Tag: makeitcount

family

Catch

2chicksandapen

Today I played catch.

A baseball.

A glove.

An adult man child.

I could have said no.

I could have made up an excuse why I shouldn’t.

I could have missed out.

Instead I chose to seize the moment.

I haven’t played catch since about 2020 with this guy because it’s probably not super cool to catch a baseball with your madre all the time, but today it seemed just right. A little quality time. A little walk down memory lane. A little reminder I still can toss a strike and catch a bounce pass on a whim. I might have been surprised to know I still have my grip strength to squeeze that glove tight. Hug the ball with my hand through the leather glove.

This little break from the ordinary was fun while it lasted. A short spurt but a memory for the bank that hit the spot. I was all smiles when he tossed me the glove to go outside and I was all smiles while I participated. I might have still been in my tennis skirt from earlier but I wasn’t complaining that my outfit didn’t match the sport. As I reflect I think back to the t-ball days.  The cute baseball pants that were almost always too big. The travel ball days full of Big League Chew and batting gloves. The hours at the baseball field on tournament days. The tournament t-shirts. The decorative helmets to signify badassery at the plate. The all-star games. The politics of kids in sports. The snack bars. The nights under the lights. The younger kids in tow. All of it.

Today it was just mom and the big boy. No Big League Chew. No umpires. Just the man child and his momma. Tossing in the yard. Some fast pitches to check if we still got it. We did. Some fly balls into the sun. We handled the glare just fine. The dogs chasing the ball with full speed with each pass until they became completely wore out and panted as if they hadn’t seen water in days.

I will cherish this day in my yard. Playing catch. I will hear the sounds of the ball hitting the glove in my mind for years to come. I will recall the dogs’ zest to catch each toss and chase that ensued. Back and forth they went. I’ll remember the smile I had on my face. The warmth in my chest.

Unexpected fun in the sun.

Never say no to these rare opportunities. Your chance to catch life without really giving too much of yourself. Time is a thief most days but today time was graceful.

Just glad I played catch today.

adventure, celebrations

2-23-23

2chicksandapen

Earlier I wrote about 2-2-23. A sequence of twos. Today I see a 2 and the set of 23s. Another oddity of numbers but significant numbers to me. So yet again I will write a numbers post or maybe it’s a date post or maybe it’s just a post about me in some way.

51 years ago I was born. Thus I will celebrate me today. All day. As if I hadn’t already celebrated myself all month. Nonetheless today is about me. I guess I’ll take you old school and write about just me.

Favorite food: pizza, most days

Favorite tv show: 1923 at the moment

Bucket list trip: Montana

Favorite season: spring 

Best adventure: Sand Dunes Oregon coast 

Best trip as a kid; Europe 

Current book: Spare 

Last movie at theatre: Avatar

Fun fact: I am fanatical about shoes

I already had my cake this week before my actual big day. A few nibbles each day. Carvel ice cream cake was the annual cake of choice. Nice steak dinner out for two. A fam bam dinner with the kiddos at a local hibachi place. A cool pen gift set complete with a journal to write all my secrets in. Some flashy workout tanks. A sweatshirt made by a friend. Some scents from the youngest. All around lots of cool treats and maybe a little neon signage too. Who doesn’t like a little neon in their life. 

I share my special day with three of my neighbors from a few years back which is odd but a cool footnote. I share the date with a friend’s son and this this I found out I share it with a distant acquaintance. Pisces girls and boys united by the special date. Different years. Different cities. Different stories. Still a common denominator.

And of course there was a birthday bash. A girls day at the spa. I was all in for that. Then a swanky pizza joint. Added a few more pals to mix and hit the graffiti paint place for a little art session. And if that wasn’t enough we were going to get a flight of tasty slushy drinks. The over 21 kind, but we were a little tired and called for a rain check on the last part. Don’t worry we will get to it soon.

I ate good.

I got spoiled.

I got my free Starbucks.

I had lobsta for lunch.

I read many amazing texts.

I enjoyed my all the Insta birthday stories.

I read a few cards.

I appreciated the phone calls.

I may or may not be a little wiser.

I had fun with many special people.

I even volunteered on my birthday. 

All the communication makes my cup overflow with positivity. I proudly sported my aging slogan on my chest this year. See photo proof below. That may or may not have let strangers know I was celebrating me today.

The month is not all over yet but I am now 51. In my old age I must move on to conquer other things and say goodbye to the year of 50. It’s been fun. It’s been challenging. It’s been memorable. My 2nd half of life has officially begun.

Where will I go?

What will I do?

Who will be along for the ride?

Stay tuned….

adventure

24 Hours

2chicksandapen

There are 24 hours in a day. We all get to use those 24 hours as we wish. Or depending on your age you may have some limitations.

What can you do in 24? How much fun can you pack into those hours? How much could you complete of anything? How much stress would you have? How much food? How much heartache? How many memories?

Each 24 hours is different for sure. Sometimes when I put my head down to rest at night I think did I really just do all that in 24 hours? Sometimes I even surprise myself. That’s the beauty of my life. Every day is a challenge. It’s up to me to overcome obstacles and make strides. Then rise again for the next 24 hour episode.

The current 24 hours is road tripping, rest, work, eat, plan, tennis, parent, grocery shopping, and a bunch of other mundane tasks. Some I like more than others but I’m going to add my twists and personal touches to the day to make it exciting. I will also have some first-time memories tucked in the hours.

My last 24 hours were memorable. Time with the mini. Time with friends. New sights. New adventures. New places to eat. So many memories. What I reflect on is that I changed my normal. I changed my scenery. I let go of the have tos and did the want tos.

I’m looking ahead to a week of work and have tos and saying I’m going to get all this done and more because at the end of the week I have a new 24-hour time with a different group of people. A different destination. A different kind of adventure. I already know there will be memories made. I already know it will be fun or I wouldn’t have said yes. 

As I look back to think about 24 hours the week before I can truly say I had yet another experience in a different location with different people doing different activities and being equally happy. There is a common theme surfacing.

Take 24 hours a week and make them momentous. Change the scenery some way some how. Engage in activities that are fresh and new or repackaged for a different outcome. Visit with others. Some may have you giggle one way while others make your belly hurt you laugh so hard.

Take the walk with a friend. Whisper to your confidant. Jot down the memories in a journal. Smile a lot. Tell somebody how much they are valued and/or loved. Cherish the memories today as they may not be available tomorrow.

Life is precious. Time matters. You are important. Living my best life while avoiding anything and everything (including people) who want to snatch the life out of you. My 24 hours of happy time has no room for sour attitudes.