{"id":379550,"date":"2013-07-08T03:33:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-08T03:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/08\/something-old-something-new-something-shiny\/"},"modified":"2013-07-08T03:33:00","modified_gmt":"2013-07-08T03:33:00","slug":"something-old-something-new-something-shiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/08\/something-old-something-new-something-shiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Something Old, Something New, Something…Shiny"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Where to BEGIN?!<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I guess with this.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Warren and I had a week without any fights, without any SUPER H\u2026E\u2026A\u2026V\u2026Y<\/i>\u2026 conversations, a week without Tension.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I think we\u2019re going to be alright, <\/i>I first realized and then said to him, as we chuckled over some random inside joke.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

And I hate to admit this, but guess what?<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t all PMSey<\/i>last week.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Yeah.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

That<\/i>.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Again.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

And IN MY 50S, no less?!<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Well not 50 yet, but soon, as in less than six months.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

The shiny in the title had nothing to do with this, but, yes, my face has been as oily as a thirteen-year-olds.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it wasn\u2019t that long ago that I lamented to Warren, \u201cWhat\u2019s an almost fifty-year-old woman doing with zits on her face?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFeeling youthful,\u201d he replied. <\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Yep, that\u2019s My Man. Never misses a beat.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

He is one of the many personalities that help me remember to laugh and <\/span>to not take myself so bloody seriously all the time<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly, now that I say that for the umpteenth time, I am a little stunned by it.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

You see, in many ways, I\u2019m like a little kid who chases butterflies and stops to study bugs she finds in the middle of the road\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
and who not only wants to know everything there is about life, she\u2019s excited<\/i><\/b> by almost everything she sees.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
She witnesses so many things with fresh eyes, as if it\u2019s all shiny and new, and she\u2019s like, Show me more Beauty and Wonder, World. Show me more<\/i>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Like this dragonfly that mesmerized me when I accompanied Big Guy fishing the other day.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
I could hardly contain my excitement as I positioned myself closer and closer and closer and it didn\u2019t fly away!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It became even more glorious with each transition.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Look at those spindly legs and the complexity of its body and the transparency of its wings that are absorbing all that light!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
And can you believe that my itty bitty iPhone camera picked up the mildew looking stuff on that blade of grass?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Life is that way, too, isn\u2019t it Journeyers?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
When we pause to hone in on the detail, we see it all, the good, the bad, and the indifferent\u2026the shimmery and the dull\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
That\u2019s how my mind works, people.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
All. The. Time.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
I\u2019m just so intrigued and curious and I always want to know more.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I see headlines like the two I spotted earlier this week, just as I was clicking to sign off, because I had to be somewhere, and it took nearly every ounce of energy not to click on this link.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Archaeologists uncover ancient skeletons<\/span><\/a> says this to me: Come, Annah, look, people are here; really, really old people who lived a way of life <\/i>you can\u2019t begin to imagine. So you <\/i>must come. You have to try to figure out how they lived and interacted and survived death and disease and beauty and babies without hospitals and <\/i>epidurals and amoxicillin and modern day morticians<\/i>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Today I did a search for the article, so I could use the link. I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s the same one I saw, but I HAVE to come back to read it later! Did you click it? Did you see those beautiful bones? How they\u2019ve survived\u2026how many years? I am dying to know more.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
And even though I didn\u2019t take the time to read it the first day I saw it, I couldn\u2019t resist the <\/span>Mom creates product for women everywhere<\/span><\/a> temptation.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span>And now I can feel even less guilty when I buy a so-worth-the-absurd-price-because-it\u2019s-ten-times-more-comfortable-and-so much-sexier-than-the-ordinary-brand Victoria Secret bra.<\/span><\/span>\ufeff<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Not only was I captivated that she\u2019d designed something to protect our coveted lingerie, I was so relieved she hadn\u2019t patented the venison burger spice mix I spent three years developing in my kitchen, the one that makes my guests go ooohhh<\/i> and ahhhh<\/i> and \u201cThis is the best burger I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
And their drool makes me go, oooh, I want to create a label and package it and sell it and make enough money that I won\u2019t have to work for insurance benefits and then I can spend the rest of my days learning and meeting new people and writing and growing<\/i>\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
And then my little brain starts churning and I think, Now<\/i> how can I make that happen?<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
This is why I\u2019m five minutes late.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Everywhere I go.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I guess we all should be thankful it\u2019s only five minutes.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Okay. Sometimes ten.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Sheesh<\/i>, no wonder I fall into bed at the end of the day and proceed to sleep like the dead.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Which brings me back to more of the things that brought me Joy and Excitement this past week.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I have this 110# Husky-Malamute lap dog that I use as an excuse to get out of the house, away from my computer, and to take in some much-needed fresh air and exercise.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
If you could use a little luck in your life or simply want to see his adorableness, <\/span>click here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
A dog that big doesn\u2019t fit into my economy-sized car very well, so we usually head out on our country road.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
In the blazing heat of summer, this is where we often end up, so he can lap up the water and I can experience this Moment.<\/span><\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
<\/a> <\/div>\n
.<\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
On one of these recent scorching days, he wanted to swim, so I made my way over to the ledge in order to get him into the deepest part of the pool.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Look what I saw as I teetered my way across those tiny rock ledges!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I cursed myself for the one time I left home without my camera and told myself I\u2019d be back.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
This morning, as I scanned through the week\u2019s photos, I remembered the Moment I had forgotten all about\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
It\u2019s so easy to overlook those fleeting feelings that are Contentment and Peace and Joy, isn\u2019t it Journeyers?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
And, honestly, I\u2019d much rather these events reverberate within me as opposed to the disagreeable ones\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
That\u2019s why I come back here each and every week, to remind myself that just as the proverbial Shit happens, so, too, does Happy.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
I hunted quite a while for this tiny fossil and was about to give up my search when it jumped right onto my patch.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Thank you Serendipity.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span>Thank you Universe for reflections that inspire and fish that feed our souls and our bodies.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Sometimes I <\/span>wonder if this Curiosity and Exuberance could be Adult ADD<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Our friend that coined the Squirrel comment also says this when one of life\u2019s Moments catches my attention and carries me away: Ooohhhh, shiny<\/i>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
As I returned from the waterfall this morning, and I thought about the title for this piece, the rest of that marital tradition came to mind: Something borrowed, something blue.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
It occurred to me that maybe Warren and I have been asking the wrong question in all of our angst.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Instead of asking Can I keep doing this?<\/i>, maybe we should be asking, Would I marry this person all over again?<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Because the latter takes us away from the disagreeable and moves us toward those Happy Moments that we might have forgotten when Life got in the way.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
It shifts the focus to <\/span>the roots that are the foundation for Our Tree of Life<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/span>And now, as I wrap this up, the thought of renewing our vows and that something blue<\/i>reminds me of my engagement ring.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Some time after Warren proposed, he apologized for the smallness of the diamond and then he told me this.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
\u201cSo many of my married friends are already divorced and I wanted a ring that symbolized something different than the many marriages out there. I chose the blue diamond because it reminds me of your eyes.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
That there\u2019s worth its weight in gold, Baby\u2026<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
How about you? What Moments inspired you this week? Made you smile or brought you a sense of peace or fulfillment? Pay homage to them, join the movement and share them here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/o:p><\/div>\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
Soon\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
\ufeff<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/span> <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where to BEGIN?! I guess with this. Warren and I had a week without any fights, without any SUPER H\u2026E\u2026A\u2026V\u2026Y\u2026 conversations, a week without Tension. I think we\u2019re going to be alright, I first realized and then said to him, as we chuckled over some random inside joke. And I hate to admit this, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[316,317,162,106,56,924,320,223,1050,1051,1004],"class_list":["post-379550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-happyhappens","tag-finding-happiness-in-your-day","tag-happiness-happens","tag-joy","tag-marriage","tag-peace","tag-random-happiness","tag-relationships","tag-something-old-something-new","tag-tranquility","tag-wedding-vows"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Butterfly-in-road.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.annahelizabeth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}