Perhaps silly is a reasonable thing to be.
Three years ago, I asked the following questions:
Where am I?
Technically, I suppose I'm in Ohio, a landlocked state. Metaphorically speaking, however, life sucked me right back out to sea from that shore of early motherhood. Buckaroo Banzai nailed an essential truth: "No matter where you go, there you are." I still have no idea where I am, but I'm here. The water is warm, the waves are rather relaxing at the moment, and the sharks are circling at a distance. I have learned that optimism and faith are extremely good shark repellants, but you just never know when they are going to get closer.
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| Photo from Pinterest |
Who am I?
According to Albus Dumbledore, "It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." If he's right (I strongly suspect he is), we're not easy to define because we make choices right up to the moment of death. We're evolving always, so the answer keeps changing. Life is our very own novel where plot happens and we muddle through as best we can. (So yes, Karen, we will never feel like grown-ups. "Damn," you say? "Double damn," say I.)
Where did all this grey hair come from?
Who cares?
Why do I not have a single stylish outfit in my closet?
I have one now. Just one. The great closet purge helped.
Can I possibly participate in an intelligent conversation on a subject other than toilet training, the mysteries of getting a child to eat vegetables, or how much is too much for extracurricular activities?
Yes. You have no idea how relieved I am about this.
Is Susan Raihala still inside this person named Mommy?
Yes. She's just as confused as ever but rather happy nevertheless.
Part of what makes me so happy is you: your kind support, encouragement, words of wisdom. It seems that whenever I start to feel a bit discouraged or low, one of you sends me an email or leaves a comment that lifts me up. You have no idea the difference your words make, and I hope my words do the same for you.
Time to ice my elbow. Regularly scheduled programming will resume on Monday. In the meantime,
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| Photo from Pinterest |
I plan to.
And of course we need to have a give-away to celebrate three years of questioning. For your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, please answer this question in the comments: What did you do to make today ridiculously amazing? You can't say, "Nothing." If you haven't made the day ridiculously amazing, get your butt moving and just do it, and then share.
Rules: Comments will close on Sunday, July 24, 2011, at midnight eastern time and the winner will be announced on Monday. Only one comment per person. If you read Questioning in email, click on the post title to go to the blog and leave your comment there. You may need to click the Post Comment button several times for your comment to take. The winner will be chosen at random. If I don't hear from the winner within three days of announcing her/his name, I will choose another winner. And so on, and so on, and so on.
i had coffee and i read you! (missed your face)
ReplyDeleteWell, since technically after midnight is still today, I stayed up until about 1 a.m. finishing a lovely book that made me teary - "The Widows of Paradise Bay" by Jill Sooley. As for the rest of today...I want to surprise a dear friend. Here's hoping he cooperates, and then we can both have a ridiculously amazing day :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 3 years, Susan. I love reading everything you share.
I took my oldest to a playdate for the first time. We both had lot of fun and even tried something new: getting into the big pool. This is a big deal as my DS HATES swimming. The life jacket his firend loaned him helped and just made me thankful for the whole thing :)
ReplyDeleteI got out of bed an hour before my kids woke up and spent the time reading a book with my dogs beside me.
ReplyDeleteI Bought some acrylic paints and made my first foray in to art journalling - and it's not that bad ..... for a beginner! And tonight hubby and I are off to the theatre so that's my creative soul fed for the day!
ReplyDeleteKathyk
I've practiced the art of Zentangle...it's relaxing, fun, and amazingly easy....I'm truly amazed at how much fun this has turned out to be. It's also a great stress reliever!
ReplyDeleteLove the qoutes! I'm going to post them in my office today.
ReplyDeleteWhat I did today? What I do almost everyday, make a senior feel special and cared for. On Tuesdays I have a coffee group come in. I decided to serve their coffee on fine china (switching out the set of china every two weeks) with fresh flowers on the table. Now after a month of doing that the ladies (all over 80) would like me to do something different so next month is going to be a white trash theme. Most seniors do not like change of any kind but at my center they look forward to coming in everyday to see what's new. Helps keeps the brain cells from getting old. :)
I met my "walking buddy" at her home and we worked out in her beautiful pool! Too hot here to walk, even a 8 am. We swam for 1 hour and had a terrific morning. So much fun we made a date for tomorrow. Couldn't,probably wouldn't do it without my partner.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, what a great question - you have to promise not to laugh at my answer! My morning became ridiculously amazing when the new puppy actually found the 'right' toilet!!! lol...doesn't take much to make us happy! It's 10:33 in Missouri and I have not yet cleaned up after the pup! Wahoo! So glad that you do write this blog, Susan. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI took my favorite daughter to her favorite place for breakfast-Waffle Hut. Just the two of us. <3
ReplyDeleteMade 2 cards before work-trust me that makes the day EXTRA special!
ReplyDeleteStarted sorting out my stash that I promised to sort out to unblock my creative block. Attacking my personal procrastination is both ridiculous AND Amazing!
ReplyDeleteWell, today is my anniversary and for I've been thinking so much about it that this morning I forgot!!! I was still in bed and my husband gave me a hug and kiss and whisper "Happy Anniversary!!!" Those words made my day.
ReplyDeleteI love to have fun! I stopped and bought Jelly Belly Jelly beans (tropical) and filled a jar. Topped it with a pleasted flower and brad. Circled the lid with ribbon and hung a fun tag (SU which needs to come out with more words for the tiny tag as it is one of my FAVORITES for finishing fun projects...)and will give it to a stamper friends Saturday. Grey hair? Muh....it simply means we are wearing ourselves out having a good time. Always remember, your smile gives others happiness which in turn comes back to you.
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at myself within the first five minutes of being out of bed. Then I laughed out loud at my husband for the same reason. What was so funny? Our individual reactions to four racoons on our back porch.
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping me see the extraordinary in my ordinary day!
Lisa Oliver
www.stampingwithamission.blogspot.com
I went to the fitness center with my husband and we worked with a trainer to come up with a new exercise regime. It took an hour to learn all the machines but we are excited to be doing something NEW! So this was probably the most fun hour we will have. Next time we actually have to DO the program! But perhaps the even more amazing thing was coming home to a meal of baby back barbeque ribs! Shh - don't tell our trainer! Paper Doll!
ReplyDeleteI went to lunch with my daughter and grandsons -- and we shared a fried ice cream. We were celebrating nothing in particular.
ReplyDeleteToday I skateboarded with my husband, then we got ice cream!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 3 year anniversary. I hope your elbow is healing. That is the worst kind of nagging pain.
ReplyDeleteToday was ridiculously amazing, because after Max's therapy, we went to our local root beer stand (drive up) for footlongs, and of course-root beer. We then drove to our favorite local ice cream spot, and got ice cream cones. We then went to Walmart to buy a raft (for me) so that I could float in the little 12' diameter pop up pool in our back yard. It didn't work out that way, because three boys thought it was hilarious to knock me off of my raft. It was, however, ridiculously fun! Max told me I was "awesome". Good times on a crazy, hot day! :0)
I took an extra shower because I had forgotten that I took one yesterday. because of dry skin I am only showering every other day.
ReplyDeletetonight my best daughter-in-law and her grandma are coming over to play in my scrapbook room! is that fun or what! we have been going to "grandma neva's" house on tuesday mornings to make quilts, and on wednesdays i usually have a group over to do scrappy stuff, so grandma neva wanted to come too! yay! it will be amazing, especially since my littlest granddaughter, age 3, likes to play with paper and colors and glue and doodads too! ah, family, they are the best!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 3 year anniversary!! Love reading all your blogs....so funny, so inspiring, so insightful. Hope that elbow heals fast...have been on blog withdrawal! My amazing item for the day is to arrive home after a 2 week vacation....I think 2 weeks living out of a suitcase and traipsing from hotel room to hotel room is a bit long, loved every minute of all the sights we saw, but sooo happy to sleep in my own bed tonight!
ReplyDeleteI woke and ate breakfast with my 2 year old and giggled up a storm... at one point we showed each other our 'cereal' in our mouths which lead to more giggles.
ReplyDeleteLearned a new web design thingy at school. I love learning new techie stuff.
Went to the movies with my 12 year old and saw Mr. Popper's Penguins - Cute! and continued to laugh all day.
Best of all, I spent some time with my bff discussing how to bring "Mosquito Nets for Kenya" into the forefront for our new school year as we are transformed (Romans 12:2)...
and lastly, I finished a book and picked up another (that makes 135+ more to go) (sigh) Books are bff's too! lol
I would love to win the GC... it will help with my co-dependency on books.
Hey Susan! Hope you and the boys are having a great summer. I forgot about your blog, and of all days saw it in my web browser today. Well, something that is "ridiculously amazing" that I did today...I passed my dissertation proposal defense! Ready to start collecting data in 10 days and be called "doctor" in October! It was fate that I saw this today, because for me it is "ridiculousl amazing" that I got that proposal done. Hope George is enjoying the tour de france and not taking away too much TV time from the rest of the family!
ReplyDelete-Trowbridge
I fed my 10 month old granddaughter her bottle and enjoyed every minute of snuggling her! If I would have known how much fun grand babies were I would have had them first!!
ReplyDeleteSpent quality time with my daughter shopping for college stuff!
ReplyDeleteI had an amazing visit with my mom and my granddaughter, who is home from college for summer break. In the mix was an online friend, who is staying here for the week, so we can go to CHA today. Vicki Dutcher and I have been online fiends for over two years, but her visit here is the first time we met in real life. She's from AZ and I am in WI. It seems we have known each other forever! So NICE!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to your blog, Susan!
ReplyDeleteI took my camera and spent 2 hours downtown, taking pictures of old streets, doors, windows, small details that make mosaic of old city
I went for a brisk 4 mile walk and worked up a good sweat. Congratulations on your three year
ReplyDeleteblog anniversary. Take good care of yourself and
your elbow.
It is Thursday, so I will go back to yesterday. I decided to re-read all the Sue Grafton mysteries this summer. I started on A and am now on P. So, the amazing part is this: if you have read any of these mysteries, you that the author strings you along for awhile and then bam! the good part. Well, last night I got to the bam! good part. I finally had to set the book down and turn out the light. Nice way to go to sleep. And, I did not feel like working (accounting) yesterday...so I didn't. Just made one fun card and did some blogging. And, I managed to stay cool. I also watched the butterflies dance around my flowers. They come and visit each afternoon. Happy blog-aversary!
ReplyDeleteIt's Thursday and yesterday was NOT ridiculously amazing, but I hope seeing the last Harry Potter movie will make today ridiculous amazing! If the reviews are correct, then it shall be. After yesterday's dark mood, I could use an amazing day. Oh, and I waited until this morning to read your anniversary post, and as always, you make me smile with your words, so today is definitely looking up. Take care of that arm so I can get back to my daily smile!
ReplyDeleteToday is amazing because I get to fix breakfast for my one and only grandchild and spend the day with him. He lives over 2000 miles away, but he's visiting us for part of the summer - without mom or dad - for the very first time. Just being with him is amazing. He's so full of wonder, innocence and joy - he's adding so much to our lives each and every day he's with us.
ReplyDeleteI had lunch and long catch-up chat with a friend!
ReplyDeleteGot the leak fixed in the kids room . . . no more puddles on the floor. Yay
Now off to cut fresh spinach from the garden.
I started the day by thinking of three things from yesterday for which I am thankful. It gets the day off to an amazingly positive start.
ReplyDeleteI'm leaving on a 9-day cruise this afternoon, so I can't participate in the contest, but wanted to congratulate you on your three-year blog-versary and thank you for all your thoughtful and humorous words.
I miss your card entries sooo much!! Hope you are doing better. Yesterday I spent a lot of time in my craft room stamping. I am amazed how fast the time goes by when I am in there. Love it! (just wish it wasn't such a mess) ;) Thank you for a chance to win a gift card.
ReplyDeleteCan TODAY technically be YESTERDAY since today is barely here? Yesterday, I was about to assemble a card (with carefully prepared elements that took up so much work, time and excitement) and looked over other entries in a challenge (that had over 200 entries)...only to see that someone already had something very similar. ;( SNIFF.
ReplyDeleteSo, I started with a another card entirely that my 10 year old encouraged me and cheered me on as I went along. She then ooooohhhhed and aaaaahhhhed after it was done.
You can't get more ridiculously amazing than that! What a blessing. ;) sigh......
After an okay workout at the gym in the morning, I came home, sat on the floor in my closet and read my book. It was a great way to start my day doing something for me. I ended the day getting supplies ready for some card making this weekend. In between was a full day of work and then talking with the kids.
ReplyDeleteI hope your elbow is getting better.
I fixed lunch for my son to entice him to come early with my granddaughter! that's pretty amazing (both the lunch and getting her early!) Stop by my blog to see just how adorable she is!
ReplyDeleteI love the quote about the danger music. To make today amazing, I'm going to try out a Middle Eastern restaurant in my area. It's my day off, so I slept in and now I feel great. This afternoon I'll have to create some art.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 3-year anniversary! I love reading your blog. Today I am intentionally making today ridiculously amazing because it's starting out kinda tough--pre-op visit to the doc. Then hubby and I will have lunch at an amazing restaurant together, after which I will visit younger daughter's home to help her figure out space for a 'card-making' station in her bedroom. She so wants to start making cards, and I want us to be able to share this fun together! So it will be an amazing day!
ReplyDeleteI read this post yesterday and decide to make my day ridiculously amazing by only doing those things that I wanted to do. I did end up doing some chores because I wanted things to look nice around the house and prepped a big meal because my mother and step-father were coming to dinner. Overall, it was a day similar to everyday. In typing this, I have learned that everyday really is pretty amazing here!
ReplyDeleteI tend to be a somewhat introverted and somewhat controlled (against my deepest wish) by anxiety...One day a really nice lady, Lisa Nickel, who has a store in Arizona that I was ordering from asked me if I was going to Cha in Chicago. I told her no, I didn't have a pass, didn't have anyone to go with etc....and she said, "Well, if you want to meet me and another person there I would be happy to give you one of the extra passes I have." And that offer hung "out there" for several weeks while I worried, and sweated about the drive to Chicago, the traffic, meeting strangers and being with them for a whole day, leaving my kids at home alone etc....all the stuff that stresses me out. And Lisa emailed me and said basically "What did you decide?" and I held my breath and typed back "Thanks so much....I would love to meet you." And I did. yesterday. I got up, made the drive there and back. I live in a town where "traffic jam" means you need to wait for 3 cars and I drove to Chicago, did the toll booths, took wrong exits and got "crowded" out during rush hour from making the right exits. But, then I stopped at gas stations and asked directions (from strangers) and it was okay. And Lisa was great. Her friend and business partner Jill was great. And
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful day. And, this happened yesterday so it really doesn't
follow the "awesome today" requirements but that's okay....I just wanted to share this major achievement with someone. I not only did something that was ridiculously amazing (for me) but I became ridiculously amazing the minute I typed back "yes".
Well I woke up in a funk and sat down to stare at the thistles growing shoulder height in 1/2 of my back yard. After glaring at them for about 10 minutes I saw a shot of yellow zipping through and lighting on one of them. It was a gorgeous yellow finch (maybe a goldfinch?) and he was joined by another. They stayed quite awhile and I have to say it was a ridiculously amazing event - I have never seen one of those birds in my yard before. I can even send you a picture (but not a very good one) :0) I may keep the thistles...
ReplyDeleteLura
I wish I could say there was something ridiculously amazing today, but mostly it was just ridiculously draining! ;)
ReplyDeleteI did want to know if you're on Pintrest? Do you have a page you could link to for me/us? I just *know* you've got some great things there for me to discover!
I visited my mom in the hospital (2 days post-op after bladder cancer surgery), and am now going to visit an older lady from church... Did I mention that it's about 104° outside?
ReplyDeleteToday I'm taking my 85-year-old neighbor --- a recent widower -- out for coffee. I could write a book based on the lessons he's learned from living his long and full life. It is an AMAZING gift that I am privileged to receive! I started taking him out for coffee to get him out of the house, but I soon realized this was an awesome gift he was sharing with me :D
ReplyDeleteMy kids and I rode our bikes to Panera for bagels (and I had coffee.) It was AMAZING to get out before the heat got too oppressive and indulge in one our favorite treats.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for your shared insights even though you are limited to how much you can do. THAT is amazing. I would be depressed not to be able to get away to my happy stamping place. I hope you heal soon.
Before I answer your question, I want to thank you for your essays, gratitude journal entries, and just plain silliness. I love visiting with you and try to stop by every day. I hope that your enforced down time has given you some ease of pain and time to "chill" in the Summer heat.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question...today I joined a few thousand Space Shuttle workers outside the Orbiter Processing Facilities to welcome home Space Shuttle Atlantis and her crew. It was a bittersweet day for us: the exhilaration of completing a wonderfully successful mission and the knowledge that this would be the final of so many "lasts" we've experienced these last couple of years. It's very difficult to say goodbye to so many unbelievably talented people.
Today, my 7 year old daughter finally learned how to ride her bike without training wheels! (With me alternating between running behind her just barely holding on and chewing my nails because I was too scared to watch.) That was "ridiculously amazing."
ReplyDeletefor the past 2 weeks i have been thinking about a coworker who moved across the country with his family to start a new job. how are they doing? how is the job? how are the babies? how does it feel to be so far away from both their families? so today, on my cell phone, was a text from him, saying "hi marty. how are things?" i called him and we had an wonderful visit. that was RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING!!
ReplyDeletecongrats on your wonderful blog. it is such a treat to visit with you most everyday. hope you are healing, feeling better, and enjoying your summer with the fellas.
marty ferraro
I have your blog marked in my favorites. I looked at it first because of your great CAS cards on splitcoaststampers and second because of your Finnish last name.(My last name is Maki.) I love reading your blog. I love your sense of humor. Congrats on Anniversary #3. As for doing something amazing, I spent the morning studying the book of Revelation with some wonderful friends. How blessed am I?
ReplyDeleteI helped my 2-and-a-half year old grandson take his first drink from a garden hose today! He loved it and laughed like crazy when he got soaked doing it... then he asked for another drink! He's amazing!
ReplyDeleteKris in Alaska
forgetmenotdesignsak at yahoo dot com
I'm so glad you sent me over here from your stamping blog, Susan -- what a thought-provoking post. (And I love the Jaws card you found!) as to how I make each day ridiculously amazing... I spend time with my ridiculously amazing husb. (Even after twenty years!)
ReplyDeleteToday I am getting together with a few of my college friends. Even though we are all busy moms or career ladies we get together every other month and share life. It is going to make today ridiculously amazing! Happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteToday will be a lazy day for me....a little baking and then some sewing. Tonight we play couples bridge and that makes my brain work. ...This is a good thing. I love your blog and find it amusing, inspiring and thoughtful. Happy Anniversary
ReplyDeleteGet well soon
Hugs
Pauline H.
To make today RIDICULOUSLY amazing, I woke up early (on a SATURDAY?!), went and took my two youngest sisters (ages 10 and 8--I'm the oldest of nine) to a bicycle rodeo (my husband was in charge), made sinfully delicious cookies (NEW recipe used--mint chocolate chip, yum!), organized ALL of my stamps, cleaned my kitchen, ate dinner with my DH and started looking at my Blogger Dashboard--where I found YOU! I was sooooo happy to see a new card up...which means your arm must be doing well! Huzzah! Hope your day was RIDICULOUSLY amazing!!!!!
ReplyDelete