Purpose - Schmurpose!

Purpose – schmurpose! LOL 20 days down and I've spent most of it rather down … but not quite out... due to some of life's unexpected troubles. :( The damages are reversing, healing, returning to normal, slowly. But, as usual, it's not going to stop me from moving toward my goals!

And I am still moving ahead WITH PURPOSE! I am determined that even starting my business month 33% behind (so to speak) will not keep me from building my business!

Same for SPARKnEarthlyBest – no progress to report, but no backsliding either!

On the green front... we are doing LOTS BETTER at eating REAL FOODS! I found a few new blogs to follow in this effort of avoiding processed foods more:

100daysofrealfood.com and foodformyfamily.com and eatingrules.com

If you have any interest at all in eating less processed foods, more organic foods, or more local foods you may find one or all of these very helpful! :)

And with ANDEE365 – Wow! Have we been 'thru the ringer' and then some! It wasn't fun. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. :( However, we have had some extensive family discussions about the things that have happened and the things that could yet happen. These have resulted in a number of things improving around here. But there are still some “issues” to resolve ~ aren't there always such things in large families? LOL So, we move ahead! We go forward WITH PURPOSE! We take stock of where we are at; where we want to go; and which path(s) we want to take to get there.

I do have to say this: In the last 20 days I've talked to a number of locals and met some really nice people! This makes me look forward even more to what's ahead as I seek out more and more of the people of my little town and help them understand what a wonderful thing I have for them with my company! :) There are lots of hard-working folks around here who are barely getting by and really struggling to find that “something” that will help them get to the next check, help them get to feeling better so they can do more to meet their families' needs, and give them hope for a brighter future. Before long they will all know! I can't wait to share what I have with all of them!!!

I close with this:

"Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

~ Steve Jobs (Feb. 24, 1955 – Oct. 5, 2011)

100 Days With A Purpose!

Today, Tuesday, September 20, 2011 marks yet another beginning for me...

and my family! (little do they know – hehehe)

It's the start of a 100 day countdown to a better life – for all of us!

For Andee365 it will become a test to see how much can be accomplished in 100 days! We are all working at ways to gain self-sufficiency; 

to reach that point where there is no need to depend upon others for that which we need. We need to find another house

 – perhaps to buy – 

maybe even out in the country 

where we are more free to adjust our lives to living more on our own

 and less dependent upon what others provide. 

No, we won't move anytime soon – unless we are given a miracle or two. ;-) 

But we will build up our resources, 

cut down our wastes, 

fine tune our wants, 

and – in 100 days – 

find ourselves in a better place in many ways. :)

For All My Earthly Best it's moving forward in becoming GREENER and more completely self-sufficient. This project is ongoing with no foreseeable end as it is my opinion that one can ALWAYS improve upon any given circumstance or situation. But – for 100 days I plan to increase focus on a few matters that will directly impact our environment for the better!

For SPARKnEarthlyBest it's continuing my quest to lose 100 pounds. Yeah, a year has come and gone and I didn't meet that goal. :( I am however 50 pounds lighter – so there is clear and definite progress! Ultimately I will be eating 100% whole foods and absolutely nothing commercially processed or produced. This journey will not really ever end either as all of us, until we can gain perfection, will always have some aspect of our health to improve upon. Given all that – let's just see where we are at in 100 days!

There is a Bible verse that states:

“Whatever you are doing, work at it whole-souled, as to Jehovah, and not to men.” Colossians 3:23 NWT

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters.” Colossians 3:23 NIV

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 NLT

However it is stated, the idea is the same: whatever it is you are doing (so not just things you do that are specifically religious in nature), do that work in the best way and mood possible (give it everything you've got and give it joyfully), just as if you were being asked by God, himself (by the most supreme being in the universe) to get that task done.

As a Bible Student I take this very seriously. 

 I realize that in this regard too, there is always room for improvement. 

 So this next 100 days as I work towards a better life by making specific, 

focused efforts in several areas of life, simultaneously 

I will do so “whole-heartedly” and “gladly” and 

with my best possible efforts 

regardless of the obstacles and challenges 

that are put in front of me!

One of the key factors that will allow me to accomplish these goals begins here: www.andee.ecomomteam.com 

and if you wish to know more on that just 

fill in the “Request Info” form and submit it to me. :)

The next 100 days I am DOING WITH A PURPOSE!

Andee365

Picking Up the Pace

Picking Up The Pace!

but first a few picks from January's visit to the Milwaukee area :)

Lake Michigan on a cold winter's day!

Breaking waves on snowy shores.

Ice "on the Rocks" lol

On the rocks, taking a closer look at the waves

Frozen surf!

This makes me miss the west coast so much!

Now, that's a lot of ice!

Looks like there's a storm brewing too!

Water is so amazing!

I love it!

Calming

Soothing

Cleansing

Definitely something I need more of! ;-)

This is THE WEEK that we get my sister moved out of her apartment and back in with us!

Today we're setting up a loft bed in one room; a twin over full futon bunk bed in another room; and decluttering another room to add in a weight bench.  Once those are all in place we return to our work on the office/craft/sewing area ~ which is getting a major overhaul to accommodate many changes so I can use it daily in my business.

One big difference my new business is bringing for me is greater mobility.  It's not yet anywhere close to full mobility again; but it is beginning to reverse and thus I'm seeing an increase in mobility. That is allowing me to sit at a desk more often now so instead of working from my bed I'm going to be working from a desk again!

There is definitely something good about absorbing more and better nutrition and removing as much toxins from the body and from the environment around you... and it's beginning to show a difference in my life that we all hope will make even better differences in the coming months!!!

:) :) :)

Chocolates

"Life is like a box of chocolates!"

"Families are like fudge;

mostly sweet with a few nuts."

And so it goes here...

Life IS like a box of chocolates - there's a little bit of everything going on inside. Mostly it's good. But now and then you get something you don't like. :-P

Thus the families like fudge quote. :)

We are embarking on yet more changes around here. Not necessarily changes we want.

Still, they are necessary.

Sometimes one must make the best of such changes with the attitude that 'this too shall pass' or that 'this is only temporary' or some other such coping phrase.  

For nearly a year my sister and my niece left us to venture living on their own.  My niece has been back here for several weeks now; and my sister will be moved back in within the month.  Along these same lines; my 25yo daughter is closer to moving out into her own place - possibly in a few months; and my son plans on moving out either in 4 months or 8 months.

In other family news:

My 22yo daughter is graduating from college!

UW-LAX graduation day is May 14, 2011.

My 9yo niece is performing her dance recital!

MeLisa's DanceArt Studios recital day is May 14, 2011.

Assorted graduation (from high school mostly, some from college) parties begin 

MAY 14, 2011

and continue 

May 21, 2011

May 28, 2011

June 4, 2011

June 11, 2011

(This is also the weekend for 

Sparta's Butterfest

www.spartabutterfest.com )

June 18, 2011

(Oh, and also on June 18th -

FAMILY REUNION - my mom's side;

MOST (Mother's of SuperTwins) Family Fun Day

www.mostonline.org ) 

June 25, 2011

And the whole first weekend of July is booked up too!!

My niece should be done with school this year by the 10th of June ~ then she'll be with me all day long until Sep 1st again. 

Busy, Busy, Busy!

There's also work, work, work!

Study; Classes; Teaching; Ministry;

and so on and on and on!

"Life is like a box of chocolates!"

"Families are like fudge;

mostly sweet with a few nuts."

Day 001 - Redo, Restart, Recycle?

Hwy 16 & Hwy 121 - at the start of winter 2010-2011
WELCOME to TOMAH!

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Often heard words around my place.

We strive hard not to waste anything.

We stay very busy - every single day.

I'm not even going to try to catch up!

I last posted about Day 60 - late too!

Now it's well over 60 days past that day!

Sooooooo.......

Today's blog is a REDO, 

a RESTART,

or you can look at it as being

RECYCLED

(as in cycle starting over)

LOL

DAY 001

March 1, 2011

We STILL have snow on the ground!

The groundhog way over in PA says

winter is nearly done,

it won't be long before we see spring;

even WI's own groundhog, Jimmy, agreed!

NOTE: we had blizzard conditions that day!

We began winter ahead of schedule with

2 feet of snow from our 1st blizzard

(and snowfall) of the season.

We continued to get snowed upon

every few days!

The mounds of white stuff grew

all over town.

The plows worked hard to move it all

out of our roadways.

But our mailbox has been all but

buried for weeks

(we've dug out a spot for the mail truck)

(and kept the side with the red flag cleared);

had weeks where we can't see our neighbors

(because the mounds are so high);

and times when the snowfall's so heavy

even the plow's can't get through

for not just hours but whole days!

Yet we held out hope!

We knew spring would eventually come.

We even got hopeful that Phil & Jimmy

were right on cue...

The middle of February

brought mild temps,

melting snow,

glimpses of the lake waters,

puddles and small ponds in the roads

instead of packed snow,

sunshine to warm it all.

We were even seeing 

(after nearly 4 feet of snow disappeared)

bits of green

(yes, GREEN - it was still green when

that first blizzard hit us, way back when)

GRASS!!!!!!

And even tiny, little buds on

assorted trees and bushes!

YUP! It sure seemed like SPRING

WAS JUST AROUND THE BEND!

And then about a week or so ago

we got another blizzard!!!

I've lost count how many this season!

I think everyone has!

Now, amounts vary - a lot! - but...

at my place we measured 15 more inches

from that last blizzard!!!

Whatever was nearly free of snow

is now completely buried again!

:(

The good news is

at least we're staying above zero 

since the groundhogs' 

had their say!

:)