~My Aha! Moment~

For the past couple of months I have been complaining A LOT about my job…my boss…and just working in general. Earlier this week I meet with my manger and asked if it would be possible for me to change my shift from 9am-6pm to 8am-5pm to accommodate my husband’s new work schedule so that I can pick up my children after school. Her answer to me without any consideration or hesitation was NO. She stated that due to the nature of my job and its dual role, they need me here from 9am – 6pm. Now in my opinion leaving an hour early (5 instead of 6) really has no major impact on the company, seeing that everyone I support has left the office by 5 pm anyway. Deep down I knew that she was doing it to be passive aggressive with me…to SHOW me that SHE was the boss over me. Without being confrontational (which was a stretch for me), I thanked her for meeting with me and left. The meeting was over. But let me tell you this…I was HOT!!!!!

The next day, I sent her an email requesting that she at least consider allowing me to temporarily change my shift on Mondays to 8am-5pm until I could find suitable childcare for my children. (Note: I still haven’t gotten a response from her). The nights that followed I told everyone that was willing to listen how evil, mean spirited and spiteful my boss was and how I just didn’t like her. Last night I laid in the bed trying to figure out why working for this company had to be so difficult. My job isn’t hard at all so why was SHE making it so miserable for me to work there?

Then this morning as I sat at my computer working on a report…the answer came to me. God is telling me that my time here is coming to an end.

You see before I started working for this company, I prayed to God asking that he would deliver to me a job that:

• required little to no thinking
• paid a fair wage
• provided medical/dental benefits
• something that was temporary – to help me get over the financial hump we were facing

Well God does answer our prayers because I got exactly what I asked for, and the reason things have been uncomfortable at work is God’s way of telling me that my time is up. It’s time for me to go on and do bigger and better things.

“Okay God…I’m listening.”

So remember be careful what you pray for because God is in the prayer answering business.

and so the journey continues…

The letter

Today letters will be going out to my friends and family telling them about my new project. I'm excited and scared at the same time. I think this is a GREAT idea but then it is MY idea...what if no one else likes it or better yet, what if no one wants to participate????? I guess the ONLY way to find out is to actually hit send...right?

Below is the letter that will be going out:


Greetings Friends and Family:


I hope this email finds you well. I am writing you today to ask for your help. No, I don’t need any money if that is what you’re thinking. :-) What I need from you is some good old advice, a little bit of your time and lots of laughter. You see next year I will be turning 40 and I wanted to enter into this next phase of my life with a bang. So for the next 21 months (that’s from August 2009 to April 2011) I will chronicle my journey to 40 along with my first year as a 40 something woman. I will record this journey on my blog (I will send you the link once I’ve finished setting it up), through video and pictures.


This is purely a personal piece – yes, I’m doing it for fun, however if BRAVO or TLC decides to do a reality show of my journey I am open to discuss. :-)


So now I’m sure you are thinking…


”So Erika, what do you need from me?”


Well I will tell you. I would like to reach out to you, at a time that is convenient with you of course and just pick your brain, maybe take a picture with you or even video tape our time together. Many of you will fall into one of the 5 categories below:


1) Flirting with 40 – you’re like me and are at the end of your 30’s getting ready to cross over into the big 4 0.
2) Finally 40 – Just turned 40 and loving every minute of it.
3) Floating through 40’s and Fabulous – You’re in your 40’s and enjoying all that is coming with it.
4) Flirting with 50 – you are at the end of you’re 40’s and are getting ready cross in the wonderful world of being 50.
5) 50+ and loving every minute of it - no explanation needed right?


From time to time, I would like to call or email you asking you questions about where you are within your 40’s journey. For those who are at the end of your 40’s and getting ready to cross over into your 50’s I want to know what your 40’s meant to you and how it has prepared you for the next phase of your life. I have chosen YOU because YOU are important to me and I value your views and opinion. (Did I do a good job of buttering you up?)


See I’m not asking for much, at least I don’t think I am. :-) So what do you think? Can you help me out?


In the next few weeks, you will receive another email from me the with the link to my blog and along with a few questions, so be on the look out. If you don’t want to participate, it’s no biggie, just let me know and I will not bother you. However I do invite you to check my blog from time to time to see how I’m progressing on this journey.


And so my journey begins…..


Lots of love to you!


Can't wait to see what/if any responses I get.

~I Think I'm in Love...I Think....

Today I while I was practicing the art of procrastination (I should have been working on writing some articles), I decided to visit one of my favorite creative websites Ali Edwards. On Tuesday, she does this Tuesday Tutorial where she will have a guest (sometimes she does them herself) where she will highlight some new techniques/ideas for storytelling, photography, scrapbooking or crafts for recording your life. On this Tuesday she featured Elise Blaha.

After reading the tutorial for Tuesday, I went and visited Elise’s website and I am in LOVE. Elise created a book of 24 things that she wanted to do in celebration of her 24th birthday. I think I’m going to do the same thing! Check out her book, it is way cute. Thanks for the GREAT idea Elise…you’re AWESOME!!!!!!!

I will post pictures of the book when it’s complete.

~The List of 40~

For my 40th birthday (April 27, 2010) I thought I would do something different, something memorable. So I can up with this list of 40 that I hope to accomplish during the next year. The point of the list is to simply have fun; these are NOT resolutions; simply things that I have always wanted to do but for some reason never got around to doing them (for whatever reason).

So without further delay I present to you my list of 40…

THE LIST OF 40

1. Go to a Falcon’s football game
2. Read 40 books
3. Watch 40 movies
4. Take a yoga class
5. Plan a date night with my DH twice a month
6. Take a photography class
7. Travel out of the country (and no Canada doesn’t count)
8. Replace my make-up collection
9. Travel somewhere new within the USA
10. Watch a play
11. Find a good perfume
12. Go to a concert
13. Take the family to New York
14. Take the family to the beach
15. Develop 35% of the photos taken
16. Find a job I absolutely LOVE
17. Plan family night one night a week
18. Re-design my website and blog
19. Take a scrap booking class
20. Decorate my craft room
21. Play more
22. Have more dinner parties or just good old fashion house parties
23. Become a better swimmer. Take a swimming class
24. Document this list (blog, photos, scrapbook)
25. Go on the Oprah show (either as a guest or audience member)
26. Complete a video documentary of this list
27. Learn how to edit video (Vanessa I'll be calling you about this one!) :-)
28. Write a book
29. Teach a class
30. Run a 5k race
31. Learn how to knit/crochet
32. Plan a picnic
33. Learn another language
34. Visit a vineyard
35. Take a cooking class
36. Find the perfect pair of jeans
37. Watch the sun rise and set
38. Go white water rafting
39. Go away to a spa
40. Complete 10 scrapbooks (always good at starting them but never get around to finishing)
    

So that’s the list….

These are just a few (40 can be a few right?) things that I thought would make turning 40 a little more exciting.

Whatcha think????

Why this blog????

Last week a strange thought occurred to me..."I'm going to be 40 next year". Now as you can see there was nothing earth shattering or profound with the thought. It was actually very simplistic and honest. But it was one none the less that made me pause for if only a brief moment. Now that I am at the end of my 30's and fast on the heels of 40 what's next? I mean I've watched enough Oprah to have heard her say from time to time that the 40's are the new 30 and that the 50's are the new 40, but in "real talk" what does that really mean, if anything? Some people say that they feel like they have come into their own when in their 40's but again what does that really mean?

That night I sat in our empty family room with the lights out and mediated on my new discovery. My mind working a mile a minute brought thoughts of goals not yet accomplished, places dreamt of visiting still unvisited, adventures to experience still only thoughts and time spent with loved ones still on the "to do" list. I went to bed exhausted with all of the things I still had left undone.

The next day I was sharing my new revelation with a co-worker and what she said to me was so simple yet it made such a profound impact on how I should look at approaching my 40's. She simply said, "just because you're entering the second phase of your life (turning 40) don't let time limit what you want to do." Basically what she was saying is that there is still time for me to do all the things that I said I wanted to do.

One of the things that I have always wanted to do was to write a book. Now a book about what, well I still haven't figured that out yet. So I thought that the next best thing would be to write a blog, I mean it seems simple enough. Now a blog about what is the question.....

I decided to write a blog about my journey into my 40's, the things that I discover and the people that I meet along the way. Not sure where it's going to take me but I'm sure it's going to be fun! Are you ready?????

and so the journey begins.....