Book Review: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Do you like Star Wars?  Is one of your favorite characters from the series Yoda?  Have you ever wondered does “the force” really exist?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then strap yourself in and get ready to go to a galaxy far, far away?  Well, actually not that far away and I guess it’s not really another galaxy either.  I guess I got a little carried away with all the Star Wars stuff.  Anywho, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger is a quick read that will have you laughing out loud as you enjoy this tale of a middle school boy named Tommy who is trying to figure out if an origami puppet is really able to give sound advice.  At the end of the book, there is even a diagram that shows how to create your own origami Yoda puppet. So grab your lightsaber (it will help you if you decide to read in the dark) and let the force be with you, young Jedi.  Happy Reading!

Bye, Bye Spilled Milk

Image from www.businesspundit.com

Last week, my pastor touched on the notion of letting go and getting over things and not crying over spilled milk. Well, at today’s church service it finally hit me, I have got to let go of the spilled milk in my past. I just realized that when we constantly replay events of the past it keeps them alive and unfortunately, it keeps us stuck in the past. We are unable to see clearly about our future and most importantly, our present. As I was sitting in church thinking last year this time I was in the midst of planning a wedding. Wait a minute, I am really thinking about some stuff I was doing 365 days ago, that has absolutely NOTHING to do with me now. What a major waste of emotional energy!!!! I told myself, “Self, you have got to let it go. You need to write down (or in this case, type) all the spilled milk you are no longer figuratively and some times literally crying over. So here’s my spilled milk list. These are things that I have held on to for way too long and it’s time to let them go…move on..and embrace the now and look expectantly to a better future. I am learning that it’s okay to let things go. You can still learn from the experience without fear of repeating the same mistake if you just let it go. Learn the lesson, apply the lesson but let the event (the spilled milk) go. So as I was saying, here it is my spilled milk list and just so that you can see how long I’ve been holding on to some things I’ve put the number of years that I’ve been holding on to it in parenthesis:

• The wedding that didn’t happen and the failed relationship (1 year- I never imagined that I would get engaged and then have to call off the entire relationship, not just the wedding.  However, replaying the wedding details and the relationship won't change the fact that I didn't get married and that I stayed in a relationship long past it's expiration date.)
• The ex that I broke up with because he didn’t want to get married
(11 years- I know it’s sad but really I had no idea I’ve been holding on to this one so long.  But I guess since I keep replaying it and even kept in touch for a bit it made it seem like just yesterday that we broke up.)
• The fact that I had a child and wasn’t married
(4 years and counting. Now this one I have got to let go of. I can’t change the past and no matter how long I hold on to this one it won’t change the fact that I wasn’t married when I had my wonderful son. So I need to accept the fact and forgive myself and focus on being the best mother I can be to my child.)
• The fact that I’m not married
(13 years and counting. I have been beating myself up for years about this one. I’m sure my close friends are happy that I’m publicly announcing that I’m letting this one go. Since, it’s become a bit of an obsession. I just think about it and try to make it happen and then I'm sad, depressed, angry, and downright mad that it hasn’t happened. So after 13 years and some change, I’m letting it go.  I really feel like it’s time. I feel like it’s a monster I created that I should name since we’ve spent over a decade together.)

In closing, I am really saying that I’m trusting God’s Word and who HE is. In Romans 8:28, It says “and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV- New King James Version)

So in other words, all things work for good to those that are called according to HIS purpose. It doesn’t’ say some things but it says ALL things so I have to know that all the spilled milk that I’ve refused to let go of has been meant to work for my good. It’s not easy but it sure is a more peaceful space to just trust God and know that in the end He has my best interest in mind. As always, I love to end with a question so what's the spilled milk that you need to let go of because it’s stinking up your present and your future?

Age of Dinosaurs

This is yet another posting that has absolutely nothing to do with blog. I just needed to have a url for the following pictures so this is the fastest way I knew how to accomplish this goal. Seeing as though this assignment is due today. Time is no doubt of the essence.

Using our Senses

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with my blog.  However, I needed to get a url for it so this was the fastest way I knew how to accomplish this goal.

Entering the world of Blogging (Again)

Well, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve last written on this blog.  I guess when drama and chaos hits you like a runaway train broadcasting it to your friends and associates isn’t that much fun.  Anywho, I have a few bruises that have no doubt healed but left a couple of scars and I’m back and ready to blog.  I’m not quite sure what I’ll write about but hey I kinda feel like I have a few things to say so I’m back.  Stay tuned for an update about empty buckets, bucket dippers and most importantly, learning how to fill your own bucket!

My Big Rocks

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted something.  As you can imagine I've been a tad busy.  While the details of the wedding aren't consuming me, they have added just one more thing on my already full plate.  Needless to say that I have begun pruning as spring appears to be a great time to do this. I'm in serious declutter mode.  Most importantly, I am really trying to find time to do the things I LOVE.  So while I like to blog, I have to admit that I don't LOVE it.  My new goal for blogging is monthly.  I wish I could blog once a week and I doubt if I'll ever blog once a day but for now once a month is definitely doable.  This past month, I have started prioritizing my "big rocks" as Steven Covey would say.  My current big rocks are:  spending time with my son and my fiance, reading at least 30 minutes a day, exercising 3 days a week, getting more sleep and planning my wedding. It's taken some time but I now see that blogging is really among the sand, gravel, and water in my life.  Over the past few months, I'm learning that everyone's rocks are different and that one's rocks can change with each new season in life.  So as I recap the past month, I will focus on my big rocks:
1.)  Time with my son and my fiance - Grade C
       Unfortunately, I don't really feel like I've been spending enough quality time with either of them.  I also
       realize that I don't quite know what this quality time should look like.  So my plan for this month is
       to read a story to my son everyday .  (I'm giving myself permission to not limit this reading to
       bedtime.  It can happen at any point of the day.)  As for my fiance, my goal is for us to have at least
       one date night this month and play at least one board game a week. 

2.)  Reading at least 30 minutes a day - Grade B
      I managed to read 2 books this past month so I'm not doing too badly with this "rock".  My memory
       isn't as good as it used to be and I don't have my reading journal with me.  Therefore, I
      can't remember the books I read for March.  Thank goodness, improving my memory isn't one of
      my big rocks. :) In order for me to reach my big goal of reading 35 books this year, I need to read 3
      books a month so hopefully I will be able to accomplish this goal for April.

3.)  Exercising 3 times a week - Grade D+
      I suck on this one.  I just can't get it together.  It's either all or nothing.  Some weeks, I do it and other
      weeks, I don't do anything.  If there are four weeks in a month and my goal is 3 days a week,  that's only
      12 days a month.  Well for March I managed to work out about 7 days.  (This is of course a guess
      since  I don't have my calendar near me.)  My goal for April is just do it.  No excuses!!!!!

4.) Getting more sleep - Grade F
      I am failing miserably with this one. The only time I managed to get 7 - 8 hours of sleep this past month
      was if I was sick.  I really am committed to this one because I really do feel better in the morning and my
      day goes so much better after a good night's sleep.  My goal is to get in the bed by 10:30 p.m.  I have a
      DVR so I can't use the excuse of watching television since I can record the shows I want to see.

5.) Planning my wedding - Grade A +++++
      Surprise, surprise, I'm doing a great job on this big rock.  I have set up a website, secured the location,
      started making the invitations, located a harpist, decided on favors and weekend activities.  Since this
      rock is pretty darn big, I'm happy that I doing well on this goal.  Even though, I'm not consumed with
     wedding planning it's no doubt the one thing I'm doing well.  If I look at why I'm making such good
     progress, it's because I have a specific list of things to accomplish and have set aside specific blocks of
    time to accomplish it.  I guess I need to apply this same strategy to the other rocks in my life.

Now that I've shared my "big rocks", I'm curious to know what are some of the "rocks" in this season of your life?

I'm Engaged!!!!!

This past Tuesday, I got engaged. As you can imagine, I am quite excited and still floating on cloud nine. It's kinda weird now when I look down and see my ring. It really helps me see that God's grace is truly amazing and things really do work according to His awesome plan. Last week, it seemed like manfriend and I had been dating FOREVER. When in actuality, it's only been 17 months. I guess when you hit 30, months feel like years. It's almost like I was counting each month in dog years or better yet, single woman over 30 years.


Now, that I'm engaged it's been hard to make the switch in titles. I keep telling the engagement story and saying my friend or manfriend instead of my fiancé. However, for some strange reason I feel like I need to be engaged a certain amount of time before I can call him by his new title. It's funny because I've waited for this moment for what seems like an eternity yet I'm finding it difficult to grasp. I really feel like I'm dreaming and that this can't possibly be happening to me.


After a few long-term relationships and oodles of hurt feelings and tears, I just can't believe that my day has come. I swear I used to cringe when people were like, "Guess, what?" Of course, I'd fake it and act excited. However, it felt like a jab in my side every time someone told of how they met some guy, dated for a few months or a few years, and now they're getting married. Meanwhile, I just felt like I was sitting on the sidelines waiting to get in the game. I kept feeling like that kid who nobody picks for their team. So now that I have officially been picked, I am so sensitive to those around me. While I can't front, my world is different in a good way and that a HUGE monkey has been lifted off my back. I don't want my happiness and excitement to cause anyone else any unnecessary pain. So I just pray that during this time of my life, I don't fill my bucket at the expense of dipping into someone else's. I pray that this season proves to be a source of joy for all those around me.