By Miss January 2013, Stephanie McCratic (who may or may not have watched way too much of the Miss America pageant, making her selection as AWB Blogger of the Month particularly timely…) Read her bio, visit Evolved Mommy, and don’t miss her video acknowledgement of her title complete with tiara.
Y’all, I’ve got blogger burnout. Bad.
This happens from time-to-time, and usually goes as fast as it came, but writing is my favorite hobby, so when the words aren’t there I start to get a little twitchy.
What causes blogger burnout?
The holidays
A boring life (this can actually be a good thing for life, but bad for writing)
An overextended, overbooked schedule
Nothing at all
When writing or blogging is also part of your job
Tuesdays
It doesn’t matter what causes it. What matters is that I trust the burnout will re-ignite into a fire in my fingers and a hot itch to type. Yep. A hot itch. Because sometimes writing is like a venereal disease that just won’t go away. If you love to express yourself through writing, but hit a dry spot, do not worry! You’re writing VD will again flare up and you’ll be over-sharing again in no time.
How to reignite your writing passion
Put your fingers on your keyboard and type something. Even if it’s just a Word document and you never publish it. Write it anyway.
Invite guests to post on your blog in the meantime (you’ll see quite a bit of this on Evolved Mommy right now)
We are so delighted to introduce Miss January 2013 to you: Stephanie McCratic of Evolved Mommy.
Here’s the funny thing: this journalist-at-heart, social media maven for Acumen Brands (aka the baby-daddy of Country Outfitter) and blogger extraordinaire has had her bio hijacked. Gasp! It’s a marketer’s worst nightmare! Without further ado, let us tell you a little bit about Stephanie, not in her own words and with complete disregard for her wishes:
Stephanie McCratic is the founder and editor of Evolved Mommy, which makes you think she is completely legit and very, very knowledgeable about technology and parenting. While this may be true, a far more appropriate definition is that she is just like the rest of us: winging it, figuring it out as she goes, coveting the coolest new technology (and then losing the darn contraption within a week of owning it), fighting too many things on her to-do list and trying to make time for her adorable husband Steve (aka Evolved Daddy) and lethally-cute and fiesty daughter Charlie.
Although she wouldn’t tell you this, she is gut-wrenchingly funny and self-deprecating, never hesitating to laugh at herself, laugh at life and yell at others. In her day to day gig at Acumen where it’s all about the clicks, she works diligently every day to stare into the screen in front of her. Once, late at night, she is certain she found the end of the internet. When viewed in her native environment surrounded by other boots-wearing marketers and graphic designers predictably hanging out in the dark, she looks just the same as she does in every other situation: at ease, comfortable in her own skin, happy to be here and with that bemused/astonished expression that tells you she just might bust into a guffaw at any moment. Because life is funny.
Evolved Mommy is chock full of a wide array of topics. Evolved Daddy calls it “a mommy blog that’s kinda techie.” Stephanie points out that a) some of the content is useful, some is not and b) Evolved Mommy is not for those who are done evolving, growing or learning: by “evolved” we simply mean “no longer Neanderthals” and entirely capable of standing upright when absolutely necessary. Expect tech finds one week, a well-curated giveaway from time to time, and plenty of doses of life and reality in the mix. No need to be a mommy or a techie to fall in love with this site.
We’ll tell you this: Evolved Mommy just reaches out and pulls you in as though you’re chatting with a close (albeit très chic and witty) friend. Expect a fantastic breadth of topics with astonishing depth. This isn’t mommy blogging: it’s as though someone much smarter, more pulled-together and well-dressed took all of the random thoughts in your brain and organized them into a helpful guidebook for your own life.
As we plunge into the new year, we wanted someone fearless to lead the plunge. Stephanie makes life look easy, but she’s just as quick to confess she doesn’t have it all figured out. She is good at drawing limits to her day, stepping away from technology to love on her family, trouncing to do lists and focusing on what really matters. As we all navigate a new year, new life challenges, resolutions we want to stick with that already intimidate us and all the good, bad and ugly that comes with a life worth living, we think you’ll enjoy having Evolved Mommy as your guide. Check out her fab site and get to know her before her first post, when she’ll have the chance to salvage her reputation!
Originally, I intended to offer up some really deep thoughts on the symbolism of The Twelve Days of Christmas. I could do that. Yes, I could. But I changed my mind.
Sandy Hook Elementary happened. The Twelve Days of Christmas just didn’t seem all that important.
Then I wrote this long epistle on school safety and why teachers should NOT, in my very strong opinion, be permitted to carry concealed weapons in the classroom. But it was too soon and too sad. I changed my mind. Again.
I took a walk down to the pond just to clear my head and these fellows showed up. My smile returned, and I knew that I just had to tell you their story.
They are a strange pair. They are what they shouldn’t be. They are fast friends.Two Musketeers. Buddies. Mallard drakes who are totally loyal and bonded to one another.
Sometime last September these two appeared on the pond behind our house. They were there among a dozen or so others – mallards, wood ducks, gadwalls, not sure but a bunch nonetheless. We were excited to see them even though we knew that their stay was only temporary. They would be moving on to feeding grounds in other places. Their brief stay was a gift that we would enjoy while it lasted.
One by one the hens and drakes left with the Canada or snow geese migrating on to the rice fields beyond our pond. Except for these two. They stayed. They shouldn’t have, but they did.
I decided to take a chance with some cracked corn. To my total astonishment, they ate from my hand. These wild creatures took a chance on me. They gave me a precious gift and admitted me into their fellowship.
As the days and weeks passed, I continued to feed them intermittently. We were so often away from home. They didn’t give up on me though. It was if they knew I would return. They expected me to return. But they were not dependent upon me.Only each other.
And still they stayed.
For some time we thought that maybe they couldn’t fly. Or, at least, we thought that the larger one couldn’t. It was obvious that he had been injured. One wing just isn’t right. His right chest wall just doesn’t seem full. Yet, he is the dominant one. The leader. The smaller one fell in line and followed without hesitation.
By now they had names. Frick and Frack. The larger one we called Frack because he was fractured. Handicapped. Frick is his unlikely companion. He’s the healthy one who could easily abandon his sidekick. But he doesn’t.
But they can fly. We’ve seen them. Why, then, are they staying? These two mallard drakes which, by all reason, should not be paired the way they are and should have been long gone.
I think sometimes in life we are given really valuable gifts in small measures. We don’t always recognize or appreciate them at the time they are given.
These two wild creatures have reminded me of the value of loyalty and friendship. And even love.
Of course, I can’t say that they love one another. But I choose to believe that they do.
I also choose to think that I can become the kind of friend that these two odd fellows have shown me that I need to be. A friend who knows appearances aren’t a measure of a person’s value. A friend who can be trusted to be there whatever the circumstances might be. A friend who will lead. And yet, a friend who can follow. A friend who knows that loyalty is golden.
Some might say that I have tamed my duck friends. I think not. I think it is I who has been tamed.
Because you are my friends and because this is one awesome lemon cake, I’ll share.
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 8 Tablespoons melted
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/3 cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
2 Tablespoons lemon extract
zest and juice of 2 Meyer lemons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 8 1/2” x 4 1/2 “ x 2 3/4” loaf pan, a Bundt or tube pan with 1 Tablespoon of butter. Lightly flour (I always use Wondra.). Tap out excess. Set aside.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until very fire; set aside. Do not overgrind or you will end up with almond butter.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Put the remaining butter in a large mixing bowl; add 1 cup of the sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just long enough to incorporate. Add the flour mixture and milk in alternating batches; mix well scraping sides as you do.
Add the lemon extract. Fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 60-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Combine the remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.
Brush the glaze over the hot cake. The excess will be absorbed as the cake cools. Once the cake has absorbed all of the lemon mixture, turn it out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Once it is completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.
If you don’t have Meyer lemons readily available, use regular lemons. I also add an extra 2 Tablespoons of regular lemon juice to the batter because we like ours with more tartness.
“Debbie Arnold is the quintessential wife, mother and grandmother.” Or so said my husband in response to my angst over writing this bio piece. I, of course, know better. But I do agree with him on some things.
I love holidays and holiday decorations, especially Christmas. I dearly love warm summer sunshine, a homey fireplace in autumn, a pristine snowfall in the winter, the soft green of new spring growth and the beach anytime of the year. Any beach. Anywhere.
I heart cookbooks, classical literature, beach trash, food magazines and the funny papers. I’ve read The Outsiders over thirty times and still think it has more value to kids and adults than Twilight ever will have. These days I am especially loving Fancy Nancy and Wimpy Kid.
I adore my daughter, my son-in-law and above all else, my two grandchildren. I tolerate their dog, Thelma Lu.
I love Hubby, too. And I have for a very long time. Forty-three years in January to be exact. Technically, longer than that if you start counting from the day I met him.
I taught for thirty and a half years and was good at it. That from my students. I loved every day (well, almost) of it, and that from me. I think having good grammar skills is important but having your own voice is better. I also know that an incomplete sentence does not mean an incomplete thought.
I believe that cooking is an art form. Most days I’m Norman Rockwell. Sometimes I’m Picasso. I definitely have my Salvador Dali moments. Actually, there are lots of paint-by-number days.
I was born during a snowstorm a week before Christmas in Sheridan, Arkansas. There were times when I felt cheated out of birthdays. Not anymore. I’m just happy to keep having them.
Winter, however, is not my favorite season.
Mamaw taught me how to make homemade potato chips and the best chicken and dumplings; she also taught me how to wring a chicken’s neck. Nonnie taught me to love family and traditions and why composting is good for the garden. Great grandma Easley taught me that grass was a weed and there was no place for it in the yard. Only flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.
Arkansas has always been my home. I choose to be here. I’m proud to be from here. I did spend a year in California. My mom always said that was when I picked up my stubborn streak. I really think I came by that naturally. Inherited it to be exact. From her.
I always thought that I was a daddy’s girl until my mom died. Now I know better.
Red is my favorite color. Unless it’s Monday when my favorite color is blue.
I once grew thirty varieties of heirloom tomatoes in my garden way before growing heirloom tomatoes was cool. I know over two hundred ways to cook with tomatoes. My favorite tomato dish is a BLT with cheese on sourdough bread with homemade mayo and loads of bacon. But only during the summer with Cherokee Purples.
If I was cast in Steel Magnolias, I would probably be M’Lynn. I’d rather be Clairee. I’m not cranky enough to be Ouiser. I played Meg in Little Women and Lady Thiang in The King and I. I was a student director for South Pacific. But I am definitely not a drama queen.
The views of Tuscany from a hot air balloon on a crisp spring morning and Paris at midnight from the Eiffel Tower are not overrated. I highly recommend both. If you are fortunate enough to zip line in the rain forest of Costa Rica or stand on the Continental Divide, do those too. I don’t think you can look upon the Grand Canyon and not know it was God created. I believe life is a journey, not a destination.
I helped Pa roof a house once. During the summer. When it was very hot. I learned why it is important not to quit.
From Papaw I learned about gee and haw. I also learned that mules do quit.
I come from good genes. And I often wear jeans. Actually, I wear them a lot.
I’m named after Aunt Sue, the kindest soul on Earth. I did hear her say “sh*t” one time. She was so embarrassed that she almost passed out.
I believe that volunteering is an obligation regardless of life’s status. There’s always a place and a time. A gift of yourself cannot be measured quantitatively. Only qualitatively.
My bucket list will never be emptied. When something comes out, something else goes in. I rather like it that way.
I think it’s imperative to teach your children to say, “Yes, m’am or No, m’am.” And to always be fair and kind. I think it’s even more important to teach them to pray.
I am blessed beyond measure, but I sometimes have trouble remembering that. At times, I get afraid of stretching beyond my comfort zone. I’m glad I do though. Some of my greatest adventures and best friendships are the result.
I know that a good laugh and a long walk can solve most of my problems.
I’m a long way from perfect, but I’m content in my own skin.
I don’t believe God makes mistakes or gets moody, but I do believe He loves me even though I do. Again and again.
I may occasionally miss a funeral or a wedding, but I never miss my hair, nail or toe appointments.
Debbie Arnold can be found blogging at Dining With Debbie where she writes about food, faith, family and fun. Her restaurant reviews are located at Deb Eats. She co-sponsors Arkansas Bloggers and welcomes guest posts from Arkansas Women Bloggers at any time.
She and her husband, Circuit Judge Gary Arnold, split their time between their homes in Benton and on Beaver Lake in Rogers. Their daughter, Dr. Emily Hinton, resides in Fayetteville with her husband, Dr. Tommy Hinton, and the Perfect Ones, Connor and Kate.
Prior to spending over thirty years as a mostly seventh-grade English and Pre-AP English teacher, Debbie spent several years traveling as an officer and as national convention chairman with The National Association of Junior Auxiliaries. Years spent as a homeroom mother more than qualified her for those jobs.
She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a BA degree in Speech Pathology. She holds a MSE in Learning Disabilities from the University of Central Arkansas.
Hello! I’m Angie Albright, and I blog at A Growing Season. I’ve been doing my thing there for about two years, and I love blogging a little more than a person should. I love the mix of writing and technology—two of my passions!
My blog title “A Growing Season” is more fitting than I would have realized when I chose the name. I’ve had a book in the works for a while with a working title of A Growing Season, which I chose to represent several generations of my and my family’s farm life. But over the last couple of years of my blog’s life, I’ve noticed that indeed our lives, our careers, our children, well, everything has its growing seasons. My blog started out as a sort of memoir about farm life as a kid in Iowa, but it’s come to mean a lot more than that.
Now get this . . . my blog is called “A Growing Season” and I just went this week to work for the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, a place I’ve wanted to work for years. I couldn’t be more thrilled. This is especially true since I can’t actually grow plants or other botanical wonders myself. I get to raise money for the Garden and tell its story to the world. On the side I will be writing, writing, writing—for myself and for others.
[Insert here all the wise and wonderful and sage and serious things I wrote about watching people and things grow, blah, blah, blah.]
Instead of all that serious stuff, I’m throwing out a few things about myself:
1. I am a single mother of a 16-year-old son, but I hate the phrase “single mother.” It’s too loaded with negative connotations. Even though I haven’t been married for ten years, I am hardly a single parent. A whole village raises my fantastic kid with me.
2. Because I taught college English for 17 years, people often say things to me like, “Oh, I better watch my grammar around you!” Yeah, don’t say that. English teachers are people, too. We only notice really bad grammar, and if you’re buying dinner or drinks or you’re George Clooney we just don’t care that much.
3. In 2005 I hiked the Camino de Santiago, a 30-day, 500-mile trek across northern Spain. It’s just too obvious to say that it was life-changing (and painful, frankly), but it was. The lessons I learned and the rewards of that adventure continue to serve me even today. One day I will do it again.
4. I went to college for a really, really long time and loved every minute of it. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I got my bachelor’s and master’s in English from the University of Arkansas. I did five years of doctoral work in English, also at the UA, but just when I was in the middle of my dissertation I became a single parent (much more a single parent back then than now), and the dissertation sits in a box in my closet. Someday, maybe.
5. I really, really love that I grew up in rural Iowa. Every kid should be so lucky to grow up as I did. I actually didn’t like farm life as a kid. I tried everything I could to get out of walking beans or feeding the livestock. Ironically, I’m now the one of the three kids that pays the most attention to agricultural news and enjoys things like petting the calves at the dairy farm I visited recently.
6. I also really, really love Arkansas and don’t ever really think about leaving it permanently. Fayetteville has been the love affair of a lifetime for me. It’s my place. Every now and then I long for a brief escape, but mostly I like knowing someone just about every place I go.
7. I gave up on winning Mother of the Year a long time ago. I’ve let my son watch inappropriate movies for years; I don’t cook much; and my teenager knows a bit too much about how to “freshen” dirty clothes in the dryer. On the other hand, he has a wicked sharp sense of humor (his timing is just dead on), and he’s an absolute sweetheart with small children and old people. And middle-aged people. And other teenagers. Okay, he’s a sweetheart with everybody but me. I think he’ll turn out okay even though I have my doubts when he says things like, “We have a toaster? Since when have we had a toaster?” Ummmm, always? Toast is the Albright National Dish.
8. I’m usually one of the last to leave a party. I love a good social get together or night on the town. I was a painfully shy child so this social part of me comes as a great surprise to my mother.
I look forward to getting to know my fellow Arkansas Women Bloggers this month! I’m so honored to call this site home for November. I’m in good company!
Hello, friends! My name is Leslyn, and I blog over at Leslyn’s Lovely Life. After living everywhere in the world (literally), we finally settled down in the Natural State, and I absolutely love it here!
I’m married to the coolest guy in the world, DJ (I’m probably a little biased), and we met when we were sophomores at Ouachita Baptist University. We started dating our junior year of college, and the rest is history! Our biggest goal (before we have kids) is to travel as much as possible, so any destination suggestions are welcome! 🙂
I blogged on occasion for about 3 years (meaning that I blogged MAYBE once or twice a year). Basically, a huge life event had to take place in order for me to blog. After being married for four months, the hubs had to work constantly because of tax season. I got bored, and I knew that I didn’t want to sit on my couch and watch TV until April 15th. I ran across several amazing blogs, and was instantly inspired. I wanted to fix up our little rent house, I wanted to try new recipes, and I wanted to do things that I never thought I would be capable of doing. My blog is the result of that inspiration. While most people laugh when I talk about blogging (because they don’t take it seriously), it’s become something that I’m truly passionate about. I have made so many incredible friends through blogging, and I love getting to share ideas with my readers! I’m amazed, humbled, and honored that after only 10 months of blogging, I have been asked to represent YOU this month. It’s so funny how you can find something that you love, and that it can open so many doors that for a long time, you didn’t even know existed. I would love for you to stop by the blog, shoot me an e-mail, follow me on Twitter, and pretty much be my new friend. 😉
Hi everyone! My name is Heidi and I blog over at TheBusyNothings.com. I’m originally from Dallas, Tx but have lived in Northwest Arkansas- via several other stops- long enough that I now say I’m from here and am a proud Razorback! Woooo PIG SOOIE! Yeah, I’m *a little* excited about football season starting!
I’m still married to my college sweetheart, Ben, that I met at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and I can’t believe that it’s been 10 years THIS MONTH. We have plans to celebrate our anniversary on a remote sandy beach somewhere or perhaps snow capped mountains to ski but we can’t decide. Somehow the planning part is so exciting that I don’t want it to end.
My blog was born soon after my first son was, about 5 years ago. I wanted to share photos and updates with relatives and friends living around the world and as I stayed, what seemed to me, insanely busy doing nothings all day long, my blog named itself. It quickly evolved as we found out he had some serious health issues. After several scares and a surgery we found out that our baby, Summit, had a rare genetic disorder called William’s Syndrome. He is stable now but my blog became a place to share the pain of having a special needs child and yet, the joy that my life still had. I didn’t want a dedicated special needs blog so I started to share DIY projects, products I loved and as we had to go gluten free, recipes that worked for me.
When I was pregnant with my second son, Sawyer, the doctors said he’d be born with either Down’s or Edwards Syndrome, but they were wrong. Instead, I had a healthy baby for the first time and that was a strange adjustment from our first. He had extremely bad eczema and while still nursing I had to go on the elimination diet to see what was triggering his breakouts that created open sores on his face and body. He ended up being allergic to dairy, eggs and strawberries so eliminating all that plus gluten free was quite a challenge! Fortunately, he outgrew most of his allergies but we are still mostly gluten and dairy free.
Because of the Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference last year, I met a lot of wonderful, amazing people and the experience changed my life. Where before my blogging was just a journal, at the conference I had my eyes opened to the possibilities. I began to do freelance writing, manage social media for small businesses and eventually went back to work full time as a project manager for a company I had become acquainted with at the conference.
I feel like every month brings new knowledge and excitement in the ever changing world of social media. I have three other writers on my blog and love the deeper stories and life sharing that TheBusyNothings now has. I’m humbled and honored to be asked to be Miss September because the Arkansas Women Bloggers mentored me and provided me with all the tools I need to be more successful and live my dream. Thank YOU!
I love social media so if you want to connect, reach out!
Hi! I’m Karen, aka Ting’s Mom. I am so excited to be a part of Arkansas Women Bloggers and being able to “meet” other bloggers across this great state.
I was born in Alabama, but moved to rural Southwest Arkansas when I was nine months old. I’ve been here ever since. I married my best friend and amazing husband in 2005. Hubby is a Texas implant, and we are die-hard Texas Longhorn fans at our house (please don’t kick us out of the state, ha!).
After two long and painful years of infertility, we were thrilled to finally be pregnant and welcomed our daughter in June 2009. In April 2012, our family became complete when our son was born.
I discovered blogging in 2010 and created Ting’s Mom. Ting’s Mom was created to be a family journal for me. I’m horrible at filling out those baby books, so each year I just have my blog printed into a keepsake book. Ting’s Mom has created an amazing outlet for me to not only share about our daily life, but also to share about things that I love so much.
Through Ting’s Mom, I discovered a love for doing product reviews and hosting giveaways. However, these were beginning to clutter up my family journal. So, in July 2012 Bug’s Reviews was born. Bug’s Reviews serves as my product review and giveaway blog. I’m quickly learning how much time is involved in running two blogs!
In addition to being a mom and blogger, I also work full-time in marketing, and am active in several organizations in both my hometown and in the state. I hope you will come read about life in our corner of the state – I look forward to “meeting” all of you!
In addition to my blogs, I can be found on Facebook at Ting’s Mom and Bug’s Reviews. I’m addicted to Twitter and love finding new stuff on Pinterest. Pictures of my life can also be found on Instagram!
Hey y’all! I’m Amanda. It’s such an honor to be here at Arkansas Women Bloggers! What a great community this has become!
Although I am a Mississippi girl at heart, my husband and I have called Arkansas home for close to ten years. We love it here…moved here as newlyweds, delivered two of our three babies in Arkansas, and have grown to love so many people and places around the Natural State!
You can visit me at My Heart’s Desire where I blog about food, faith, family, and easy ways to decorate your home…all desires of my heart! I started a blog with no real purpose other than to update our out-of-state families with pictures of the kids, and I was immediately hooked! Recording my heart on paper has always been an outlet for me. I treasure photos and keepsakes and the stories behind them, and I have been known to wallow in unprecedented guilt over unfinished, traditional paper scrapbooks. Enter blogging. Where have you been all my life?
The little space on the web called My Heart’s Desire is constantly evolving into something new! Even as I write, there are exciting things happening behind the scenes on the blog, and I’d love for you to stick around to see them unfold!
Blogging has opened up long closed-up places in my heart and has been the catalyst for meeting some of the sweetest, most authentic souls you’d ever want to know. Blogging has also offered me a place to be creative and purposeful outside of my main role as wife and mom.
As I was pondering what in the world I would share with you about myself, I did what I nearly always do…I asked my husband what I should write about. He has proven to be a rather large contributor of content on the blog! Thank you, love, for supporting me and really owning this thing with me!
I asked David to name five things that represent “me.” So here are his answers and a few random things about me…
Coffee. Preferably Community Dark Roast. Coffee helps me feel human in the mornings, and I love a cup first thing with my Bible, a pen, and a journal. For me, coffee and Jesus just go together. Now, getting up before my kids in order to enjoy this? Easier said than done.
Flip Flops. I would wear flip flops all the time if I could. Well, in these casual days, I probably could, but I am really short, so a heel makes a guest appearance now and again. This past week I was getting dressed for a funeral and realized I owned 42 pairs of $3 flip flops, but not one pair of black heels that were even remotely in style. On my to-do list: Invest in some funeral shoes. Soon.
Nail polish. My current favorite color is Essie Turquoise and Caicos. My hubby said in the past, he would have said lipstick…but I really don’t wear much lipstick anymore. Now, if you know me from long ago, you know this is a big deal…I grew up with a very Southern mama who asked me every time I walked out the door if I was going to “put a little lipstick on.” She still asks occasionally, and the answer is always no. I live in Arkansas now… I won’t be running into any old boyfriends at the grocery store anyway?
My Mac. Oh how I love you, Mac. I often wonder if my life had any meaning before you. I’m kidding. Sort of.
My camera. Blogging has inspired me to record life with much more intentionality. There is beauty worth capturing all around us every single day, whether it’s a flower begging to bloom in your yard, a child laughing hysterically, or for me…the meal we are about to eat!
You know you’re a blogger when you routinely postpone dinner to photograph the food! One of my current goals is to learn to shoot in the oh-so-scary Manual Mode!
“…accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, … encompassing the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for resulting consequences.” Thank you, Wikipedia.
Frenetic Fitness is my way of holding myself accountable for working out regularly and for recording some of the results of my frenetic/disorderly/chaotic style of working out. That includes admitting that I’m a middle to back of the pack runner, that I love to ride my bike but won’t ever be racing time trials, and that at the end of the day, the fact that I have the energy to be as active as I want to be is what truly matters. I want people who read my blog to recognize that there are so many ways to incorporate fun fitness as well as tough workouts into even the busiest of lives. I enjoy participating in organized athletic events but so far have refused to concentrate on one type of training long enough to be competitive at them. I do not consider what I do “training”. Training implies a goal. While I sometimes berate myself for my inability to concentrate on training for a specific event, I do consider working out as training for my Life. To paraphrase 80’s icon Cyndi Lauper and that movie Sarah Jessica Parker probably still regrets, this girl just wants to have fun. And eat lots of good food.
If you check my blog you might find a week’s worth of circuit workouts, a story about a road or trail running race, photos from a weekend bike ride, hike or backpacking trip, or the occasional oddity like the Warrior Dash. Much like my personality and conversational style, my blog is a little schizophrenic. I write about fitness as a lifestyle, not as an end product of effort. It’s not always about the gym workouts or what equipment I use, but about how fitness ties in to life with my family.
I live in Little Rock at the top of a long steep hill which means that any time I so much as walk the dogs, I count it as a workout. Besides the two dogs I share my house with my husband and my teenage daughter who just started driving, God Love Me. Occasionally, we have the two oldest kids around but they have their own lives that are usually much more interesting than ours. However, the promise of bike rides, mud, food or backpacking usually brings the middle one around.
When I’m not writing about the stuff that makes me sweat, I write about stuff that makes other people sweat at Arkansas Outside where my husband and I, yes a staff of two, try to keep a calendar of, photos of and stories about as many of the participatory sporting events in Arkansas as we can cover.
