1892 Farmhouse given new life...

An oldie- but a goodie!  Just found this "pop" up in my search. Wow, we were YOUNG! LOL

http://www.toledoblade.com/East/2012/04/04/Buyers-give-1892-farmhouse-new-life.html

Waking up is hard to do? When you're 5...

I started my day with a jump as the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was my beautiful five year old daughter, in my face, nose to nose! I think I literally made a sound of startle, which is funny because she does this all the time.  

"Mom, I can't sleep."  I guess in k i d - that means that if she can't sleep, I can't either...

So, I walked with her to her room. She asked for her TV to be turned on, which I fumbled my way through the remote and tucked her in before going back to my warm bed to catch the twenty more minutes that I had before my "other" alarm went off!

Finally, I hit the snooze as much as I could and knew I had to get up.  I walked past my five year old's room to find her still wide awake.  Luckily, she did not seem to notice me going by her room and I went to get ready for the day.

Twenty minutes later, I go into her room and she is passed out! Mom Call...I let her sleep for fifteen minutes longer.  When that time elapsed, it was a battle that made me question whether I should have let her sleep in.  I turned on her light, pulled her covers back and she fought tooth and nail to stay in bed. (She can be a big crab!)

Finally, up she went and to the bathroom to brush teeth and get dressed.  She started crying on the potty, alligator tears!  We got her situated and she was still bawling her eyes out, muttering something about her friend on the bus wouldn't let her sit by the window seat.  I was confused because she is the first one to be picked up in the mornings and always waves while sitting next to the window.  Then it got ugly and confusing!  She said that she did not want to sit by the window, but wanted to sit by the isle.  Oh brother!  I hugged her and told her that it didn't matter the seat, but for bus safety she just had to sit.  I mean, I wasn't really sure where she wanted to sit, after all!

She brushed her teeth, through tears; got dressed, through tears; and went down to have breakfast, crying the whole way... I asked her to stop crying and in return got more tears!  Finally, after a half and hour of tears, in between bites of chocolate chip pancakes, I managed to ask her if she was hurt and she said no, so I switched gears and told her it was a new week and it was going to be a great day and somehow, her mood flipped and she was happy. 

As a Mom, I am thinking... EEK!  Is this seriously what I have to look forward to when hormones come into the picture and if so, can I run away!

Any-whoo, I am uncertain of what changed for her, I mean maybe she just woke up, but she got on the bus with a smile on her face- hopefully forgetting her worries about which seat her little booty would sit in!


 As for little Miss Three-Year-Old, she got up, brought her bare feet down stairs with her Minnie Nightgown on with a big smile on her face, as she does everyday!

Complete opposites!

#lovemyfamily #momofgirls #girlproblems

~Kel

Oh no you DIDN'T...did you.... Gray Gables Farm

I know that I am not alone. Every New Year's Eve I sit down and think about what I want to accomplish for the New Year.  Most of the time it is silly little goals, like eat better, help a charity or exercise.  Last year, however, it revolved around a book that I had wrote a few years ago and the goal was to get it/or one of them, published.  Yes, there are a few that I would be honored to see in print.

I spend the year trying to tweak my book, get a final copy and then I set off to find a Literary Agent.  Well, that was one huge hurdle and I was met by rejection, rejection and more rejection.  So, I did what any person who loves to write does...I wrote another book, and another and another. (duh!)

Well, I really did not go anywhere with any of them.  I just kind of started them, got to the plot and my ADD got in the way of my train of thought, so I would start another.  After that, life just got in the way.

Fast Forward...  In mid-September I headed up to the attic of this big old house and was met with the mess of moving in a hurry and throwing everything in the attic, if it was not necessity.  It was time to tackle the disaster.  I pitched so much stuff and what I did not throw out, I drug it downstairs and put it in the "Garage Sale" pile or the "pass it on" pile.  The end result is a half cleaned out attic with shelves put up and somewhat organized holiday fun.

It was sometime after I had finally finished with one side of the gables that I decided to put my fingers to the keys and what happened was amazing for me.

October had begun and I had opened the file that I named "Gray Gables Farm" and I was rereading the twelve whole pages that I had typed.  I pulled out the binder that I had pulled from the attic with ALL my research about this house.  At the time that I pulled it, I did question myself.  I really was not sure why I pulled it in the first place but soon enough the answer was before me.

Two ten hour days later I had my story.  I spent a few more days tweaking here and there, but it was as it should be and I knew that much.  It is not a long story.  It is somewhat true to the dates, people and places that are the characters.  I can only say that while writing it, I truly did not feel myself.  It was as if I were writing through someone else and it was smooth, seamless and intoxicating.


It is the story of Gray Gables and of days before that are so long ago.   So, what is it about.... I know some are dying to know!  I self published.  I was so skeptical about self publishing but honestly, it was as if it were meant to be put in print.  I followed the signs, as I feel I have been throughout my entire Gray Gables journey.  Fate stepped in on my life and I am listening, the best that I can and following the path that is guiding me along.

So, please read, please support and please enjoy!  I would greatly appreciate it and be forever grateful!

READ HERE:  http://my.bookbaby.com/book/gray-gables-farm

Gray Gables Farms

A Synopsis

Sometimes you can’t see how your life should be until you find something that speaks to your heart.

Mattie lives a good life, and feels content until the summer home is built.  The first summer proves that her heart sings in the country and grieves when she is away.  How can she show her Husband her true happiness lies at Gray Gables?

I have put to paper my Realistic Fiction novel in 23,342 words.  The names and dates within my work at factual, but the story that is told is compiled from different stories that have been told around town.  Gray Gables is my historic home and holds a lot of history, which I have researched to find Aaron and Mattie’s story.

Life was unknowingly missing something until Gray Gables broke ground.  The house spoke to her in a way she could not explain to her Husband.  She had found her place and while she never wanted to leave, her husband was quick to remind her that the home was for summer holiday, not to keep as their main residence.  

About me:

I have the pleasure of residing in Gray Gables.  My personal story starts with an abandoned house that my Husband and I rolled the dice on.  It has been three years and although we are still rebuilding, the history that the walls have told have been anything but dull. 

I graduated from the University of Toledo in 2003 with an Interdisciplinary degree with a minor in English Literature and History.  I have loved to write since I was able to and have books and books of poetry that I have created over the vast years.

I started this idea on a whim. I was researching my one hundred and twenty two year old house, trying to unlock some of the mystery and unravel the countless stories that have been told to us throughout our possession.  I had gathered tons of information about Aaron Chesbrough and Gray Gables but could not figure out why the house was not showing on any of the census reports until our local Historic Society pointed out that when a home is a “Summer Home” it did not show up on the report.  Then, as if a light bulb went off, it all made sense. 

While the characters are real and the dates are factual, the story is elaborated.  I have a lot of coincidences that I feel coincide with this home and I feel that for me, this is where I was supposed to land, much like I feel Mattie felt throughout the novel. 

I feel relief as I put my pen to paper and started writing.  I was able to get a story that I have dreamed about for the past three years.  

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READ HERE:  http://my.bookbaby.com/book/gray-gables-farm

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To all who read my blog- THANK YOU!  To those who buy my book- A HUGE THANK YOU!  I hope you enjoy it, I hope you make suggestions as to how I can make it better, possibly expand also!  I love to write and can accept positive and negative criticism, that is what will make me a better writer!  Thank you so much for your support! I finally did it!

~Kel

They let it free, to wreck it's own havoc on all...

And everything went still....all around...

I recently started writing again.  I put together a story that I had been working on last year and brought it to life in two days.  I did not even know I had it in me, but it was like the words were flowing from something other than my body. I was typing in auto-pilot. 

I seem to have uncapped something within myself that is causing somewhat of an overload in my system because words, stories, ideas are shooting like a colorful rainbow out of my soul. 

With the recent hit of Ebola, it has almost lifted from the typed pages of my story to real life. I should preface with the fact that I am an avid Walking Dead fan.  I think that the show is nothing short of amazing, as each week I sit there and think about what it would be like?  I mean, have you ever stopped and asked yourself this very question?  What would happen if something took over the population and killed off everyone, not necessarily bringing walkers back from death, but what if you were one of the last ones here? 

What would you do?  How prepared are you?  What would be your goal?  If you had some lasting family members, what would you do to protect them? 

I think that this has become real with all these things that are hitting our people now, as far as Ebola, the virus that is hitting children causing paralysis and the respiratory infections that was also hitting children causing them to turn blue and blocking their airways.  As a parent, it is terrifying.  I question everyday whether or not I want my kid in school, being so susceptible to such diseases.  It has been a time when I do not go near the television, afraid that the news will shovel out another heaping, steaming pile of population reducing news. 

Have you gone to social media since this Cleveland to Chicago Ebola outbreak?  It has been blowing up with this and that, causing a panic to all who reside within that radius.  It makes you question why is the Government being so irresponsible?  I mean, if there was contact with the first Ebola patient why in the world was there not better precautions taken, as far as a quarantine?  I feel that this should not have been taken so lightly.  Should all personnel who were in contact in Texas not been separated from society until the duration of when symptoms can come forth?  I am spouting off, but I feel very strongly that Ebola was leaked to the United States for a reason, then care has not been given as far as handling it as the deadly disease that it is. Irresponsibility! 

So, here we stand, America the Great (and yes, I say this very loosely) fighting Ebola, fighting other rare and new diseases, fighting a war and recently fighting an impeding crash of our stock markets.  Does anyone else feel worried? 

I have said for years now that I wonder daily why?  Why did I bring two beautiful girls into this world?  I mean, this world is going to hell in a handbag with each year passing and by the time they are my age, if the world is still around, what the hell will come of them?  It is damn scary, as a Mother. 

What would happen if I woke up tomorrow and everyone was dead from Ebola?  What if all that was left were the four people in my family, us four, living in our home but all the rest of the world had expired to the disease.  Would it be a waiting game for us to pass?  What made us different? What helped us to survive? 

So we woke from our beds to a quiet world.  Outside of the house the wolves were all around, running in packs, free, feeding on the dead. We were locked in our house.  But, for how long?  Our air was still our own.  Would the air bring the death?  Preparing for a apocalypse, we had lined our cellar shelves with food.  Our electricity was still blazing.  Without anyone to control, how long would that last?  The propane tank was full, with the last fill up, but that would be all that we would have.  It kind of feel like immortality is not an option. Our life would not longer hold any type of certainty.  It would be only us for however long we would last. 

How would you feel if you were in this same scenario?  I have been thinking of this before Ebola presented itself.  I am drawn to thinking about the end of civilization.  I am not even sure that a mutation needs to happen.  I mean what if you are just, simply, alone.

I guess the question that I would ask, the longer my life lasted in my empty world, would be who was responsible for unleashing such a maddened killer?  I mean, after all, it is a killer no matter which way you want to look at the picture.

What are you feelings about Ebola?  How will it affect your life?  Things that you do within your life?  

I am not as strongly concerned with Ebola, for the simple fact that at this point it is only transmitted through bodily fluids.  I am worried that it could progress further, but it can not affect our air, our water and so forth. I do, however, think I will be investing in some toilet seat covers, as I have a three year old who has to sample all the public bathrooms whenever we go anywhere. 

As long as I am here tomorrow, I shall return....

~Kel

Motivational Monday...Get MOVING

Get up and Get Moving...

How much more Motivational can I get, right!  I am not trying to get H A R S H at you all, but if I were talking to myself, in some crazy way that is weird and, did I mention... crazy, this is what I would say!  No excuses today- GET MOVING! 

I guess the first step is getting out of bed, right!  Then get moving. Yes, I mean more than just that awesome "Wake Up Shower" or the movements you do with the blow drying by flipping your hair... Pop in a DVD, T25 perhaps and put on your "best" workout clothes and sweat!  

If mornings are hard for you, I know the feeling too!  I mean, you have to go to work perhaps, or get your kids off to school...morning can be downright hectic- but no excuses right! So, you don't make this happen in the morning, fine...but MAKE IT HAPPEN! If that means on a lunch hour, or in the early evening when you have dinner finished and kids are winding down...perhaps you are a late night-er- whatever works for you. Maybe you get some time to run to the gym...I am jealous!  This is not an option in my current life with Hubby, Kids, work and trying to stay on top of schedules! But, the no gym time does NOT mean that I don't have to work out- it just means that I get to be more creative about my workout- right! 


I think that we all have things that we want to change about ourselves. I think this is a fair statement. Maybe some people don't think that we do maybe sometimes those people are our inner voices- but is it a terrible thing to want to be healthy? Ask yourself this one question...Are you looking for a life style change or a quick fix?  That is so important when it comes to setting your goals, long term.  I think you all know why... A quick fix can be for the moment.  I mean setting that goal of fitting into a dress for a wedding (yours or someone else's) is great, but when you reach that goal, is that it?  Or do you keep going? What is your next finish line? 

Maybe you have a really great pair of pants that you are dying to get back into...what are you going to do about it?  Well...Get moving, right! 



Today is Monday and a great day to START the road to a NEW you... (Plus, You get me on your journey too, because it is time for me to buckle down!)  The best part is, if you have kids, they are going to want to get moving too! They are excellent motivation and will definitely keep you in check (if they are anything like my own) because they think that moving and grooving is so much fun!

So, do ME a favor today- I promise it won't take much of your time...baby steps here- it's OUR first day of working out, we are taking this seriously, to the extreme and we are going to improve our lives, our selves, the way we look, feel and most of all...live!  Are you ready!  I just need 20 minutes, three times a day- that is all!  That is 1 hour and it is NOT even all at once.  

We are going to start with a quick 20 minute workout in the morning or at lunch time or when you can fit it in, then another quick 20 minute workout later in the day and then another quick 20 minute workout before bed- which is the best because it clears your mind and will help you get a good night sleep as well!

Can you commit to that?  I am here too!  I am going to be doing the same workout, pushing myself to make these workouts happen and sharing the motivation with you each and every day.  We are going to set a small goal for this workout- we are going to go this 20 minute workout three times a day (that 60 minutes total commitment from you) and only for 1 week.  We are going to meet back here on Monday, 10/13 and see where we are at, how we feel and what we should move onto.  Deal?  

I have a Comment Box at the bottom of my page and if you are planning on participating, please fill it out.  Be accountable to me, as I will be to you and I promise we will see results! Share how you feel about the workout. Share how you are eating?  Share your numbers on the scale- I know it is hard, but it is accountability, right!

So, today is DAY #1.  I am standing on the scale at #130.  I am going to start my first 20 at 11:00 a.m. today, followed by another push at 7:00 p.m. and the last push at 10:00 p.m.  I am here with you, pushing you - but don't forget to push me back!

Let's do this!

Ready.  Set.  Go.

Our WORKOUT:

Warm-Up  (do this for 20 seconds/each)
 Jog in Place
Windmills
Cross Toe-touches
Jumping Jacks
Sidebends

Workout  (do three times a day)
10 pushups
20 sit ups
25 squats
20 lunges (10 each leg)
80 Jumping Jacks
60 Second Wall Sit

We got this!  Let's DO IT!

~Kel

Disclaimer:

P.S. I am a Beachbody Coach.  I will be using Shakeology in my plan. Does this mean you have to?  Heck No!  But, to be fair and HONEST, I need to make this known.  This Shako gives me energy and helps me get through my day and my workouts feeling great.  I also want to incorporate some Beachbody programs later in our goal setting.  I just have a hard time pinning down 1 program because I have quite a few and mix and match to how I feel on a particular day.  I will do my best to pick one plan down the road and stick with it for my readers sake!

Feel free to comment, please, and share your experiences, thoughts and ideas!  

They are ALWAYS welcome and encouraged!

Free for all Friday!

I can tell you one thing- after this week I am it is FINALLY Friday!  

I figured that after such a busy, stressful, down right week from HELL, I should share some tips on how I survive my BUSY weeks!

What made my week so BUSY.. Well October 1st of course!  I work from home for a company that builds portals for a part of the medical world.  Well, with government involvement, that is this thing called Meaningful Use where practices need to meet their Meaningful Use requirements by certain deadlines for attestation- well that is where our portal comes in to help them meet. 

So, with October 1st as the big day, that has meant a BIG PUSH with our company. Needless to say, it has been a week of 10+ hour days and a lot of back and forth, customer service and accountability on my own part! And to top it all off, I am 5 months into this job and still trying to find my *groove!

Plus, my little brother moved back to Ohio from California to take on a (Mad) Scientist job in Columbus and came to our neck of the woods for a visit and to take some stuff back to the new home. (including my kitchen table that has been replaced by the huge Island!)

I am trying to juggle, literally- work, kids, Hubby, and work in some time with my Little Bro and his BF, Cliff. It has been wild!  And to top off my stresses, I am on a fitness journey, that I am not so ON yet...and trying to work it into my routine- unfortunately at the end of my day I am SO tired that I crash in the girls beds after story time, so these workouts are getting later and later. (pulled directly from the pages of "Life of a Working Mom", right!) 

We ALL have weeks like this, but there are things that we can all do to help make these kinds of week easier to survive so that we can thrive when these hellish weeks do happen.

8 Tips on How to Survive a Busy Week

1. Sleep.  I know that I just said I was so tired that I was catching the ZZZ's in the girls bed after story time- and that is NO JOKE!  It's hard to get rest when you week is on hyper drive, but being well-rested will help you get a handle on everything that still lies ahead of you.

2. Eat Healthy.  It is kind of common sense, but I know that when I am rushed around, my meal plans get rushed as well! It is no good. It is so important to continue to be healthy so that your body has enough energy to get you through the day. 

3. Exercise.  Yes, I know, let's squeeze this in while my day is already packed full, but moderate exercise will give you more energy, help you feel better about YOU, relieve stresses and help to support your immune system.

4. Give yourself a little Room to Breathe.  You think you can do it all, but when your week is allowing no breathing room, make some!  You need to go easy on yourself and postpone or cut out activities that do not have to get done right now and take that time to let yourself unwind and relax. Maybe you don't make dinner, but simply order out, or you don't fold the laundry tonight so you can read. Those errands will still be there next week, when, hopefully you are less frantic!

5. Ask for help. I have the hardest time with this one! I am learning that it is NOT admitting weakness when I ask for a little extra help. In the end it does ease my mind and cuts the number of things down from my list for the day.

6. Laugh.  Ask yourself how often you laugh?  Find reasons to laugh.  If your in a stressful situation, seek it out.  There are a lot of outlets to help you laugh, TV, things your kids say, something your pets do, YouTube, a joke website. There are tons of reasons to laught but sometimes we just need to be watching for them or we miss them entirely. This is true when we are busy!

7. Learn.  If you are busy because of your own faults, learn from these mistakes and find out what you can do to ensure that this doesn't happen again.  If it is not your own fault, then you need to remember that life happens, don't blame anyone and find peace in knowing that you can cope and make it through, alive!

8. Enjoy.  I think that is the the most important thing to do, try to find something to enjoy in each day- no matter how hectic or crazy it is.  This day will never come again, so try to find the beauty in it, a reason to be grateful!

These are just some of my tips to help me get through my insane weeks.  They don't happen often, but when they do I look back on my simple steps to help me find my way through without taking out my own frustrations on my Hubby or Kids or anyone around me. I find it in myself to stay calm, understand within myself that I am not Super Woman, and that tomorrow is another day and remain hopeful about the simple fact that Friday is almost here!

~KEL

Thankful Thursday....

Thankful Thursday

A reflection of what I am grateful for.

Today, I am thankful for a lot of things in my life.  Yesterday we had our island delivered and although it is not *perfect, it is just what I imaged it to be. I guess that is a two part-er because, due to that island, I am Thankful for my Dad, my Brother, his bf Cliff, my Father-in-law and of course my Hubby. They all helped moved this huge, 10 foot long, heavy island into my kitchen, taking time out of their days to make that happen for me. 

I am thankful for my girls, who continue to grow and shine as each day passes. We are reading every night before bed- individually (I spend time with my 3 year old and time with my 5 year old with just me) and we are really close to unleashing our 5 year old reader, as she is starting to really recognize her sight words in books.  I am so thankful for that because she has wanted to read for such a long time, to see her doing it is amazing!

I am thankful for my English Bulldog, Otis.  He is such a good boy and is so loved by our family. We are lucky to have such a calm, loving dog who is also a great guard dog.

I am thankful for my Mom. She get's her own shout out. We don't always see eye to eye, but her heart is big and I definitely need her in my life. 

I am grateful for my job, which allows me to work at home.  The hours might be long and I feel like I make more mistakes than anything, but I am learning, I take it seriously and I really like being able to be home, so that if my kids need me, I am always here.

I am thankful for this old house we call Gray Gables. It once had the life sucked out of it and was literally gray and we have added color and life and made it new again.  It is because of this house that I feel at my most creative, I feel grateful to have been the ones to own it and although we have a lot of work ahead of us still, I know that one day it will be worth every bit of what we have put into it. 

Life is not simple. There is always something to be thankful for and I hope to remember those things weekly, instead of just when it is the right time to be thankful. 

I am starting a new challenge for myself in regards to fitness and I am grateful to have this opportunity to stay healthy and show my kids what it means to be determined and set goals for yourself and meet those goals. 

I hope you all have some time to reflect on what you are thankful for also. Time is short, I think it is important to remember these little things that can slip past us without another thought!

And of course, I should end by saying that I am thankful for my followers and readers! I am grateful to be able to have my blog to share my feelings and my life, even if no one listens, I think that my kids can look back on this and see what kind of Mom, Wife and Woman that I was while they were growing up!

Thanks ALL!

~Kel