cemetery association now. This cemetery, recognized by Texas as a historic cemetery, is known as the McDaniel Street Cemetery and we have made so much progress! Check out<a href="https://westcottcemeteryassociation.org/"> our web site</a> and please consider donating towards our restoration project. I write this as I head out to check on it and to pick up trash before sunset. It's been a labor of love for the sisters who are Westcott descendants and first messaged me about the cemetery so many years ago. </p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-54057859952011383542023-06-04T12:38:00.007-05:002023-06-05T10:34:21.408-05:00Can I Have a Do-Over? Writing Challenge Take Two!<p>I will not say I failed miserably at writing 30 minutes a day in May. I will say that I made an honest attempt and I was not successful. Therefore I am doing a do-over. Today is June 3rd and there's a full moon. I'd say that this is the perfect time to start again. I've already written the first two days of the month and I will continue to write each day, using this time for novel editing as well.</p><p>But first let's talk about the graduation and the road trip from New York to Houston. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI__mr1lIBL_3ILMuWwv3KJ8xTB8M9FVyPbV6i86Ew7Iff6Xu5VlaDzQI0uEgmIgMG63DkevuxE-QGnA9ReTYuCJfnWBG4LqIvepnn2_Ek2hbr_YQ-LnMSTU1zZ231Pl28l8gwNQp6XwGD3PWvdGi5HqCAYBwV756QjsFi6-Kbs0sNjdeTA/s2016/Miranda%20&%20Me%20Graduation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKI__mr1lIBL_3ILMuWwv3KJ8xTB8M9FVyPbV6i86Ew7Iff6Xu5VlaDzQI0uEgmIgMG63DkevuxE-QGnA9ReTYuCJfnWBG4LqIvepnn2_Ek2hbr_YQ-LnMSTU1zZ231Pl28l8gwNQp6XwGD3PWvdGi5HqCAYBwV756QjsFi6-Kbs0sNjdeTA/s320/Miranda%20&%20Me%20Graduation.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miranda and I at <a href="https://www.liu.edu/" target="_blank">Long Island University</a><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The commencement ceremony was a success. I arrived just in the nick of time to see her march out to "Pomp & Circumstance." In my opinion there are only two important moments in a graduation. When the graduate marches out to that beautiful melody and when they call the graduate's name and she walks across the stage. Those were my two favorite moments. Then there are the photos afterwards. Here I am, a super proud mother with her first born child.<div><br /></div><div>I was so touched by all of the family members who took the time and spent the money to go to New York to see her graduate. Her father and I were there of course. So was her father's partner and Miranda's big sister Amanda. Her brother Seth didn't have far to travel since he's a freshman at LIU Brooklyn. Amanda's son, my sweet baby boy got to partake in the celebrations, as did Amanda's partner. Two of my sisters were there, my nephew, my best friend who is an aunt to her, and her sister, who is like a second aunt. All in all, four states were represented- Texas, California, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Five if you count Seth in New York. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was an epic celebration and we had a wonderful weekend celebrating. I took one day for fun, Saturday when I walked along a small piece of Central Park with my sister, then we went to see the Starbucks Reserve location on the first floor of the Empire State Building, because she was dying to try the olive oil coffee. After that we went to see a musical, "New York, New York" and we had dinner in Little Italy. A perfect day. </div><div><br /></div><div>I won't go into the stress and chaos of getting Miranda and Seth packed and ready to leave because it will take too much time. Let's just say, it took a good two days to get Miranda's things sorted, packed, given away, or thrown away. I was so happy we could give one of the ladies, who was cleaning the dorms, Miranda's almost brand new winter coat, perfect for the really cold New York winters, and her snow boots. Seth took less time but we had to get his things packed into a storage facility because he's going back in the fall. We finished that on Tuesday morning, so I should really say it took two and a half days total between both children.</div><div><br /></div><div>Miranda and I began our journey on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. and my 7 p.m. we had made it to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hershey,_Pennsylvania" target="_blank">Hershey, Pennsylvania</a>. No, we didn't make it in time for the tour of the chocolate factory, but we drove by the building and through the picturesque town with a very interesting history. It reminds me of the history of Sugar Land and how the company created housing for their employees around the factory.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBQZNtFa8d3qGGShRvQWf8yGJkUjHfLNda2ha5UycJfs-tbJ92ofFf4mzZDzHFjo9_qIVhBODMhlmX0MCFUs1BEEdTdpWwFS0l9vTBISWebc7OcJ49H0tX2o3Mmn8flGID1J3UrNEQWrjWDAgxubvd6-_d8QLsplgITKtjvMGC_41VhwI1A/s1544/Hershey,%20Penn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1158" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBQZNtFa8d3qGGShRvQWf8yGJkUjHfLNda2ha5UycJfs-tbJ92ofFf4mzZDzHFjo9_qIVhBODMhlmX0MCFUs1BEEdTdpWwFS0l9vTBISWebc7OcJ49H0tX2o3Mmn8flGID1J3UrNEQWrjWDAgxubvd6-_d8QLsplgITKtjvMGC_41VhwI1A/s320/Hershey,%20Penn.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div>By 11 p.m. or so we'd made it to Virginia and we spent our first night in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester,_Virginia" target="_blank">Winchester, Virginia</a>, the site of many battles during the American Civil War. We were exhausted so we didn't wake up early. We would start our journey closer to noon. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank goodness the weather was perfect and it wasn't hot yet. Wednesday we drove all day until we made it to Nashville, Tennessee. I wish we'd taken the time to see something that morning but I really wanted to make it to Memphis to go to the <a href="https://www.civilrightsmuseum.org/" target="_blank">National Civil Rights Museum</a>. I'm so glad I did!</div><div><br /></div><div>The drive through Tennessee was beautiful by the way and the Natl Civil Rights Museum built around the Lorraine Motel where MLK was shot is a must see when you're in Memphis.</div><div><br /></div><div>We were extremely lucky that the only really bad weather passed over us while we were in the museum and at dinner. By the time we got back on the road that evening the road was wet and there was just a slight drizzle as we left Memphis. We pushed forward and we made it to Texarkana by 11 p.m. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Friday morning we had to go see <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14354" target="_blank">the post office and federal building on the state line </a>of the city. We also had an awesome breakfast across the street in an adorable café. </div><div><br /></div><div>Onward and forward and it was a beautiful drive through our beautiful state. We took Highway 59 down all the way to Houston. I pointed out Goodrich and Seth's favorite chicken place as we drove through. I showed Miranda what road I take to the <a href="http://yellowrosecabin.com/" target="_blank">Yellow Rose Cabins,</a> where I hope to take her on the 4th of July weekend. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all we had a wonderful mother-daughter road trip. It was cool to learn that the highway between Nashville and Memphis is called the <a href="http://tnmusichighway.com/" target="_blank">Tennessee Music Highway</a>. If I could do anything different I would have taken an extra day so we could have made time to stop and visit places in Nashville and a couple of spots in Memphis. We are big fans of Johnny Cash and June Carter so it would have been nice to see some of the historic places. I would have loved to have stopped at the Sun Studios in Memphis. Alas, for a future trip. There are so many places to see in America and I hope to live a long life to see as many as I can. </div><div><br />Big shout out to my little 2012 Honda Fit, that not only drove up to New York in September 2022, but also drove my girl all around Long Island all school year, to and from rowing practice. THEN it drove us safely back down to Texas. </div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-80584651826384345982023-05-01T23:51:00.002-05:002023-05-01T23:52:25.778-05:00Where Is 2023 Going? And Back to New York<p>May 1st. May. We are almost halfway done with this year. Half! I wrote in January that Miranda was graduating in May and I never wrote again. Here we are. It's May and time to go to New York again.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TnQ8OXk9FROTEUt0bIgW7jOeJDNLev007l6N2VAHClF0xd0y5bNgTkF59Cou2iVJ8HN5C5PSj952J5yvj6cVA6ulNaU3qGu7Fz5xIj55vFVhVRhBQyRv6xeSM8ZeDUrfS5N0LSkAg9kNzddbt-WqNlRcH8SMb4ZYmRmdcPuDDrJuMorzrQ/s640/New%20York.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TnQ8OXk9FROTEUt0bIgW7jOeJDNLev007l6N2VAHClF0xd0y5bNgTkF59Cou2iVJ8HN5C5PSj952J5yvj6cVA6ulNaU3qGu7Fz5xIj55vFVhVRhBQyRv6xeSM8ZeDUrfS5N0LSkAg9kNzddbt-WqNlRcH8SMb4ZYmRmdcPuDDrJuMorzrQ/s320/New%20York.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in New York on the terrace of the Whitney Museum in September<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm kind of cheating... I went to New York and stayed on Long Island three weekends ago to see Miranda race. She's been on the LIU Rowing Team since the second semester last year and she's worked so hard. She says it's been one of the best things to happen to her and I was so glad I got to see her in action with her team.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it's time to go back to New York! The girl graduates from LIU Post on Friday morning. What a milestone for both of us! My first child is graduating from college. I am beside myself with pride and admiration for her. After graduation and packing her up we're going to take a road trip home. I'm really looking forward to that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today also marks the first day of May and a daily writing challenge. I've challenged myself to write for 30 minutes a day for the American Cancer Society. Today is Day 1 and I started very late in the day. I was exhausted after work so I took a little nap that turned into an hour and a half. Story of my life!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The plan is to use this as a kickstart to editing my novel. I'm committing to 30 minutes a day so it can be the novel or it may be this blog, which has been neglected for a very long time. Either way it's going to encourage me to stick to a daily writing schedule. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since this is all about self-discipline for me I've decided to double up and make it 30 minutes of writing and 30 minutes of exercise each day. Yes, I probably just made it more challenging but it wouldn't be me if I didn't. I love a good challenge!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-36247258391286469652023-01-29T13:38:00.000-06:002023-01-29T13:38:11.925-06:00Where Did 2022 Go? Hello 2023!<p>At the end of each year I usually do a recap and talk about the blogs I wrote. I didn't do that this time. But if I had written one, it would have been the shortest one... I only wrote six blog posts the entire year. The least I've ever written. I wrote ten in 2021. So I'm not going to bother recapping a year that flew by. It was a year that I've been planning for a good while because I knew I was going to become an empty nester. I kind of just eased into this new lifestyle in the fall, doing more in the community, attending events, but I have big plans for 2023.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kaVT1J1vA2ifMuFwex7xKwoVK3qnKsf4eJ7UXurQ2QcLnXTyKFjRa_fpO62BS5W_6cK6HDIAw3naCkkFwyH3nMJ0tin3kEb5KTpgee3vP6dJh5gGP8Q0zh6tM3SqEweIeA0U19hUlckvD_uzaScpMR95dayQbBNZnj8XCnyOKt9tLD7jOw/s640/Dashboards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="640" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kaVT1J1vA2ifMuFwex7xKwoVK3qnKsf4eJ7UXurQ2QcLnXTyKFjRa_fpO62BS5W_6cK6HDIAw3naCkkFwyH3nMJ0tin3kEb5KTpgee3vP6dJh5gGP8Q0zh6tM3SqEweIeA0U19hUlckvD_uzaScpMR95dayQbBNZnj8XCnyOKt9tLD7jOw/s320/Dashboards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>For starters, I began the year with 21 days of positive manifestation exercises. I wrote them out on these dashboards for my planner. I took out all the old dashboards and I started the year with fresh new pages. </p><p>I was reading back on blog entries from seven years ago and I set six and seven year plans for preparing the kids to be ready to go off to school. They did in fact go out of state like I predicted, so I'm alone while they're in school in New York.</p><p>Now I'm setting new seven and twelve year plans for myself. In seven years I'll be sixty!! (That blows my mind!) And in twelve years I'll be sixty-five, retirement age. I'm actively working on all the things that I need to accomplish in order to be healthy and ready for retirement. I do not want to get to the end of this road of working my whole life only to find that I have illnesses that keep me from doing the things I want to do. </p><p>Just to be clear, I am realistic enough to realize that sometimes the Universe has different plans for us and there are some illnesses that are inevitable. We can't do anything about those. I'm talking about the illnesses that I CAN avoid by being mindful and balanced about what I eat and how much I exercise. </p><p>What are some of my plans for retirement? I'm going to yell some of my ideas out to the universe or the interwebs! </p><p>1. I want to really give my writing the time that it deserves. I want to actively work on sending my work out to literary magazines and working on novels I want to write. These are things that I can start doing now that I'm an empty-nester and I've claimed back so many hours in my life. </p><p>2. I want to buy a renovated vintage trailer and a small pickup truck for my retirement and travel around Texas and neighboring states with it. </p><p>3. I'd like to live in a different European country three months at a time. Maybe three months there and come home for three months. This idea is still very preliminary. Ideas for countries? Spain of course, Italy, France and Greece. Maybe countries in the UK, but I need to visit first.</p><p>So what are the things I'm doing in the next few years to prepare for retirement? Some of the same old song and dance. Eat right, exercise and write. Write, write, write. I can only get where I want by writing, like a musician practices their instrument. </p><p>I want to go visit the spots I'm thinking of living in and I need to start budgeting how much rent will cost, etc... Then start working on a plan for how I'm going to pay for my retirement besides social security, 401K and my pension. I'm sitting on a nice little nest egg right now (house and land) and that's a whole other decision in itself. </p><p>My word for 2023 is "Balance." It's a year of practicing balance in everything I do. No overeating or overindulging, no overspending, taking care of myself, writing and traveling when I can, both domestically and internationally. It's also the year my girl graduates from college so there's a big New York trip in May for her graduation and to get Seth packed up for the summer. I love New York!</p><p>Always keeping in mind that, "life is what happens when you're making plans." Cheers to a great 2023!</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-20161506180061276852022-11-07T00:41:00.007-06:002022-11-07T19:15:01.010-06:00Possible Empty Nest Syndrome or a Shriveled Up Left Ovary? <p>I'm struggling with a little bit of depression. Struggling is the right word because I'm fighting it and if you see me out and about you'd never guess it. Since my kids both left to college I've been keeping busy with activities all around town. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwhlyz98dZ3Ye7YPpx4m_qE7sxQ2jetUo45anGf-XRYRPLTFkLHRdRx6duI_G9ClQtbv8b22moqwbC87PVjVr24Y00eOlpFkfYNa_ZfyHaI6jyrrQ2vwuOHEtL1XbJ5z-u5-sZ_Wy-8fRxjX2BB0_5fBLrlB0_zwQWszBxkVC-mMbAEWbdw/s2048/Me%20-Death%20by%20Chocolate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwhlyz98dZ3Ye7YPpx4m_qE7sxQ2jetUo45anGf-XRYRPLTFkLHRdRx6duI_G9ClQtbv8b22moqwbC87PVjVr24Y00eOlpFkfYNa_ZfyHaI6jyrrQ2vwuOHEtL1XbJ5z-u5-sZ_Wy-8fRxjX2BB0_5fBLrlB0_zwQWszBxkVC-mMbAEWbdw/s320/Me%20-Death%20by%20Chocolate.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at a fundraiser for Art in the Heart<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>I've been to book launches, fundraisers, events at Art in the Heart, Oklahoma to visit family, and a lot of dinners and gatherings with my girlfriends. So on the surface it looks like everything is great. The truth is that I've been paralyzed in a way that's very similar to how I felt <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2018/05/im-paralyzed-and-i-dont-know-why.html" target="_blank">after my dad died</a>. It's really strange to feel this mix of being busy and out socially, but then not being able to get anything done in my house, like cleaning and laundry.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I've been wondering if secretly I'm suffering from empty nest syndrome. By secretly I mean, even I don't know I am or I'm in denial that I am. I pulled up <a href="https://www.verywellfamily.com/signs-of-empty-nest-syndrome-4163787" target="_blank">an article</a> with signs and symptoms and a couple of them stood out as possibilities. One of them was feeling a lack of control over the kids' lives and another was anxiety because I'm worried about them. The two are very closely related. I lack control and maybe that gives me anxiety. I can see both of them as possible reasons for how I'm feeling. I worry about Seth because it's his freshman year and I hope he's keeping up with everything. I worry about Miranda, her senior thesis and getting into medical school. Things I have no control over. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's strange to say this because I'm really excited to have the time to do all the things I want to do and I have been out doing a lot in the community. I'm also super happy for my kids and I want to see them fly. Why would I be sad that they're gone or because I don't have control over their daily activities? It's also possible that I'm secretly depressed because having both kids in college is a reminder that I'm growing older and that I have less time to achieve my goals. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another possible reason for my lack of motivation may be menopause. I've never shied away from talking about <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2020/12/why-we-should-be-talking-about-menopause.html" target="_blank">menopause</a>. In fact, I think it's ridiculous that people can't talk about periods and menopause when they are all part of the cycle of life.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been in menopause since October of 2020, however I've had a couple of weird things happen so my doctor sent me in for a pelvic ultrasound. When I received the results in my portal I tried to decipher them. One thing that stood out was that the technician couldn't see my left ovary. I Googled why that could be and I found out that when our ovaries stop working they get so small that they can't be seen on an ultrasound. So in other words, I have a shriveled up left ovary. My ovaries are packing up and leaving. It's like they are saying, "Our work here is done!" </div><div><br /></div><div>This could be another reason for my listlessness. I seriously don't feel like doing anything at all. But I am. I'm forging ahead anyway, going out to events, writing essays, finishing the last chapter of my Kindle Vella novel, and planning what I'm going to read next. Even writing this is doing something and let's not forget that I do work 8-10 hours per day, depending on the day. I've been working so hard that sometimes I don't feel like cleaning, exercising or writing at the end of the day. </div><div><br /></div><div>I need to do something to address the possible empty nest syndrome and find strategies on how to cope. I also need to see the doctor so I can get the official diagnosis of my ultrasound to put my mind at ease. Unfortunately I can't control the fact that losing our ovaries affects us emotionally. I need to learn how to work though that too. Maybe I should schedule a weekly massage for the stress. All I can do is find </div><div>ways to work through these feelings and to take everything one step at a time. #selfcare #selflove</div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-19203700762529970592022-09-11T15:45:00.003-05:002022-09-11T15:50:06.921-05:00And Just Like That... I Live Alone<p>On the first morning that I woke up all alone in my house I lay in my bed for a while and I could clearly remember bringing my youngest home from the hospital. It really does seem like just yesterday. How can I still remember the feeling, how he looked, and how exhausted I was those first couple of weeks? I can remember bringing Miranda home too, but I mention Seth because he's my baby and the last one to leave the nest. Almost two weeks ago he set out on the 1,600 mile road trip with his sister and father and I flew out to meet up with them in Brooklyn. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqHijFK3JSciraoPHULTJEuq_6D6KG-FgsIx8W4B4E_KyOAXdtN2erew-IKH6n9Nmjy1MaX9jvnkizKbpo9WIeJ4rYvRFVdG2EoRG6i5xh_-lDjrZCwfMxOjemI0NFaK2vkpqAy0qHcZVfZZoT0CU6aESDD4ey1QHSYCOhReVl4gZB9_B3g/s640/65D27B26-43F7-4E51-988C-186D2EAF295E.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqHijFK3JSciraoPHULTJEuq_6D6KG-FgsIx8W4B4E_KyOAXdtN2erew-IKH6n9Nmjy1MaX9jvnkizKbpo9WIeJ4rYvRFVdG2EoRG6i5xh_-lDjrZCwfMxOjemI0NFaK2vkpqAy0qHcZVfZZoT0CU6aESDD4ey1QHSYCOhReVl4gZB9_B3g/s320/65D27B26-43F7-4E51-988C-186D2EAF295E.JPG" width="256" /></a></div><p>First we moved my daughter's things out of storage and into her dorm at LIU Post on Long Island. She's a senior this year. I got this gem of a photo of the three of us at LIU Post. My babies!</p><p>So now I'm alone and although I know it's not permanent until they are full blown adults, who don't come home for the holidays and summers, it's still Phase 1. It's also the first time I've lived alone in my entire life. How can that be? </p><p>Well, I grew up in a traditional Hispanic and religious home with older parents. I wasn't allowed to go away to college and even when they let me go to St. Petersburg, Florida to do a summer internship the stipulation was that I had to live with two older Jehovah's Witness women. So that wasn't really living alone, although the women were nice, didn't enforce a curfew, and I had my own private entrance to my room. </p><p>I lived at home, through college, when I started working, and until I got married at twenty-seven. I went from my parents' home to being a wife and then a mother. When I got divorced at forty-one I had two young children and not too long after that my elderly father came to live with me. Although we had reversed roles now that I was the caretaker, it was still my father and there's a dynamic in that relationship where you're never really the adult. </p><p>Here I am four years since my father passed away, and my kids are both in college. I went grocery shopping just for myself when I got back from New York and it was strange to only shop for one. Then I remembered that this was actually the first time I have ever lived alone, even if it's just for four months, until the winter break. </p><p>I also know that if my daughter ends up in medical school in Houston she will live with me again, so this new experience may only last for a year. I'm okay with that because it means my girl will be a doctor and that's way more important to me, because being a mother never ends. Of course if she ends up at NYU or Tulane that will be a different story and this adventure will continue. I just have to enjoy it while it lasts. </p><p>So what's the plan for this empty nest? Write, read, exercise, make art, go to readings, go to art exhibits, go out with friends more. The list goes on, but writing and exercising are my two main goals. I also want to create more art, like collage art and zine art, something I've really wanted to try. </p><p>Life is beautiful and I have a lot of time ahead of me to do the things I love. </p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-548941245890560322022-08-10T22:10:00.002-05:002022-08-10T22:22:36.631-05:00My Half Birthday and a Colonoscopy on the Side<p>Nobody likes to talk about their colon. Nobody likes the idea of having a colonoscopy and many people <a href="https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2013/03/18/five-reasons-not-get-colonoscopy" target="_blank">don't. </a> Yet colon cancer is t<a href="https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/pages/2018-03-09-listicle-consider-your-colon.aspx" target="_blank">he third leading cause of cancer</a> deaths in the United States. Tomorrow I'm having my first screening.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCVqJAmJ22JBlAv3clKi9M97t4CB8vPcl1PXap5nfEh-6mZCQzCCbBWBGZWdCDyZ_eR3OS3oO6372Lrj_dmUV4EJI24nAiV5ylkZ6EzWZ7YFXuZko2pGUkYvdpwmTH0uPuaZcl9fWZZxYihrHUPtvdIe_aby46GELXMKCeQhpUQTua883Zg/s1080/Me%20and%20Hilda.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCVqJAmJ22JBlAv3clKi9M97t4CB8vPcl1PXap5nfEh-6mZCQzCCbBWBGZWdCDyZ_eR3OS3oO6372Lrj_dmUV4EJI24nAiV5ylkZ6EzWZ7YFXuZko2pGUkYvdpwmTH0uPuaZcl9fWZZxYihrHUPtvdIe_aby46GELXMKCeQhpUQTua883Zg/w320-h320/Me%20and%20Hilda.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Hilda, early 1970s</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Tomorrow also happens to be my half birthday, halfway to fifty-three. Something of significance, that I may have mentioned before, is that my half birthday always falls a day after the anniversary of my sister Hilda's death. It's always a time of introspection for me. A time to take stock of my life and where I'm at in this journey. I'm glad I'm doing something as important as getting screened for colon cancer.</p><p>First let's talk about the colonoscopy and why I've been putting it off. I really haven't been avoiding it completely. It's really been the circumstances and yes, I haven't been in a hurry to do it. My first excuse was that I turned fifty during the Covid pandemic. When my OBGYN asked me about it I told her I would do it but I let another year go by and I didn't make an appointment. She asked me to do it again and she referred me to a doctor in her building. I made the appointment, which wasn't available for a few months, but I still wasn't in a hurry. The appointment was scheduled for May and then the doctor's office called me because the doctor was going on maternity leave. </p><p>In the middle of all of this back and forth I found out in May that a friend from elementary school and middle school passed away from colon cancer. He was fifty-two. I'm not going to lie. Finding this out and going to his funeral was another reminder that I needed to get this done.</p><p>So here I am three months later on the eve of both my first colonoscopy and my half birthday and on the 27th anniversary of my sister's passing. I've been doing a lot of planning and plotting my goals lately. I have two notes in my phone. One is "Three Month Goals" for all of my immediate goals, like getting the kids off to college. The second one is called "5 Year and 13 Year Goals," and that one has all of my longer term goals for writing and moving towards retirement. I am trying to make it a habit to look at these goals every single day to keep myself on track. </p><p>One of the most important parts about my long term goals is my health. I've said it again and again. My health is the bedrock on which I must build all of my goals for the last part of my life. If I don't have my health I won't be able to go on any of the adventures that I have planned. So starting with this colonoscopy tomorrow, here is to prevention and doing the things to keep me alive.</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-24784238196138252762022-07-18T01:32:00.004-05:002022-07-18T13:24:34.579-05:00An Empty Nest and the World is My Oyster<p>We are more than halfway through 2022 and I've only blogged two times this year. My biggest personal accomplishment this year has been that I ran several <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/05/either-focus-on-one-thing-or-get-zero.html" target="_blank">5K runs </a>and my first 10K. My second biggest achievement has been that I finally put <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-novel-that-started-this-blog.html" target="_blank">my 25 year old novel</a> out into the world. The third goal I've accomplished is to do well in my career, chiefly making my goals consistently. My current and most pressing goal is to get these kids off to New York and for them to find an apartment. I picture them living over a deli or restaurant in a building like this is Queens. This is a photo of a building in Brooklyn, but same idea.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xdhJCdIU7OZH9Ei69K2l_qzlKq8Y3zyPA3PLd6xbviqCWCw7YqiFczBaoX0iFhBMFRaxafi-VTdJDyc240e94umGGaFZq2U8PaFRHrk6mkGLP5Ct-agptBHjM8zCJxPFzdPG1QiSwtTzhIDM14edN_qtWyvIVEw4tnYKthYuWJBU6Gh6tA/s640/Brooklyn%20Building.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xdhJCdIU7OZH9Ei69K2l_qzlKq8Y3zyPA3PLd6xbviqCWCw7YqiFczBaoX0iFhBMFRaxafi-VTdJDyc240e94umGGaFZq2U8PaFRHrk6mkGLP5Ct-agptBHjM8zCJxPFzdPG1QiSwtTzhIDM14edN_qtWyvIVEw4tnYKthYuWJBU6Gh6tA/s320/Brooklyn%20Building.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I am at a very interesting point in my life. Both my kids will be gone to college now and I'm going to be somewhat of an empty nester. I say "somewhat" because they will still be coming home for holidays and the summer. (There's also the possibility that Miranda may go to medical school in Houston next year.) Other than those times, I will be alone for three months at a time to do more of the things I want to do. </p><p>I wrote about this a year ago and how I felt like I was on the cusp of <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/04/on-cusp-of-something-amazing.html" target="_blank">something amazing</a>. I still feel like that and that I'll be open to more opportunities. I feel like I did in 1993 when I had just graduated from college, started working, and I had my whole life ahead of me. I was free to do anything I wanted to do. I wish I had really appreciated it then. But I'll be there again soon, except this time I have a lifetime of experience that I didn't have back then and I know what <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2015/12/end-of-year-recap.html" target="_blank">little time I have left</a> on this earth.</p><p>One of the great things about being where I am in my life is not having the desire to procreate. I wrote about<a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2017/02/turning-forty-seven.html" target="_blank"> this freedom</a> a while ago when I turned forty-seven. It's a very freeing feeling when you don't really care what men think of you. I'm not out to impress a potential mate any more because I'm done with that biological phase of my life. </p><p>With all this in mind I've created five and thirteen year plans for the things I want to achieve. For these next few years that the kids are in school I want to take in as much art and literature as I can and in turn I also want to create as much as possible. I want to write earnestly and I want to complete a few books, not just this one. I have more personal goals and I want to dream big. I want to be like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Moses" target="_blank">Grandma Moses</a> and other people who have successfully achieved their goals in the last half of their life. Those people inspire me and are my heroes. </p><p>However, in order to do any of these things successfully I need to be sure I'm around long enough to do them. Exercise and eating right have to be the bedrock on which I build the rest of my goals. If I don't have my health it will be harder to achieve my goals. That's a whole other conversation and post, but <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-universe-is-shouting-at-me.html" target="_blank">one I've blogged about</a> several times over the years. All I have to do is read my blogs from <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/02/happy-51st-birthday-eve-to-me.html" target="_blank">2021</a> and I'm reminded of all the reasons why I need to do better before I run out of time. </p><p>Speaking of running, I've been physically running a lot for the past year, but I have realized that nothing works as well as riding my Peloton. I had my blood drawn on Friday for some doctor's appointments coming up and I can literally see the difference in some of my counts during the time that I was riding the bike. It's what works for me and I need to stick with what works. Back to the <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2018/09/how-peloton-bike-is-changing-my-life.html" target="_blank">Peloton</a> drawing board!</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-7246123167644519932022-07-10T17:28:00.006-05:002022-07-10T19:03:55.305-05:00My Painted Churches of Texas Mini Tour<p>The May issue of the Houston Chronicle's luxury magazine "<a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/hcmagazine/" target="_blank">HC Magazine</a>" has a great article about the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2022/painted-churches-texas/" target="_blank">Painted Churches</a> of Texas that I loved reading. I recalled reading something about this a few years ago, but I had forgotten about them. I'd been thinking about going to visit some of them, at least the ones close to Schulenburg, for the last few weeks. I decided that I would set out on a solo road trip on Saturday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDJvIbgtJYAJnGiFWBU1Cvmbd-KL0OeMKEsf6cLvkaHL2pC9tXj4B39mDWPnle3GyshPLm_JYiz9Icszvt7fYJpcc56kiOkD5zO2dUr7YQCocaA95vur-zcmwno2qQg0B0Df0d6erBfwHPLHcsx4qHxpz8izvqSLFy8Sktb-qTJgbA86_Ww/s1444/Painted%20Church-Cyril%20&%20Methodius.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDJvIbgtJYAJnGiFWBU1Cvmbd-KL0OeMKEsf6cLvkaHL2pC9tXj4B39mDWPnle3GyshPLm_JYiz9Icszvt7fYJpcc56kiOkD5zO2dUr7YQCocaA95vur-zcmwno2qQg0B0Df0d6erBfwHPLHcsx4qHxpz8izvqSLFy8Sktb-qTJgbA86_Ww/s320/Painted%20Church-Cyril%20&%20Methodius.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Catholic Shrine of Sts. Cyril & Methodius in Dubina</div></span><p>I am SO GLAD I took this trip. I can't say enough great things about it. I drove to six churches around Schulenburg and I was able to go inside of five of them. It would have been only four, if I hadn't been patient and killed time at the first one. I lucked out when <a href="https://www.schulenburgchamber.org/painted-churches-tour#:~:text=To%20book%20a%20Tour%20of,services%20that%20you%20may%20encounter." target="_blank">a tour</a> came by, a family of four at their last church of the day, which happened to be my first. That was at St. John the Baptist, German Catholic Church in the hamlet of St. John, between Schulenburg and Moravia.</p><p>Besides visiting these beautiful churches my second favorite part of the trip was the drive. And my favorite drive between two churches happened early on when I left St. John the Baptist, the German one, to drive to Ascension of Our Lord Mission Church. According to the addresses they are both on FM 957 so I figured, "Oh, just up the road!" and my Waze app seemed to agree with me. Well, it was up the road, but up a very long way. What probably made it seem like a much longer drive was that the road was so narrow so I was driving slowly and cautiously. It was unpaved in some areas, either rocky or red clay. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7HOGZKmo2p9phm4ZIXgL7jqVzcY_wVeXOseRbl6hQ2ZF2rmJyfJhAj5Rg6e1y0aPhF5o7gJyHJb6FX_091nos0_iYawZCCSYH9dFWaihWZOcN9xT8NYTAhcCxfk8xw2_v-QtoN-ZfNAtjoM-9Mte31MUdh4EyYS2MFJUhCm23oNxetaHxQ/s640/On%20the%20Road%20Schulenburg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7HOGZKmo2p9phm4ZIXgL7jqVzcY_wVeXOseRbl6hQ2ZF2rmJyfJhAj5Rg6e1y0aPhF5o7gJyHJb6FX_091nos0_iYawZCCSYH9dFWaihWZOcN9xT8NYTAhcCxfk8xw2_v-QtoN-ZfNAtjoM-9Mte31MUdh4EyYS2MFJUhCm23oNxetaHxQ/s320/On%20the%20Road%20Schulenburg.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>At one point the road was really narrow and drove through a wooded area. Sometimes it was curved and I especially had to be cautious about someone driving fast from the other direction, not expecting me to to be traveling on this lonely road. I did see houses all along the route, but I literally did not see another car on the road the entire four mile drive until I arrived in Moravia near this general store. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR467WRfGbBnbdD_OvtYSYsBVLUzrdiGXQNyingNHGmfSS8ajcFobH2DdcxMpfCpHyfOA9_yV_r_R6q0pJ1G_QXZ1vXsLBgV1FrssEZMYxjYkbz7NQk6m481vLjzyjRJC4mie-8Z88YX4a0dLMXrvK-ByRHwh9Frr3thc-Xg-8kufPEG5tSw/s640/General%20Store%20on%20the%20Road%20Moravia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR467WRfGbBnbdD_OvtYSYsBVLUzrdiGXQNyingNHGmfSS8ajcFobH2DdcxMpfCpHyfOA9_yV_r_R6q0pJ1G_QXZ1vXsLBgV1FrssEZMYxjYkbz7NQk6m481vLjzyjRJC4mie-8Z88YX4a0dLMXrvK-ByRHwh9Frr3thc-Xg-8kufPEG5tSw/s320/General%20Store%20on%20the%20Road%20Moravia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Unfortunately the second church was locked so I had to proceed to the third church near Flatonia. That was almost 12 miles away and I enjoyed that drive too. The roads rose and dipped. The area is definitely not flat like Houston. It's amazing that the landscape can be so different just an hour and a half outside of my city.</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved the landscape! I loved passing farms and animals, cows, goats, and horses along the way. The land and trees looked so beautiful and it was surprisingly still semi-green, despite the extreme heat and little rain this summer. I passed all kinds of houses, large and small. I went by really big beautiful homes, modest medium sized homes, tiny shacks and trailers. There was one house built into the side of a hill of dirt. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnW9GHD43CKWDEGHzwMq4TcWhooMUrx74ySpb5I8_ROAu3G-3D3qFA98g-DbjF_pd04FYV_Bl_aIV9pYWVkBkT0g84SgahZBKcciCXKAVKsseQA7iCrWVBQIfP920-GlGZ4hUb75yDbc6iFXrk-_I3KbZtUUWVXWALMOvPNvMrdjbV8YT3Q/s640/House%20on%20the%20road%20Shulenburg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnW9GHD43CKWDEGHzwMq4TcWhooMUrx74ySpb5I8_ROAu3G-3D3qFA98g-DbjF_pd04FYV_Bl_aIV9pYWVkBkT0g84SgahZBKcciCXKAVKsseQA7iCrWVBQIfP920-GlGZ4hUb75yDbc6iFXrk-_I3KbZtUUWVXWALMOvPNvMrdjbV8YT3Q/s320/House%20on%20the%20road%20Shulenburg.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>As I drove past I wondered about the people who lived in the houses. I always wonder what people in small towns do for a living and why they choose to live there. Some of the big pieces of land, that were either a farm or had their business on the same property, had signs announcing their business. However you don't know with all of them. You can only wonder about the people inside like I did. I loved how so many of the houses had chairs in the front yard to look out at the road and the land.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>After I finished going to all six churches I wanted to go somewhere good to eat. I asked a local woman dropping off flowers at the church in Dubina. Sadly she said there aren't any real good restaurants in the area. I saw that there was a vineyard with a winery nearby, but little did I know that I was about to make a full circle back to where I started at the first church. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnAnCWg5HQsuTPr80svy9xYIYly_7NjOwtbiAmBZ1684d3bnOE1sJhyHMcDt1BR-kfbQac0uPbgolXDbr7n62dIYd3fY6dpd9yOwS73K3_xrNOozSjz4urK7kntMBic5m0KJFfq-iPE1bNxgv9hq7zjtKfScLa4E_5Z0wjxo0x7q1hFx8pQ/s624/My%20Painted%20Churches%20Route%207-9-22.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="624" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnAnCWg5HQsuTPr80svy9xYIYly_7NjOwtbiAmBZ1684d3bnOE1sJhyHMcDt1BR-kfbQac0uPbgolXDbr7n62dIYd3fY6dpd9yOwS73K3_xrNOozSjz4urK7kntMBic5m0KJFfq-iPE1bNxgv9hq7zjtKfScLa4E_5Z0wjxo0x7q1hFx8pQ/s320/My%20Painted%20Churches%20Route%207-9-22.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I ended the day at the <a href="https://www.majekvineyard.com/" target="_blank">Majek Vineyard and Winery</a>. I did a wine tasting and I highly recommend it! I had a Greek salad and I wish I'd tried the bread. The couple at the table next to be raved about how good it was. Next time! Also, there's another vineyard right next door that I'll have to try, the <a href="http://www.moraviavineyard.com/" target="_blank">Moravia Vineyard & Winery</a>. They're only open on Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. </div><div><br /></div><div>I overheard another conversation about the lack of good restaurants nearby, from a group of visitors and the couple, who were residents, at the next table. Apparently there's a need for a really great restaurant if anyone is interested in opening one in the Schulenburg area. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't go to the three churches north of Round Top, so that's the plan for next time, and I don't mind revisiting some of the churches I've already seen. I'm also interested in spending the night in a bed and breakfast. Plans for the future!</div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-37141163452166915902022-05-01T18:14:00.004-05:002022-05-01T18:32:13.483-05:00The Novel That Started This Blog<p>Almost eighteen years ago I started this blog to help me write my novel. I remember my colleague's then husband not agreeing with the idea. He thought it would keep me from writing. I always remembered that in the back of my mind.</p><p>My thoughts were that having a blog would keep me writing regularly and would sharpen my writing skills. I did in fact finish that novel, despite having this blog, but then I proceeded to sit on it for about six years before pulling it out and dusting it off again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggX1hEqDV6x9HIvzrZKvvA-pen1RcN9a373jhyUFlexvNMmK3jBkqYizNgVEvZdHacf4Ue2FQL9fJbklJLsE_0wm_dq26xOE_pXPlMxjPq8zsYcOvmo9JimnH34b3LJhOrySejUx6jitL-ucgb689RNhAkrbx3btmK8mBUk_YFyGKvjRJ7A/s512/three%20Women.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggX1hEqDV6x9HIvzrZKvvA-pen1RcN9a373jhyUFlexvNMmK3jBkqYizNgVEvZdHacf4Ue2FQL9fJbklJLsE_0wm_dq26xOE_pXPlMxjPq8zsYcOvmo9JimnH34b3LJhOrySejUx6jitL-ucgb689RNhAkrbx3btmK8mBUk_YFyGKvjRJ7A/w200-h200/three%20Women.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p>A young woman whom I had mentored through the University of Houston's sales program in the business school also worked as an editor in the university's writing center. She was kind enough to volunteer to edit the novel and I was grateful to her for her commitment to the project. She edited each chapter and sent it to me for review. This was between 2012 and 2013!</p><p>The truth is, I started this novel well before having children with a word a day writing exercise. That means I started it around 1997 and periodically added to it. Then I picked it up in earnest again when I started this blog in 2004, when I was 34 years old. I don't know what happened to me over the years but it was as if I got tired of this novel. I got tired of adding to it, editing it and reading it again. </p><p>Around 2006 I tried in vain to find an agent. I sent queries with a description of my novel and I received seven rejection letters. I know, because I recently went back and counted them. I know seven is nothing, but I didn't keep trying. Maybe it was because I had a two and a five year old at the time and a busy career. The years just passed me by and I wrote little things here and there and read in public. Sometimes I read parts of the novel. Friends would ask me when they would be able to read my novel and I always made excuses. </p><p>In 2020 I was lucky enough to be invited to join the Central Nebraska Writing Group and I started writing a new novel in April 2021 with this group as my sounding board. I finished this novel that I love a few months ago and I'm in the editing phase now. </p><p>My writing partner, friend and author <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mari-Beck/e/B011AAJLLM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1651445400&sr=1-1-catcorr">Mari Beck</a> recently told us in our writing group about a really cool new Amazon/Kindle platform called Kindle Vella. I went and checked it out and briefly considered writing something new, specifically for Kindle Vella. </p><p>Then I had an Aha moment. The novel! The first one. The one I got tired of looking at but that has been edited. I need to revisit it one day. I can't keep pretending it doesn't exist. I need to put it out into the world, for better or worse. I read parts of it now and cringe at my 30 year old writing. I know it's not my best writing, but I wrote it and it's my story. </p><p>It was like ripping off a Band-Aid and I had some anxiety before deciding to do it. My working title was <u>Primas Hermanas</u>, but I always worried that people would dismiss it if they didn't speak and/or read Spanish. My sister helped me come up with the title <u>Broken Cousins</u> because the story is about secrets, tragedy, and broken relationships in a family. </p><p>I posted the first chapter on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella?ref=kv_acq_g_129235905595_kwd-1387445383873_a0">Kindle Vella</a> today. Amazon takes about 72 hours to review it so I probably won't be able to share the link on social media until Tuesday or Wednesday. I am so excited that technology has made it possible for me to finally publish this long-awaited novel that I originally started 25 years ago! I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. </p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-45932711716990242532021-12-31T15:34:00.001-06:002021-12-31T15:34:36.288-06:00December End of Year Recap and Gratitude<p>This is going to be a crappy recap of 2021 because I only blogged 9 times this year. I could complain about how we are still in a pandemic 21 months later, but I won't because there are a lot of things to be grateful for. #1 Science and how quickly they came up with a vaccine and booster vaccine.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfr52gBx0FgEC4BpC_dnABHWVPVJcHWKaCBmzBIqT6a344G5m_au6mrJx6NZCR1joPiPUkQJuCMAMRrC8o3tTMqGGr6kCzCw6BeFvIG2YW-YUrlC5k4jldplUTihhj_7KGesEsuj-kH8rcaO0Tr3mpZFmyY0QPwWrQaVHCUTd5FByufLM01Q=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfr52gBx0FgEC4BpC_dnABHWVPVJcHWKaCBmzBIqT6a344G5m_au6mrJx6NZCR1joPiPUkQJuCMAMRrC8o3tTMqGGr6kCzCw6BeFvIG2YW-YUrlC5k4jldplUTihhj_7KGesEsuj-kH8rcaO0Tr3mpZFmyY0QPwWrQaVHCUTd5FByufLM01Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Unfortunately I didn't know I had Covid when I got the first vaccine and I am extremely grateful that I didn't get really sick and die. I had many cousins and friends who didn't survive, so I know it could have happened to me. #2 I'm grateful for my health.</p><p>#3 I'm grateful for my beautiful children that continue to bring me joy. I'm so proud of the adults they are becoming and I can't wait to see what they do in life. However nothing gives me as much joy as seeing them become real friends.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7woV_gdaLInO2X0Asvbg4FO5mzm-HYv6KOPrThtng_1qeqdr_xgK-P4IRVfaquDQLpnwtkoC5BgZ2E7MBxmz12lu4SnH-iYOTnBeOWjHSCvBmSyKUFlMCmk4Av6F-ek8JlJKx4InDA_iHeR0YphujznktSlZZKE_hNoxjto1gWRz4UOVv3g=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="640" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7woV_gdaLInO2X0Asvbg4FO5mzm-HYv6KOPrThtng_1qeqdr_xgK-P4IRVfaquDQLpnwtkoC5BgZ2E7MBxmz12lu4SnH-iYOTnBeOWjHSCvBmSyKUFlMCmk4Av6F-ek8JlJKx4InDA_iHeR0YphujznktSlZZKE_hNoxjto1gWRz4UOVv3g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>#4 I am extremely grateful to have joined the Central Nebraska Writing Group late last year and starting to write my novel in April. I'm almost finished and I'm submitting it for consideration to a publisher in the next week.</p><p>#5 My career and that I have been working continuously for the past 21 months, despite leaving the Chronicle, going to work for Houston Public Media, and then coming back to the Houston Chronicle. I am very fortunate that they accepted me back. </p><p>When I read my blog entry on March 21st, <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/03/" target="_blank">"The Universe is Shouting at Me,"</a> it makes me sad because I didn't do anything March-December to improve my health. I didn't exercise or eat better like I planned and the year passed me by. </p><p><a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2021/04/on-cusp-of-something-amazing.html" target="_blank">In April</a> I talked about feeling like I'm on the cusp of something amazing and I truly believe it's going to be related to my novel. That was the month I seriously started writing it.</p><p>Later in the year I did my first 5k, the Rodeo Run and I got my first tattoo, a typewriter key with the number 9 to remind me of my writing and the 9 weeks I had a picc line in my arm. Even the tattoo didn't make me keep exercising! </p><p>Despite all that, I am grateful that I was able to do another virtual 5K run on December 7 for the Houston Humane Society, even though I was so inactive lately. It's time to take my March post seriously and to get back in the saddle of my Peloton and on the streets running. That is my promise on this New Year's Eve. </p><p>This evening I will meditate on what my word or words will be for 2022 and I'm going to work on setting up my day planner for a successful 2022, with exercise and eating right in my daily schedule. </p><p>Happy New Year everyone and concentrate on the beautiful parts of your life. Concentrate on the good things and flip the script on the bad ones!</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-6048209870810512862021-10-11T18:17:00.003-05:002021-10-11T18:21:26.867-05:00Writing Retreat on Sleepy Hollow Lake<p>I have technically been a writer since I was around 8 years old, when I first tried to submit something to Highlights Magazine and I was rejected. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2enAcLpWaGCn_oFJAxVJv7D5HkukPh7eVxg_2pLFM4iE-M_yJKmapbGDcmObtni37fm6zmguptOBQqsqCDlw1kH8eLxBBjhIY08VKaJTDQMyjHkH8rtFCdWCDn_OE7J4dwSG/s717/First+rejection+letter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2enAcLpWaGCn_oFJAxVJv7D5HkukPh7eVxg_2pLFM4iE-M_yJKmapbGDcmObtni37fm6zmguptOBQqsqCDlw1kH8eLxBBjhIY08VKaJTDQMyjHkH8rtFCdWCDn_OE7J4dwSG/s320/First+rejection+letter.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Still Have My First Rejection Letter</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>If I remember correctly I was rejected with a form letter, so I replied with a follow up letter and the editor in chief wrote me this personalized letter thanking me for being so understanding. Apparently I was into persuasion and selling at a very early age!<div><br /></div><div>So I have been a writer and a salesperson for roughly 43 years, but life has always gotten in the way and I've done a myriad of other things including, getting a couple of degrees, getting married, having a career, having a couple of kids, still having a career, getting divorced, co-parenting, being a lacrosse mom, etc... </div><div><br /></div><div>Now at 51 years old I am finally ready to get some serious writing done. Like serious writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been talking about going on a solitary writing retreat for literally five years or more. Well I finally did it! Last month I went to Goodrich, a little town north of Houston, right off 59 North and I stayed in an adorable cabin among a group of other lovely cabins owned by a lady named Sandy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCZ6zXl7eaTxwf7gxICvk5NkEq29deLzLnv3JpyYzBfeqkXmuZX0cKJ-365zJPJdKcYE5vcsUDbOCjWxB-n3WZMKe0R2ral2Er84TgQeU8pl3T7seDHDBxk1I_gkZYtioc5Et/s1800/Writing+Retreat+House+Sign.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWCZ6zXl7eaTxwf7gxICvk5NkEq29deLzLnv3JpyYzBfeqkXmuZX0cKJ-365zJPJdKcYE5vcsUDbOCjWxB-n3WZMKe0R2ral2Er84TgQeU8pl3T7seDHDBxk1I_gkZYtioc5Et/s320/Writing+Retreat+House+Sign.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I found the <a href="http://www.yellowrosecabin.com/index.html" target="_blank">Yellow Rose Cabin Bed and Breakfast</a> when looking for a place to go, close to Houston. I thought at first that I was staying on Lake Livingston and only found out later that I was actually going to be southeast of Lake Livingston on another small lake called Sleepy Hollow. How fitting is that for a writing retreat setting? Especially when you are a woman, in a cabin, alone, near woods and a lake...</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGt6UkOu8JUHNzIoDgaJCWxjRq0szFrOIoSVnb1AdQtEXz5BbVgV4T49AsyEe2eJ9nNhY2ACjpqTtBZZl0oc8LBNEtp4E-kbrIK9CPw4OtkwekO_kq2K6NPx-sLwnA97xn4Q6/s1800/Writing+Retreat+House+2021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGt6UkOu8JUHNzIoDgaJCWxjRq0szFrOIoSVnb1AdQtEXz5BbVgV4T49AsyEe2eJ9nNhY2ACjpqTtBZZl0oc8LBNEtp4E-kbrIK9CPw4OtkwekO_kq2K6NPx-sLwnA97xn4Q6/s320/Writing+Retreat+House+2021.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Cabin- The Blue Bird</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybNtp9eKmIJwJWJv7NwEuERnFoVyApBKgIYehOJuwsTTriBwv69DWW3m4oK_erwFj7e3pZp2icAJaHsONudJxeC-oerMJz_azyrUnAd9t-XR3LpoROWrr0Cy3dH0C_PzW96Te/s960/Writing+Retreat+Sept+2021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybNtp9eKmIJwJWJv7NwEuERnFoVyApBKgIYehOJuwsTTriBwv69DWW3m4oK_erwFj7e3pZp2icAJaHsONudJxeC-oerMJz_azyrUnAd9t-XR3LpoROWrr0Cy3dH0C_PzW96Te/s320/Writing+Retreat+Sept+2021.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dining Room Where All the Writing Happened<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I absolutely LOVED my little shot-gun cabin! It was just right for me. I slept in one bedroom and used the other bedroom as my dressing room. (Seriously, the front door opened and there was a straight path to the back door.) I had a full sized kitchen and I ate all my meals there. I didn't want to leave at all, so I could concentrate on just writing, so it was perfect. I had a great porch in front and in the back, for drinking my morning coffee, meditating and journaling. <br /><div><br /></div><div>The host was also amazing! Sandy runs a great bed and breakfast and is only a phone call away. She lives in the big house on the property, on the lake, and her very first cabin, the Yellow Rose is right next to her house. It has its own set of stairs that lead down to a small dock on the lake. She has a variety of sizes of cabins, with her biggest one being the <a href="http://www.yellowrosecabin.com/cabins.htm" target="_blank">Lake House</a> that, true to its name, sits right on the lake. That one is perfect for a big party, like an extended family. You can see almost all of her cabins on her website.</div><div><br /></div><div>I almost stayed in the Texas Rose and I'm so glad that Sandy called me the week I was scheduled to go, to ask me did I mind switching with someone who wanted to rent it for three weeks. Although the Texas Rose is very cute, it would have been a tiny cabin, the size of an efficiency apartment or smaller! That's why I'm glad I got to stay in the Blue Bird Cottage.</div><div><br /></div><div>I loved the solitude and being near the lake. I liked the location so much that I want to go back with the kids to enjoy a boat ride on the lake and I want to stay in the Hen Den. It's not on her website yet, but you can see it on her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YellowRoseCabin" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page. The Hen Den is right next door to the Blue Bird and is a pretty red house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Back to the writing retreat part! I wrote Friday night, all day Saturday, with a few breaks, and Sunday morning. All in all, I ended up writing 3,200+ words, plus I got some research done. It was definitely SO worth getting away from the distractions of my house and concentrating on writing my novel. I needed this kick start so much and I am now halfway through my first draft. </div><div><br /></div><div>Best of all, I found a great, affordable place I loved and that I'll be going back to again. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick weekend getaway, not too far from home. It's not fancy or luxurious. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, I encountered a big outside roach one night in the restroom! If you stay there you have to be open-minded and realize you are staying out in the country, near a lake and everything that comes with that. 😀</div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-52770544794655606962021-08-28T15:17:00.005-05:002021-08-28T15:49:27.752-05:00My Aunt Lola<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">One of my earliest memories of my aunt Lola involves baby powder on our socks and skating
all over her wooden floor. I knew she was very strict with my cousins Riza and
Carlitos, but when it came to her visiting with my mom, we got into all kinds
of adventures that included “ice skating” across her living room in socks with
baby powder. I never asked my cousins if they got in trouble after we left
their hardwoods filled with powder!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">We would
do “science experiments” with Selsun Blue shampoo in their restroom, we played “Happy
Days,” with my cousin Carlitos playing the part of the Fonz and using the arm
of the living room armchair as his motorcycle. We played in their backyard on
their swing set, which I coveted, “house” in our outside washroom, even in the
winter, and danced “ballet” and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pretended we owned a “fur company” at our
other uncle’s house over his bakery. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Lola (Dolores)
was married to my Uncle Carlos, my mother’s little brother, whom she loved
dearly. My mother was thirteen years older than her brother and he was just a
little boy when she married my father. She was very close to him and he called
my mom “Madamita,” a nickname their whole family called her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My mother
and Lola were best friends. All those times that the kids and I were playing
for hours, my mom, aunt and uncle were lost in conversation over coffee, pan
dulce or Pecan Sandies. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about.
We saw them every single week, because either we stopped at their house after
our JW meeting or because they stopped by our house. Lola and Carlos are a part
of almost every childhood memory I have. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The day
that our Uncle Ismael died my mom and I were visiting with him at his bakery. He
walked us outside to my sister Sarah’s car. She had taken us there to show my
uncle her new Chevette. The pay phone in the bakery rang and it was my other sister
telling us that Carlos and Lola were at our house. My mom, sister and I said
goodbye to my Uncle Ismael, not knowing that it was the last time we would see
him alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I don’t
remember how long after we got home we got the call that something had happened
at the bakery, but I remember my mom, dad, sister Hilda, Carlos and Lola all ran
out the door and left us kids with the baby Susana and my older sister Becky
and her boyfriend Raul, with hardly a word. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Lola and
Carlos were there that fateful night that my uncle was killed in a robbery and
my mother held her brother for the last time. My sister Hilda, who was a
nurse, tried to administer CPR without success. They shared that loss and tragedy with my mother.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">As I grew
up and became an adult, Carlos and Lola were still constants in my home
visiting my mom, always drinking coffee together and laughing at memories from
over the years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Lola
would ask my mom, “Tell me again that story about the time Nico went to work in
Arizona and you took the bus all by yourself to go meet him there.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">And my mother,
the talented story-teller in her own right, would go into detail about the bus
ride and the characters she met along the way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">It’s
almost fitting that the night my mother died, Lola was with her. She and my
cousin Nere, and their daughters, had gone to visit my mom and seeing how sick
she was feeling decided to stay up with her after my father went to bed. Little
did anyone know that it was the day my mother would die and Lola was with her
when she took her last breath. For that I will always be grateful and I thanked
her later. She was her best friend until the very end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Sadly,
over the last twenty-one years since my mother died I grew even further from my
aunt and uncle. Differences in religion, or lack thereof on my part, probably
played a role. I can’t say for sure, but never-the-less we drifted apart. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This
weekend there will be a memorial service on Zoom for Lola. She passed away a
week ago from meningitis. She was one month shy of her 76<sup>th</sup> birthday,
too young in my book. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The last
time I saw her and my uncle was at my father’s funeral three years ago. I had
happened to see her a few months prior to that, at a cousin’s funeral. I sat next
to her and my uncle in their pew at the funeral home and caught up with them. It
was probably the last full conversation I had with them, the winter of 2017. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Although
we didn’t speak these last few years, she holds a dear place in my heart. How
couldn’t she? She is in every memory I have as a little girl. She and my uncle
spent hours with my mother and loved her dearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will always refer to Lola as my mother’s
best friend. I love her and my Uncle Carlos because they loved my mother, and I wish I had remained close to them for that reason. Goodbye dear Lola,
until we meet again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-29904223593072795452021-07-25T19:58:00.002-05:002021-07-25T19:58:57.554-05:00Successful People in the Last Third of Their Life<p>I'm going through a mid-life crisis moment in my life, even though I'm way past the mid-point and more on the last leg. I'm on a growth path right now. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQnJeOHowC3347NvStrdIR0z8uGixz_-hArZIOUM9JO38OV75uK9Guo6IqHi0vRwtktD38-4kN9vcLJLgKp17UvO_2uC-9tiUf3Z8JIJHApVTUrbGMDg3V0lmC_Nsk5xoVgfw/s1206/Great+Ven+Diagram.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1206" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQnJeOHowC3347NvStrdIR0z8uGixz_-hArZIOUM9JO38OV75uK9Guo6IqHi0vRwtktD38-4kN9vcLJLgKp17UvO_2uC-9tiUf3Z8JIJHApVTUrbGMDg3V0lmC_Nsk5xoVgfw/s320/Great+Ven+Diagram.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span><!--more--></span>While on this path I've been thinking about people who were successful after 50. I will share this list with you, in case you too are looking at your life and wondering what can you accomplish before the curtain falls. </span></span><p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Claire Cook - At 50 Walked the red carpet for the movie "Must Love Dogs."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Grandma Moses - At 78 Became famous for her art.</span></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Delia Owens – At 69 Published “Where the Crawdads Sing” (bestseller).</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Laura Ingalls Wilder – At 65 Started publishing her Little Prairie books.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Frank McCourt- At 66 Published “Angela’s Ashes.”</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nora Ephron- Was 42 when her movie “Silkwood” came out. Late 40s and 50s other movies.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Colonel Sanders- 70 when he sold his chicken to KFC.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Julia Child- 49 when she p<span>ublished her first cookbook.</span></span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Bram Stoker- Over 50 when he published “Dracula.”</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ray Kroc – Over 50 when he helped launch and franchise McDonald’s, 63 when it really grew and expanded to other states.</span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Life is a series of adventures and we don't know where we will end up. All of these authors, artists, and business people were exceptional at their craft, but the most important lesson I take away is that they didn't think that it was "too late" to accomplish their goals. </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As I get ready to wrap up this second third and to enter into the last one third of my life next year I'm excited. I have one year to learn more about radio, TV and public media, which has been a completely different change in my career. I also have one year to finish my latest novel and to work on getting it published. </span></p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">Onward and upward.</p><p class="x_MsoNormal" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.5467px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><br /></p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-28435797099469546122021-06-11T23:49:00.005-05:002021-06-12T11:52:12.138-05:00Blog Therapy <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sometimes when I'm getting down and into that place, when I'm not doing the things I need to be doing, I should open this blog and read my own words. Why can't I always stay this positive? </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Because I'm human that's why. It's hard to keep going non-stop and sometimes all we can do is our best. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTIiV85Rus2DegiHWJfEN41lBnYOnbYeV3xgA4Uh9OnKLhbc6NTKDo9mpWLDiL02sftoaN1RmaQa4bDtj1-7H6asbY88-QZomS3NYy5qIGOrExK3mEq2FhZk1dogt6d35K13X/s640/Tattoo+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTIiV85Rus2DegiHWJfEN41lBnYOnbYeV3xgA4Uh9OnKLhbc6NTKDo9mpWLDiL02sftoaN1RmaQa4bDtj1-7H6asbY88-QZomS3NYy5qIGOrExK3mEq2FhZk1dogt6d35K13X/s320/Tattoo+1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#9 Typewriter Key Tattoo on My Wrist</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I got a tattoo last month. I was supposed to get it for my 50th birthday, but we all know what a "show" that was between toegate, picc line and allergic reaction. So it never happened until now at almost 51 and a half. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It’s a typewriter key with the number 9. Number nine to symbolize <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2020/03/timeline-of-toegate-it-could-have-been.html" target="_blank">the nine weeks</a> that I had the picc line in my arm. It’s a constant reminder that I have to take care of my health and my body. If that means reading this blog every day, so be it. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">The parentheses, above the nine on the keyboard, is a funny coincidence, but also appropriate because it reminds me that there is always more to the story. (Anyone who has ever heard me tell a story knows there’s always a side note inside a parentheses) The typewriter key is my reminder to write.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">Two important reminders: My health and my writing. The two things I'm concentrating on right now.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: georgia;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWUjWp_ECWqJLkS5_LAxr4EO4mOLJwJ0nL-o5mGEuRahzl25ngi7uLTWNecT0qQCTYl1F4aajShIWDEYDSCdgkfPpZxsFA5rg99mIna97tlG_kzyZRWeI2aranxrtQTnsOu_Z/s550/Old+Typewriter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWUjWp_ECWqJLkS5_LAxr4EO4mOLJwJ0nL-o5mGEuRahzl25ngi7uLTWNecT0qQCTYl1F4aajShIWDEYDSCdgkfPpZxsFA5rg99mIna97tlG_kzyZRWeI2aranxrtQTnsOu_Z/s320/Old+Typewriter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Old typewriter I wish I'd bought from my sister.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Newest news is that I'm working on a novel. This is only my second novel since the one I was writing <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2004/12/inspiration.html" target="_blank">when I started this blog </a>in 2004. I've written years and years of blog posts, articles, and a few short stories over the years. But I never published that first novel and I never did more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I always remember that woman who called me from Las Vegas because she was writing a paper on a Hispanic author for her English class. Her teacher gave the class a list of authors and somehow I ended up on the list. Yes, I was confused too. The woman told me she had chosen me because she wanted to write about a living author. I was flattered, but I felt like such a poser when there are so many Hispanic authors, who I personally know, who would have been way more appropriate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I want to write this novel for me, but I also want to write it for that woman. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is it. This is THE novel. This is the one. Get ready.</span></p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-92042615618818876992021-05-16T21:05:00.001-05:002021-05-16T21:05:06.528-05:00Either Focus on One Thing or Get Zero Done<p>The story of my life is that I have to focus on one thing at a time or I will get nothing done. As much as I wish I could juggle several things at once, I've come to accept that I can't. When I was younger, and when the children were little, I could do so much more than I can now. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV9e23jUCGxPTvSLOvk6d8P3-DnmWcZS8teW2aIio7q4Sl9v8_rpQhLxUItY1QQF7NS_P4zMdpAT4ILErcLqGXRdPDx5bd2JwWWNbKfIVXj1VprN8W9EjedZKCmVRgiKptyl3/s640/Rodeo+Run+2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV9e23jUCGxPTvSLOvk6d8P3-DnmWcZS8teW2aIio7q4Sl9v8_rpQhLxUItY1QQF7NS_P4zMdpAT4ILErcLqGXRdPDx5bd2JwWWNbKfIVXj1VprN8W9EjedZKCmVRgiKptyl3/s320/Rodeo+Run+2021.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My First 5K Run</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I did my first 5K Run in my life on May 9 on Mother's Day with my kids, their dad and his girlfriend, my friend Leisa. It was a great American family event and we all went to dinner afterwards. </p><p>Can we take a moment to celebrate me doing a run for the first time EVER in my life? It was the <a href="https://www.rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Show/Pre-Show-Events/Rodeo-Run" target="_blank">Houston Rodeo </a>Virtual Run. I am so proud of myself and I can't wait to do more and to build myself up to a 10K run. I'll never be a marathon runner, but I'll be happy if I can complete a 10K. Baby steps!</p><p>I had been running for the past couple of months with my Peloton app because I wanted to take advantage of the great weather while I could. I know it will be really hot in Houston soon enough and it will be harder to run in the humidity. So when my daughter told me about this virtual 5K run I thought it was great timing. </p><p>After the run, my left ankle, that has given me some problems when clipping in and out of the bike, and when wearing certain high heels, started hurting me a lot. The irony was that it's never hurt me when I walk or run. I decided to give it a break for a few days after the run.</p><p>Coincidentally I found out that I was having a home inspection/appraisal the following Saturday, the 15th. Once I knew I had this looming deadline that's all I could think about and focus on. I made a schedule of what I needed to do each day to clean the house. I know... I know... it's not about how clean or dirty my house is. However, I was not going to have the appraiser think to herself, "Not only did she not remodel this house, she is dirty on top of that." </p><p>So did I continue walking and running this past week? No. Two things that make me get off schedule from working out. An injury or illness and having to do something big, like cleaning the house to prepare for this appraisal. </p><p>The good news is I did pace myself with the house project and I completed a few tasks each day. With the help of my daughter Miranda we got everything done in time for the appraisal. The trick with me mentally is to make a list and to set daily goals so I don't get overwhelmed and shut down. That's what I did and I was able to complete the over-all big task. </p><p>Now with that behind me, and with my ankle feeling better, I can start running again. It's always a challenge, but I always do it. I always recommit. That's what I have to keep telling myself in order to continue. This time I'm going to do it sooner than later. </p><p>Another thing that always helps me to focus on my goals, and to take them in baby steps, so that I can complete them, is making lists and using day planner. Some friends can't believe that I still use an old-school paper planner, a FranklinCovey one to be exact, but writing things down is an essential part of my life. When I write things down and I can see my plans down on paper it calms me. </p><p>I have a dashboard page in my planner where I have four different short lists of things I want to get done. At the top of the page are my five main life goals. </p><p>It's hard for me to do all of these at the exact same time and one always falls behind at some point, however this is what I work on balancing. I have come to accept that sometimes I need to take a whole week off from one, like running for example, to get my house in order for something important like an appraisal. And I won't beat myself up when I need to do that.</p><p>All of them are equally important to me and here recently I have really been feeling like this novel that I'm working on is going to be very significant in my life. I wish I could be put in a room alone for a weekend with just my Peloton, my weights, my yoga mat and my lap top. I would write, work out, eat, nap and then write some more. </p><p>I've been looking at writing retreats where I can at least have the solitude and I'm really thinking about doing one. I know it's an expense, but it could be an investment that would be worth it it in the end. I want to isolate myself for an entire weekend to write. I also love the idea of taking <a href="https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/conferences-residencies-retreats/amtrak-writers-residency/" target="_blank">an Amtrak trip</a> somewhere, with a sleeper cart, over a weekend to write.</p><p>Plans, plans and more plans. So much is hanging on this appraisal that was done yesterday. If I can refinance my house at a lower interest rate then I can do so many other things. For example, I'm so excited about going on vacation in June with the kids and hopefully doing a writing retreat in July. These are my summer goals!</p>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-61707542314701289932021-04-14T09:57:00.002-05:002021-10-17T14:22:03.943-05:00Little Libraries and Cemeteries Are Keeping Me Busy
I’m really excited about the projects I’m working on right now. I’ve decided to make <a href="www.littlelibrariesinlaundromats.org" target="_blank">Little Libraries in Laundromats</a> an actual non-profit organization. I want to make early education its mission.
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I want to speak to parents at under-served HISD elementary schools about the <a href="https://www.houstonisd.org/magnet" target="_blank">School Choic</a>e program to encourage them to identify if their children are gifted in some way. I feel like there are so many gifted children in HISD who fall through the cracks because nobody takes an interest in them or because their parents don’t know how to navigate the system. Those of us that take advantage of the magnet program are parents who know about it and it can even be challenging for us. Imagine how challenging it can be for a parent with very little education or who only speaks Spanish?
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I’m passionate about this cause because I attended an under-served elementary school and I was introduced to the magnet programs when I was in middle school when I attended Hamilton Middle School. After that I was in the IB program at Waltrip High School. My kids are also graduates of the Vanguard program and attended <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/texas/districts/houston-isd/debakey-high-school-for-health-professions-19235" target="_blank">DeBakey High School</a>, one of the top magnet schools in the city and the state.
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I’m going to expand my library locations soon and I’m going to move into the <a href="https://www.houstontx.gov/superneighborhoods/46.html" target="_blank">Eastex/Jensen area</a>. This is the area where I grew up and I want to collaborate with an artist in that neighborhood. There are other projects I want to work on in the community.
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I’m also excited with the momentum that we’ve gained with the Historic McDaniel Street Cemetery and I’m so proud to sit on the board of the<a href="https://westcottcemeteryassociation.org/" target="_blank"> Westcott Cemetery Association</a> as secretary. (I’ve blogged about it as the <a href="https://shoegirlcorner.blogspot.com/2008/01/westcott-cemetery.html" target="_blank">Westcott Cemetery</a>) The Westcott Cemetery Association has made so much progress with this initiative. We had a very successful event at the cemetery on Saturday, April 10 and we announced that the Fondren Foundation has awarded us a $45,000 challenge grant. If you would like to donate to this cause there are ways to donate on our website.
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I have plenty to keep me busy this next year and a half until Seth graduates. I feel like I’m building a foundation now for where I want to go in the future and this brings me satisfaction.ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9285455.post-1897521051131829032021-04-13T20:40:00.007-05:002021-06-06T16:25:57.218-05:00On the Cusp of Something AmazingI’ve had an epiphany of sorts. I know I'm always writing about my weight, my health, working out, etc... I've also written about how I'm at this important point in my life. I’m only a few years from being an empty nester.
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Once Seth is 18 and in college, the fall of 2022 I will be in a very different place in my life. I feel like once he’s an adult I can open myself up to more opportunities. <div><br /></div><div>So back to the epiphany. It was this. You know how we all say, “Oh if I could only go back to this certain age knowing what I know now?” For me it would be the age of 23, right after I graduated from college and starting my career.
I may not be 23 years old, with that youthful look and good health, but I am about to be in a very similar situation when the kids are both adults. Except this time I have 51 years of life experience under my belt. </div><div><br /></div><div>Along with the experience, I’m also going in with a much more realistic expectation than I would have had at 23. At 23 I thought I had all the time in the world. I know now that time is fleeting. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’m excited to see what comes next because I feel like I am on the cusp of something amazing.
</div>ShoeGirl Cornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07552935492363377458noreply@blogger.com1