I'm Still Here. :)

Now, mid-week, I'm spending my Wednesday remembering all of our Veterans. There are so many wonderful and dedicated men and women in our armed services. It's a shame that we only have one day per year to honor their sacrifices and devotion to maintaining our freedom and protection. So, with heartfelt gratitude, a huge thank you to all of the veterans and their families. We couldn't prosper and live such full lives without those of you who choose to serve our country, as well as those of you who love and support those who do. May God bless you.

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." GK Chesterton

So. Unbelievably. Happy.

The Christmas season has officially arrived! :)

Yes, I mark the beginning of the holiday season when Starbucks pulls out their seasonal drinks. Corporate America at its best. :)

Such A Sad Day...

Keeping all of those at Ft. Hood, Texas in my prayers and thoughts.

Do I Talk Too Much? I Think I Talk Too Much....

So, even after months of blogging, I still don't know exactly the feel of my blog. :) A lot has been going on lately, and while I'm excited about all of it, I haven't really gotten to update all of you!

A quick recap is definitely in order. Here are the big, little and inbetweens. :)

-----------

1. You were all definitely right! When the last prospective job "door" closed, a better-for-me one certainly opened! Except this time, it is two huge, side-by-side, extra wide doors that have been flung open! I sent in my application today, complete with an awesome cover letter and a surefire reference. This job would be a dream position. It would be tons of hard work, long hours and quite a bit of stress, but I would LOVE to do it. Closing date is Monday. Hopefully I'll hear back soon after. [it also really, really helps that there are 27 positions open for this exact job... yes, 27... long story, I'll explain if it all progresses further!]

2. My running routine has finally found its stride. Only downside is that it is definitely getting colder, which will see the end of running outdoors very soon. I signed up for a 5K in December a couple of days before my birthday. I'm so excited! Hopefully it will encourage me to continue running outdoors much longer than most sane people.

3. Jillian has not been kicking my butt daily, but at least 4 or 5 times a week. She is amazing! And I think she is definitely my new girl crush. I so aspire to be her ... If any of you are considering the Shred, do it! It produces noticeable results even if you're not doing it every day.

4. I just found out today that one of my oldest, dearest and most beloved friends is coming home next month for a visit! Growing up, he was like a brother to me and I've missed him. He's been living in Wyoming for 3 long years and I so can't wait for him to come back.

5. Please know that if you are kind/generous/sweet enough to pass on a blog award to me, I REALLY do appreciate it! I am just the world's worst person when it comes to remembering these things. I tell myself I'll update my blog awards and follow through on the requirements, yet somehow always forget. You ladies are lovely and I so adore all of the time and thought you give to completing them and passing them on. And it makes me feel so loved that you think of me! :)

6. I'm having a really hard time refraining from writing y'all at times. It has become much more frequent since I began blogging. I am constantly reminding myself, "you are from the North; we do not get the luxury of using y'all." It's really quite sad.

7. Like many of you, I have basically been listening to Christmas music 24/7 since Sunday morning. It's a long way til December 25th.

8. About a month and a half ago, I reverted back to an old way of mine: I gave up drinking. Until 22, I didn't have a single sip of alcohol - not even in church - and even then, my drinking was spotty at best. I am so in love with wine, but decided that it was time to give up the bottle and return to pre-22 me.
I really miss my pinot noir.

9. One of our local ski mountain is making snow on Friday.
I.am.so.pumped.

10. I've recently been experiencing some jealousy issues over a girl I have nothing to worry about. And it is really beginning to cause problems for me and Mr. J. She's one of those girls that is a blatant flirt, goes out of her way to get attention, wears next to nothing and posts 95% of her photos on facebook of her in a bikini. Now, girls like this often irk me - but never this much. She trains at Mr. J's gym. I am friendly to her, but I don't like the idea of J interacting with a girl like this. She's already caused huge problems for Mr. J's roommate and his gf. Now... I want all of your HONEST opinions... am I being crazy? Have any of you experienced similar things? And how do I get beyond it?! Eek. HELP!


I hope you're all enjoying the first week of November! We've been having super chilly weather here, but it seems appropriate with Thanksgiving, skiing and Christmas oh so close. :)

Have a wonderful night, lovelies!!!

Because He Works So Hard...

... it is, in turn, hard for me to be anything but proud of Mr.J.

I know that the world of mixed martial arts is foreign territory to most of you; for me, it's really become ingrained into my being and a total part of who I am. Just because of this sweet, blue-eyed boy who has unfortunately swept me off my feet. :)

[I say that because I was so not looking for a relationship when I met him. Silly boys. ]

This past Saturday, I sat in on a training session. It's been awhile since that has happened and it was nice to see how hard Mr. J is working.

I'm super nervous about his upcoming fight. I am more than a little anxious and excited and a ton of other emotions that I cannot label nor properly identify. It's going to be a huge night and I am mentally preparing myself; this weekend made me feel better, though, and I am sure Mr. J is ready and in the best place possible for this upcoming fight.


Watching training sessions isn't bad. In a way, it's giving me a false sense of security. :) Everything is instrumented and properly thought out beforehand. And you know there isn't a lot [or really, everything] resting on that one moment. [Mr. J is in the tank top]



It's always interesting to see someone go through the motions of preparing for a fight... especially when you're so much of a rookie about the sport ... I enjoy learning as much as I can, and I come away from each session that I watch knowing just a fraction more.


I also watched Mr. J's former roommate train for his upcoming fight. He'll be heading to Nashville, TN a couple of weeks after J's fight for his first UFC event. It's so exciting to see Ricky moving on to this amazing time in his career.

He'll be fighting at UFC 107 vs. Johnny Hendricks. People are placing their money on Hendricks - the better known contender in the UFC - but I think they will be surprised by Rick. We're going to be rooting for him come December 12th and will be hoping his preliminary bout is televised after the main card has finished.



As I mentioned, I know this is all so foreign to most of you, but it really is so truly exciting. I am so proud of Mr. J and Ricky and everyone else who trains and fights out of the Team Link schools. They work so hard and put in so much time and effort...

No matter what happens for Mr. J and I in the future, he is destined for big, big things... and I am so happy for him. Whether I'm watching from the front row and a part of his life, or the comforts of my home and just a past memory, I am going to be cheering him and his career on. With all of the dedication he puts in, he certainly deserves it. :)

So... November 20th! That's the big day. Hopefully I'll be giving live updates, but we shall see if my mind can handle breathing, let alone updating. :)

Blaze Gift Shop

I just looooved some of the items they offered in the Blaze gift shop... I loved them so much that I thought I would share them with you!








I wanted to take all of these paintings/drawings home... but I'd have nowhere to put them. :) I envy people who have so much artistic talent, but I am thrilled to be a spectator to their works. :)

---------------

In other news, Mr. J is feeling better... which is fantastic... because his headlining fight is only 19 days away! 2 more weeks of training, a week of rest and then the big night. Ugh, so nerve-wracking! He's also feeling better, so thanks for all of your well wishes!

I think we're planning on heading to Salem this coming weekend. We're going to wait to see what the forecast looks like, but hopefully we'll get to spend a quiet Sunday walking about. :)

Today is gorgeous, so I'm off for an earlier-than-usual run... hope you're all enjoying your Mondays! ;)

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...

Happy Halloween weekend, lovelies! :)

I hope you all had a scare-and-fun-filled weekend with lots of haunted delights, spooky tales and magical memories. :)

Unfortunately, Mr. J and I missed Salem this weekend. We were so excited to bundle up, grab some hot cider and gallivant around throughout the most bewitching and thrilling weekend that hits the little town. We had so many things on our list and so many fun events planned. But.... I showed up at Mr. J's house in the early afternoon to find a very sickly, hurting boy curled up on the couch, whimpering for his mother [okay, not really]. He was in bad shape though, so I fixed him some hot tea and curled up on the couch with him while he napped. He woke up a little while later and although he was being a trooper and insisted we set off for Salem, I convinced him pumpkin carving and an easy night was a better idea.

We couldn't find a pumpkin suitable for carving... imagine that! no decent pumpkins left the day before Halloween ;)... so we went home empty-handed, watched the lamest "scary movie" [Ghost Ship], relaxed for a bit and then headed off - when Mr. J was feeling better - for a haunted hayride.

The haunted hayride followed the scary movie: totally, completely and utterly lame. I jump at the slightest thing and I think I only screamed once. My heart wasn't even beating fast. The only entertaining part of the hayride was the 4 or 5 cops and their wives, all drunk, who joined us and made the whole thing absolutely hilarious.

So much for an exciting Friday night, huh? :)

Yesterday was low-key. Training in the morning, quiet time with Mr. J in the afternoon and then a family dinner for my sister-in-law's birthday last night. I chose to stay in afterwards, caught up on some sleep and missed the craziness that is typically Halloween.

My weekend update probably won't live up to many of yours! :)

Today we are being blessed with a gorgeous fall day with tons of sunshine, a cloudless sky and a slight breeze... the perfect way to welcome in the first of November, huh? I can't believe this year is almost done. It has absolutely flown by in the blink of an eye.

I hope you're all enjoying the tail end of your weekends! :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Lovelies!! :)

Hope you have a hauntingly magical and fun-filled night! :)

Tonight, We Will Be....

here:
Salem, MA. Perhaps one of the craziest nights to visit the area, Mr. J and I are headed out for a long evening of Haunted Happenings, witchcraft, history, spooks and Halloween delights!

We're going to see quite a few things on a long list of must-sees.

The House of Seven Gables: the colonial mansion [1668] made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel of the same name.

The Salem Witch Museum: travel back in time [or so they say] to visit Salem in 1692. They promise "dramatic history lessons" with life-sized figures, mood lighting and narration.

The Witch House: I'm most excited to see this. It's the only remaining building in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trials. Also known as The Corwin House, Judge Jonathan Corwin - the local magistrate and civic leader - was responsible for the investigations into witchcraft claims. They have "eerie evenings" throughout October with costumed storytellers performing ghost stories.

Salem Witch Village
The Pickering House: Salem's oldest standing home [1651]. It's also believed to be the oldest in the US continuously occupied by one family.

Salem Wax Museum:

Maritime National Historic Site: 12 historic structures, 9 acres along the waterfront and a whole bevy of history lessons on the triangular trade during the colonial period, privateers during the Revolutionary War and sea trade after independence.

Gallows Hill Park: Many place the actual gallows from the Witch trials at this particular spot. Although most historians say this is inaccurate, we're probably still going to waste some time and check it out. :)

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthplace.

The Old Burying Point: the second oldest cemetery in the US, this is high on our list. Although I will definitely be viewing this before it gets dark.



And hopefully - if we're lucky - we'll be finding some of these delicious looking pumpkin treats in some bakery's window before we depart Salem.

I think it's going to be a good night... what do you think? :)

Have a fantastic Halloween weekend, lovelies!! :)

Fall Comes & Goes Far Too Quickly...

Ah, this season really does disappear before we know it.

Just a few weeks ago we had vibrant colors dotting the landscape; now, with the end of the season/colors drawing near, we have more subdued hues.

This past weekend I took advantage of the nice weather- high 50s, slight breeze, sunshine -and headed out with one of the pups for a hike. We traipsed around Greylock mountain for 2 hours, before hiking it back to the car, picking up my camera and walking around the lower ponds for another half an hour.

It was the perfect afternoon.

I love the beginning colors of fall - the exquisite reds, yellows and oranges - but the waning colors towards the end are just as beautiful.
My little girl is nearly 11... I was shocked she was still enthusiastic about walking/running about after 2 hours.

Greylock is showing the signs of the coming season... The top of the mountain lost most of its leaves to some early snow.




If it is even possible... I somehow fell in love with this tree...

After walking around with the camera, we stopped for some more swim breaks/let's try and catch fish... although I chose to stay on the shore and didn't partake. :)



Is everyone ready for Halloween? I can't believe how close it is! And soon enough we'll be welcoming in November and the countdown to Thanksgiving... Time surely does fly.