Summer 2015 ...

It was a long summer for me ... a good one, but a long one!

I was diagnosed with chronic migraines and broke my foot and started a business!

It wasn't the lazy days by the pool, weeks at the beach summer I had wanted, but it was a good one nonetheless.  I learned a lot of valuable things about myself that could only be learned by the 10 weeks of this summer.  I firmly believe that things come to us to teach us lessons.  I wasn't about to look at a chronic migraine diagnosis and six weeks in a cast as anything other than a chance to gleam knowledge.

I learned that if if you can only wear one shoe it doesn't have to be boring.  I also learned that your usual nail salon will give you a pedicure for only one foot ... and they will even paint your toes in a cast for you.  Without even charging you.

I also learned that if you wear cute clothes and add darling jewelry and accessories ... you won't feel so weird in just one shoe.  

And as I mentioned before ... I learned I don't like to be still.  Being busy and keeping busy made me feel successful.  My role as a mother and a stay at home wife keeps me busy but I don't like to have a day without a to do list, unless of course I am on vacation.  There are always things to be done and I want to be one of those who accomplishes things.  I am a worker bee.

My precious friend Natalie told me when I left the neurologist that God was telling me to slow down.  I heard her but it didn't really sink in.  Not the way she wanted it to and definitely not the way it was supposed to sink in to me.  Then I broke my foot a mere week later, and she called me and said now God is saying STOP.

It was time to listen.

And it took a while but I did.  I soaked up time with my family and let my husband cancel his travel and take care of me.  I am very independent and asking for help is not easy for me.  Actually asking for help made me feel weak.  Thinking back maybe it was pride.  It takes a village to raise a family and God places many amazing people in our paths.  They are there to lift us up and carry us along when we need it.  I needed to come face to face with the fact that I needed others.



I played cards and scrabble and caught up on every magazine in print.  I watched hours and hours of Netflix.  I felt lazy for a while and then realized I was healing and needed to get over it.

Don't misunderstand me.  I still did things, lots of things. 

Our weekly sales for The Cellar happened, we had family outings and I still did things around the house.  The pace I kept slowed and I napped when I needed to rest. 

We watched our baby girl compete for a spot in the State meet.  I attended a conference.  I lunched and dined with besties.  We took day trips.  It was hard to get around pain free and I was tired.  But ... I was grateful for every second of it.    

At the beginning of the summer I shared that I had a master to do list that was eating me alive.  It was weighing on me like a ton of bricks and I needed it gone.  I took it out one day, sharpied off all the things I didn't need to be doing, couldn't afford to do and the things I was crazy to even think about tackling.  I was left with five pages of things I knew I would feel tremendous relief when they were done.  Yes, the list was on a small note pad but it was still five pages long.

And I can report a few months later ...

The list is almost complete.  Two small items left and then I/m ready to throw it away.  Do you do that?  Keep a to do list until the last item is crossed off ... or do you just scrap the last item or two?

I learned a lot this summer.  I learned a lot about myself and I learned to be grateful in all things at all times.  It was a good summer ...

A long one, yes ... but a GREAT one!