Massages and other decadence

/ Gina Marie / Leave a comment

Most of you who actually know me, know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE massages! They are so wonderful and I miss having frequent ones by Ann at work. So it was with great jubilation that I got to get an hour swedish massage yesterday! Whoot whoot! It was SO relaxing, especially with all the drama in my life right now as well as my sore muscles from boot camp!

Oh, have I talked about boot camp yet? Hmmmm, I can’t remember! So forgive me if this is duplicate….

I started a four week boot camp program this past Monday; I go Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 5:30am to 6:30am. This is non-stop activity for the whole hour! The first day it was HARD and I sweat SO MUCH! I thought I was going to DIE! The second day was a bit better, but let me tell you – my legs hurt SO MUCH that it was almost impossible to walk (especially down the stairs)! Rona and Kenny would laugh so hard at me (and, don’t tell them, but I was saying bad words in my head!). But by Thursday I was feeling much better! This Friday we had a timed mile and I was concerned because I haven’t exercised in so freaking long! So, I set the goal of not trying to run too fast and trying my best to maintain my pace. I used a training technique that Cat taught me when she was helping me get ready for a 5k run – jog/run for a period of time and walk for a period of time. So I did that and here are the results of my 3 lap mile:

Lap 1 4:09, Lap 2 8:18 (4:09 lap), 12:21 (4:03 lap) so I reached my goal!

Okay, back on track – what other decadence have I been experiencing? Air conditioning, healthy food, time to meditate, time to relax and feel loved, laughter with friends, talking one-on-one with my kids, knowing God is in power and loves me unconditionally.

Wow, how decadent!

Oh wait, life is calling again – back to work!

Life and Other Absurdities

/ Gina Marie / 2 Comments

So, do you think this post is going to talk about all the horrible things that have occurred? How I have been wronged, turned against, dealt with pain and loss? Of course! Have I dealt with the pain of family members is failing health, where I have no power? Have I hit my head against the wall over and over? Well, those things will have to be addressed in another post for another day!

Life is STILL absurd, however! The definition of absurd is as follows:

1: ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous <an absurd argument>2: having no rational or orderly relationship to human life : meaningless <an absurd universe>; also : lacking order or value <an absurd existence>3: dealing with the absurd or with absurdism <absurd theater>
Oh wait, am I saying life is MEANINGLESS????  It has no VALUE?  Wow!  Maybe this post WILL be a downer, huh?  Heavy, really!
But, I guess what I really wanted to communicate today that even if/when life is absurd, there is always SOMETHING that brings hope into your day.  There is something or someone whose path you will cross or a joke your kid will tell or a miraculous creation that God exposes to you that suddenly slaps you in the face and you realize there IS order in life, there IS something of value to hold, there IS meaning to aim your heart toward.  And that, my friends, may seem fleeting at times, but is exists.  And I hope you are exposed to it today so you can feel it as well.  And I will remind myself that too as I struggle through the muck that is my life as well!
Gina, Philosopher, Out!

Happy Birthday Mom and other announcements

/ Gina Marie / 2 Comments

Some interesting events related to today, June 17th:

Of course, it’s also my mom’s 73rd birthday!  Here’s to another year mom!  Just focus on being cantankerous and stubborn, as all good Italian mothers are!  (Okay, okay, for my Italian relatives……you know I am just kidding!  No need to call Guido, honest!)

My mom was born in upstate New York (well, I THINK that’s where Endicott is!) and moved to Los Angeles when she was about two.  She definitely looks Italian, although she always had her father’s English blonde hair and light eyes.  I love looking at pictures of her when she was young – what a sexy biatch!  LOL  My dad met and fell in love with her quickly, which I am grateful for as, yeah, I kind of owe it to them for causing my conception……..is this where y’all tell me “TMI!”?

My mom has had a rough few years with her COPD, heart condition, diabetes, and myriad other issues.  She is a fighter of course, but it’s wearing down on her!  It would be great if you could pray not only for her health and protection, but also her quality of life.  And a call today (or any day!) would be wonderful (although I can’t promise she’ll remember it occurred!)

Happy Birthday Janice Lorraine – Mom – I love you!

Boot Camp

I signed up for boot camp with my friend Sonya, which happened to begin yesterday.  I will be going 4 days a week for 4 weeks (and adding some Wednesday hikes and Saturday workouts too!).  Let me tell you, day one KICKED MY BUTT and I even CHEATED on many of the routines!  Dang, I am so freaking SORE!  So today, as I am about to leave (class is from 5:30 to 6:30 am) I am a bit apprehensive!  But I also hope the routines will loosen up my tight muscles, even for a moment.  I will keep you posted on my progress.  I really want to get into shape – not only to look better and have more stamina, but also because I am reminded of the health issues I potentially have inherited from my parents……

So, Gina OUT

P.S.  Special shout out to my friend – you know who you are – who I am thinking about right now!  Thanks for making me smile!

P.P.S. Special shout out to Katelyn from Fargo, ND!  Her message to me was awesome and, well, I get the impression from her that Fargo is a kicking hot place to live!  I am glad you stumbled onto my blog and that you’ve remained!  I promise to try to keep things interesting!  Thanks for responding to my note!

I am having too much fun with this!

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I was pointed to an amazing site – Church Sign Generator! It is so fun to mess with! I have been there for about three weeks, thinking of funny things to say, but coming up pretty short. So, suddenly, a quote attributed to my best friend hit me like a ton of bricks! Let’s see…..

I thought that was hilarious and chose to share it with Martin, who (at least in this case) shares my weird sense of humor regarding this quote! But alas, he raised the bar by sharing another person’s use of said site which has made me LAUGH OUT LOUD OVER AND OVER AGAIN! To see if you have a warped sense of humor as well, check out Church Sign Smackdown!

Have a great weekend, I know I will!

P.S.  I am very, very intrigued by the fact that I have a regular reader for FARGO, ND!!!  If you are comfortable, send me a comment – I won’t post it unless you say to, but I am curious how you found this site, what you enjoy about it, etc.  So no pressure……but yeah!

Two Graduations, One set of Pics

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Well, it’s been quite a week!  On Wednesday, Kirstie graduated from high school!  On Thursday, Kenny graduated from elementary school!  This mom has had a lot of excitement, happy tears, pride overflowing…..yeah!

I don’t have Kirstie’s graduation pics yet – I took them on her camera so she needs to give me copies.  Suffice it to say, it was a fun experience.  It was HOT, so we were basking in the sun.  In fact, I ended up with a glorious Farmer’s tan….yep…..too much sexy.  One exciting thing was that Ramiele Maluby (you know, from season 7 of American Idol) was at the graduation, apparently she is a relative of someone who was graduating.  She first walked by and Kristin (a long time friend of Kirstie’s and like a daughter to me) was like, “That’s Ramiele!”  I was like, “are you serious?”.  It certainly was!  Kenny braved the crowds and took the video camera up close….maybe I will be able to upload it, we shall see!

Special shout out to Edgar, who got there very early and got primo seats for us!  And Grandma Ellie was SO EXCITED to see Kirstie graduate.  We had a wonderful celebration afterward at Edgar’s house, where Grandma Anita made scrumptious food for all.  Woohoo!  So, I will post pics soon….

Thursday, Kenny graduated from 6th grade.  He was adorable, wearing a suit and trying to be ultra cool.  Here he is before the ceremony began (and yes, I realized the tag was still on his sleeve and removed it):

Of course, we got there well before the ceremony started – again, Edgar was intent on getting great seats, which we did.  As we waited the approximate hour before it started  (yes, we arrived at 7:30 am!), I heard Kirstie and Kristin complain that they were tired.  Can you imagine?  Here they are:

Here is Kenny as the ceremony began and getting his promotion certificate:

After the ceremony, we went to Lucille’s and Kenny had his favorite food – RIBS!!!  Here he is enjoying them to the fullest:

Yep, it was a pretty eventful week!  This mama is VERY proud of ALL my kids!  In fact, here is Josh the morning of Kenny’s graduation.  He was excited because, as it was the last day of school, his class was having movie day (which explains why he is holding a pillow!) and a pic he took with Kristin at Kirstie’s celebration (he jacked my phone):

Okay, well, I am going to have some more coffee and get some errands done today!  Woohoo!

Whoa there…..

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A few posts ago, I referred you to an pretty good blog posting about how a particular non-Christian viewed us when we evangelize.  In that post was a reference to another, specifically What Non-Christians Wants Christians to Hear. If you have time, you should check it out.  Not that I accept every view shared, but it certainly makes us realize some of the things that we, as Christians, do to those we are reaching out to.  And the writer of the blog published a book regarding this, if you’re interested.

One particular post touched me personally, as I have been exposed to this treatment as well:

“When did it become that being a Christian meant being an intolerant, hateful bigot? I grew up learning the positive message of Christ: Do well and treat others with respect, and your reward will be in heaven. Somehow, for a seemingly large group of Christians, that notion has gone lost: It has turned into the thunders and lights of the wrath of God, and into condemning everyone who disagrees with them to burning in the flames of hell. Somehow, present-day Christians forgot about turning the other cheek, abandoned the notion of treating others like they would like to be treated themselves; they’ve become bent on preaching, judging, and selfishly attempting to save the souls of others by condemning them. What happen to love? To tolerance? To respect?”—S.P., Nashville

Pondering Life

/ Gina Marie / 2 Comments

Wow, such an imposing title, AND action! How does one actually ponder life, when each day we experience the unknown? I mean, we might do the same thing – get up, go potty, have coffee, brush teeth….. – but surprises happen to form that day that you didn’t expect. I guess that’s what makes life exciting or sometimes even stressful! So I guess that’s where the pondering comes in…..but alas, I am traveling down yet another tangent.

I’m not sure exactly why I chose to begin writing this subject; maybe it’s my life lately. There is my mom’s health (or lack thereof), the paramount changes in my friendships and employer, the joy of seeing my kids grow and change, the feeling to be enveloped by the love of Christ. A lot has been going on for sure. Some of these feed my soul while others still ring with loss, pain, and even anger. And, that’s okay…….that’s life.

But all does not feed the downer mood that seems to be emanating from the intro to this post!

Tomorrow, my daughter – and oldest child – is graduating from high school! Yesterday, as I sat in my car eating lunch (Taco Bell – lunch of champions), it hit me like a ton of bricks that “just yesterday” I was walking her to kindergarten! I remember worrying about her leaving me, she was so attached to me, worrying that she would cry or freak out or whatever. Yet, she shooed me from the door, blew me off in fact, and the rest is history! She has excelled from that day forward, sometimes crying to me about a friendship gone sour or excitedly telling me wonderful news. I remember her hating her glasses and winning first place in the entire 6th grade spelling bee. I remember going to career day when she was in 8th grade and seeing her jammed into her math class (and where, incidentally, a fireman there for career day asked me out!) I remember the “awkward years” when she died to be seen around me and begged me not to embarrass her. I remember years of fun when she began to play basketball and I was honored to be able to coach her.  Wow, what a shooter!  She was my best shooting guard and, even when she grew beyond my coaching, remained the 3 point guru!  I will always remember that amazing “last second, 3/4 court, hit the rim, fly high into the air, 3 point game winning shot”!  I remember watching her at Canyon when she was on the JV team……whenever she got the ball so many dads in the crowd would scream “There she goes, here comes the 3 pointer!”.  I remember her starting high school, going to her first dance, and growing into a woman right before my eyes. I remember the subtle changes that began to form a friend as well as a daughter. Yet, I am still amazed today to realize my daughter, beautiful Kirstie, is about to graduate from high school with honors, confidence, a great head on her shoulders, and a wonderful loving heart. Oh, and I am proud to acknowledge that she is also LEFT HANDED!

Thank you for putting up with my goofiness. Thank you for calling me “ma”. Thanks for sending me texts, which make me feel so popular. Thanks for letting me call you Teet all these years, even when your friends teased you (tease you?). Thanks for showing me how to play Guitar Hero, even though I suck compared to you. Thanks for supporting me on my dark days and making me laugh so hard on others. Thanks for all the awesome memories as well as those yet formed. Thank you for being YOU, my beautiful little girl.

Kirstie – I am so proud of you! Words cannot express how I feel and how happy I am to be your mother. I love you! You have been a great student, a loving sister, and the best daughter I could ever ask for. I love you!

Martin, you are SO RIGHT!

/ Gina Marie / 2 Comments

Back a few posts (Does this sound like me?), Martin commented with the following:

“But they left out: nerd; Justin-infatuated; and heavy metal iron maiden.”

He is so right! Why, well let’s break it down:

1. Yes, I am a nerd. Not the thick black glasses, pocket protector, and flood pants kind of nerd. But I DO love technology, different kind of humor, and evangelize the benefits of owning a Mac. So what that I enjoy Star Wars………I took an official nerd test, and they confirmed I am not DORKY, but a little nerdish…..

2. I am TOTALLY infatuated with Justin Timberlake! When he sings, and dances, I melt! He is GORGEOUS and I would marry him if given the chance. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, that would be non-existent, but a girl can dream, can’t she???? Shout out to Stephanie P who has similar, excellent taste! Whoot whoot!

3. Heavy metal, and especially Iron Maiden, are in high rotation on my iPod for sure! I have loved this genre and group since I was in high school – many moons ago! Martin and I would tease each other at work – I would offer to burn him a CD and he would be like…..”No…..”. (Although, admittedly, we DO share a love for Chicago, blues, and other music!). And for people like Rona, who rolls her eyes and says, “where’s the hook?”, I will just turn it up! LOL So yeah, I am one of those crazy metal head iron maiden girls!

Okay, that was a nice diversion – thanks Martin!

And on a side note, congrats to Martin who has been ordained in the Presbyterian (PCA) church and now has his own CHURCH that meets on Sundays mornings and evenings in La Habra……for more info check out his site here.

Bones, I got rid of mine, and you?

/ Gina Marie / Leave a comment

“Bones”

Song by Little Big Town

What goes around comes around
Feel it breathin’ down heavy on you
You made that bed you’re layin’ on
Deeds that you have done
Now you can’t undo

You’ve got bones in your closet
You’ve got ghosts in your town
Ain’t no doubt, dear,
They’re gonna come out
They’re waiting for the sun to go down
You can’t hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
You’re runnin’ scared cause
You know they’re out there
They’re waiting for the sun to go down

It’s a long and hard row to hoe
When seeds that you sow
Grow by the wicked moon
Be sure your sins will find you out
The past will hunt you down
And return to tell on you

You’ve got bones in your closet
You’ve got ghosts in your town
Ain’t no doubt, dear,
They’re gonna come out
They’re waiting for the sun to go down
You can’t hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
You’re runnin’ scared cause
You know they’re out there
They’re waiting for the sun to go down

Oh, it stands to reason
Every dog will have his day
Your day is leaving
Better hold on tight
Here comes the night

You’ve got bones in your closet
You’ve got ghosts in your town
Ain’t no doubt, dear,
They’re gonna come out
They’re waiting for the sun to go down
(Waitin’ for the sun to go down)
You can’t hide from your demons
Feel them all lurking around
(They’ve got ya runnin’)
You’re runnin’ scared cause
You know they’re out there
They’re waiting for the sun to go down

They’re waiting for the sun to go down
Down
What goes around comes around
Feel it breathin’ down heavy on you

And on a side note, check out this interesting blog post from a non-believer.  I think we, as Christians, need to consider his feedback in our own lives and witness……

Josh the Poet

/ Gina Marie / Leave a comment

Blue

Today, I was blessed to witness Josh’s class recite self-composed poetry as well as sing songs!  And, if you know Josh, you know this is the sort of thing he LIVES for!  Here is Josh reciting his poem, “Blue”.

Blue is an M&M that is good.

Blue is the breeze that I feel on my face.

Blue is also the ocean that I hear when it splashes on the shore.

I love that kid, I just do!  Oh, and he takes after his Dad too because he high tailed it to the cookies after the performance!