A Late Sunday Reward

So, I am writing about my Sunday Reward on Tuesday....just call me Late Linda ;)

I spent most of my Sunday moving and stacking a HUGE load of firewood that was delivered to us on Saturday morning. I think by the time we were done, there was about a chord and a half of wood. Now I'm really not a superstitious type of person, but I do believe in the old wives tale stories...you know the ones; A cricket in the house brings good luck, if the bottom of your foot itches you're going to take a trip, or how about the one that goes: Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place. Lord, if I believed in that type of stuff, I'd surely be bald.

Since the Fall season began, we have had an over abundance of acorns. Huge acorns. So many acorns as I have never seen in the 21+ years we have lived in our home. I have always heard that when there is a crop of acorns such as this, our Winter is going to be wet & cold. I couldn't find a wives tale about this, but I did find a page on the "net" that talked about such things. Even the Squirrels and Chipmunks can't keep up with the supply that has been offered unto their plate.

Back to the subject at hand: What is my reward in stacking so much firewood that my hands were sore, my back ached and I could hardly get out of the bed the next morning? What is so rewarding about stacking so much firewood that by the time I was finished, I didn't feel like finishing the decorating of my Christmas tree which I like to light up on Thanksgiving just like the Lighting of the Rich's Great Tree (which is another blog in itself)?

What was rewarding to me is that I got to spend quality time with some of the great loves of my life. I had the distinct honor of having my first and last born child out there in the yard, stacking, moving & hauling firewood with me. It was also rewarding to me to have a husband who spent his whole off day picking up leaves with the mower and making our yard look nice for the holidays. Most importantly, it was rewarding to me to have my whole family together.....even the dog was out there.....what more could a "fat" girl from the South hope for ;)........ Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday's Great Rewards

This was the week we were all waiting for--the opening of Grand Canyon North Rim for the season. We were all a little bit nervous, a little bit raring to go. Opening day went great. I opened at the campground, which was booked to capacity. The most difficult part of it was having to turn away those people who had no reservation.

Yesterday was my last work day for the week. I was at the entrance station and boy was it ever busy. It was after all the first Saturday of the season, and people were lined up for half a mile it seemed waiting to get in, and they all had to go by ME!

I was so tired at the end of my day, my feet hurt, my legs hurt. But, I was ecstatic! My first day on the entrance station and I remembered what to do, and did it well. One of my co-workers, who was out there to support me on my first day, told the boss she heard me giggle after each customer. One foreign guy even told me I was cute! I laughed out loud at that.

So, my reward to myself for today is that I am staying in my pajamas all day, and watching all my favorite shows on the Food Network. I have been lazing about on the sofa all day. Well, I DID get up and put a pork roast in the oven, but that is all. I am taking it easy all day, because I deserve it!

Sunday Great Rewards

I have been in training for my new job for two weeks. Since I spent the winter plus some, five months, doing almost nothing, it has been really hard for me to get up at a certain time and go to work. On top of that, just before we left Georgia to come to Arizona, the annual time change to Daylight Savings Time occured. Then we drove to Wichita, where we were in a different time zone for another week, then on to Arizona to yet another time zone. My body clock is so screwed up!

So, to reward myself for working so hard to learn my job, and for walking to work and back, and for eating less and losing 10 pounds, I am rewarding myself today in several ways.

1. I slept late. I slept until I woke up. That seems like such a luxury, even though I got up at 8:00 a.m.

2. I am having two cups of coffee with chocolate coffee mate. Not sugar-free, full blown sugar.

3. I am driving up to Cape Royal with my friend Sally. It is supposed to be one of the two best view-points of the Grand Canyon on this side. Jim has been up there already, and he said you can see the whitewater on the Colorado River from there. I can hardly wait!

4. I am having black bean and shrimp nachos for lunch.

All this may seem like too much of a reward for just doing my job in life, but, hey, I am the one who gets to make the rules.

Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!

Says who?!

I decided this past week that I want to be more positive about my life. I realized that most of us get no recognition for the wonderful things we do on a daily basis. Simply because you are expected to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't be praised when you do a really good job of it or when you learn a new way of doing it. There are so few big moments in life, why shouldn't we celebrate the small ones?

These small efforts can feel like major accomplishments, and even if no one else recognizes them for the momentous occasions that they are, it doesn't mean I shouldn't. To that end, I decided to start awarding myself badges for all those mini-milestones. If you want to read about my first award ceremony, it's right here.

Aside from the silliness of rewarding myself with badges meant for ten year olds, it actually serves a real purpose. Self reflection can be a great tool for growth and for deciding who you want to be. Reflecting on my week has been a habit for a while now, but most of the time I was focusing on the negative. I would think about all the ways I had messed up that week and resolve to do better next week.

In my decision to be more positive, I realized that this was self defeating. What we focus on is what we become. In focusing on why I hadn't worked out I was reminding myself of what I don't like about exercise instead of what I do like. Thus, the virtual badge ceremony was born.

In awarding myself badges, I think about the things I did well that week. I try to consider if I did it well enough to deserve a badge for it, or did I do it halfway - could I have done a better job if I had only put in a little more effort? If the answer is yes, I did it well, I earn the badge I have chosen to represent that task. (Yea, me!) If the answer is no, I was slacking, then I have to wait til next week to consider that badge again.

The great thing about it is that it's totally up to me. In awarding these badges, no one else's opinion really matters - I am the only one who knows if I cheated. That's where self reflection comes in....

So, in addition to the badges I awarded myself on Friday, I am also going to add:

Pet Care

For walking Ilex and scooping the poop!

and last but not least:

Healthy Relationships

For reaching my huge milestone 5 Monthaversary with Ken.