There are several things I am loving about being a part of Jen Hatmaker’s For the Love Launch Team, but one of the best things has been the authentic community among the 496 women and 4 men on the team. I could go on and on, but that’s an entirely different blog post. Today, I’m joining some of my new friends in a Friday Favorite link-up, hosted by Kelly over at Mrs. Disciple. The nudge to write is so needed; my voice has been really empty for too long, and I’m thankful for this little exercise in writing. Thanks Kelly for the inspiration!

Summer tickles my senses in so many ways…

See    This morning, as I was watering my garden {love, love, LOVE my garden, even though it means more work}, I was crushing on my hibiscus. The biggest, most ridiculous blooms of hot coral pink against deep green leaves with these crazy, hairy stamens that are pure Seussian inspired! I could stare at them all day, and I should, because tomorrow… poof! Gone. I can’t get over the effort that goes into making these blooms only to wither and die by the next morning.

Hear    We don’t live in the country, but we are blessed with a wooded easement behind our house {more on that later} with a generous supply of big, mature trees in between our large lots. Even though we’re within walking distance of Starbucks, Krogers, Home Depot and more restaurants than I can count, we’re blessed with all types of wildlife. Listening to our little feathered fledglings is a hoot! {sorry, I couldn’t resist.} Bluebirds in one house, Wrens in another and tiny Chickadees in a birdhouse that hangs in a nearby Dogwood. There must be some crazed activity inside, since that little house literally rocks on its branch. I can only imagine what it sounds like in that house since I can hear them quite clearly inside my house with the windows and doors closed! Mourning doves {we call them Winnebagos with wings… let’s just say they are frequent attendees at our birdseed buffet every morning} to owls. We’ve got music from sun-up to sun down.

Smell    With the woods around us, we get some unwelcome guests, too. I’ve not encountered any snakes per se, but I have come across their discarded skin. I guess I can cohabitate with them so long as they stay out of sight and eat the things they’re supposed to eat and keep the pests at bay. Too bad they don’t tangle with skunks. We’ve had more than our share of unfortunate encounters with these noxious critters. Sadly, our dogs have been on the receiving end of their uncanny ability to hit their target—considering they aim backwards. A direct hit not only causes our dogs to wretch, but their owners, too… and the remedies are really never as effective as people claim. Just last night we had three of the cutest little black and white fuzzballs outside the fence. Fiesty little things… not afraid of our snarling weiner dogs in the least. But why would they when momma {you know, the one with the fantastic ability to hit her target from behind???} is poised and ready with the kill shot. Oy!

Taste   Summer comes with all kinds of produce bounty… but the best are the fruits. Nothing tastes as good as a crisp, ripe cherry. An extra bonus is the fact that my kids won’t eat them {pits}. I don’t beg them to try or change their wicked ways because more for me, yo. A close second is watermelon. Smells as good as it tastes. Mmmmm… almost makes me want to have a picnic.

Feel    I will not complain about the heat, humidity and the accompanying large hair. Will. Not. Because I absolutely loathe the cold and get all dark and twisty from January to mid-March. So even though I could wear oven mitts to hold the steering wheel of my car and melt at 9 am in my garden, I savor every ding-dang dog-day of summer.

So. That’s what’s been tickling my senses. What about you?

A year, y’all. A flippin’ year.

That’s how long it’s been since I thought I had something to say.

And still I struggle with this voice of mine.

{yeah, right, says anyone who knows me. girl can hardly shut the heck up.}

True. The struggle is real.

Fast forward a year, and here I am, one of 500 chosen to read Jen Hatmaker’s newest book, For the Love, due to come out in August of this year.

Pinch me.

I don’t know if you’ve ever read anything by Jen Hatmaker… book, blog, tweet… it doesn’t matter. She speaks truth, usually with great hilarity and after a few short paragraphs, I feel like she really knows me. Like if we bumped into each other at the Target, she’d wave with a big smile, scoot her buggy over to mine and we’d catch up on all of each other’s business. That kind of know. I realize that’s crazy with a side of nuts, but it’s how I feel.

I don’t remember much about the application I filled out to be part of this launch team, but I do remember gushing about how I cyber-stalked Jen for a day on Twitter the day she was speaking at our church. She laughed when she met me later and even looked “happy” to snap a picture of us together. Bless. She was probably scared. I also might have mention how I “get all stabby” when other people refer to Jen as their friend. I mean… she’s MY friend. Back off, girls.

It was not an application of high literary genius.

Much like this blog.

What in this ever-loving-world am I doing on this launch team? I facebook like it’s my flippin’ job, tweet about two times a year and Instagram pictures of my feet. {I know. I’m ashamed just typing this.} Clearly, I have mad social media skills and why wouldn’t they want me on this team? {Perhaps it was fear again… the stalker who gets all stabby…}

But I’m here. A voice for the WFHENMAMMOT {Working From Home Empty-Nested Middle-Aged Married Mother of Two}.

Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.

Or maybe they do. Of the 5000 who applied, these publishers have picked 500 {mostly} women to read Jen’s new book before it launches in August, then blog, facebook, tweet, instagram and shout from the rooftops about how awesome it is {and trust me, it is. I’d like to highlight the entire book!}. These 500 are already some of the most life-affirming, positive, creative, energetic, hilarious people I’ve ever met in 48 hours who absolutely know how to blow up Facebook.

My in-box runneth over.

500 extreme Raving Fans working social media and creating a heavenly buzz about this book. I know I’m not alone when I say that all 5000 of us have probably already pre-ordered at least 5 copies ourselves. Good move, Thomas Nelson. Genius, actually.

So there you go. Thanks, Jen, for helping me dust off my blog. This is going to be fun.

Oh yeah.

That.

Over the past three months, I’ve been embarking on a new adventure. One that requires me stepping out in faith, not listening to my inner “no,” and having the fortitude to press on when the terrain gets tough.

I sort of wish this was me losing a ton of weight and being about ready to run a 5K, but who am I kidding. My feet still swell up like watermelons with little pork sausages for toes…

I wonder if I’ll ever get “back on my feet” or if what I just need is a small dose of get-over-yourself and dig in and do what I can to stay active. The doctor, as well as others who have had a similar surgery have said it takes a year for full recovery… so patience, grasshopper, you have permission to freak out on Oct 1. {I’m pleased to report that since returning from vacation two weeks ago, my feet have returned to a less-frightening degree of swollen, and the dr has declared me “healed.”}

Sorry. Small detour.

I’m back.

So I investigated a business opportunity, found it to be viable {although not without some on-line challenges, but then again, what business isn’t facing some cyber-challenges these days?}, and entered into negotiations.

Hello, people, that is huge for me. In the past, I would have just thought about it, said how great it would be for me, and then procrastinated until someone else came along and did it instead of me.

I kicked procrastination in the ASS, friends!!

Well at least this procrastination. I hardly have the edge on it’s hold on me… who am I kidding??

Apparently I kid a lot.

I have hit a bit of a roadblock… financially speaking. Not sure how I proceed from here…perhaps this is where I need a second round of some ass-kicking, as it would be easy for me to walk away thinking I came, I saw, I tried, but no.

So what to do with this no?

I’m inclined to shrug my shoulders and say it wasn’t that viable of an idea after all, but another part of me says reach for dreams. It’s just that dream-reaching for a semi-arthritic 51-year-old seems scary, and a bit foolish.

So I guess it’s dig-in time. Even though I’m about to hit the motherload of busy. Wedding, new stores {current job} opening, freelance projects, family life.

Pppfhsh…who needs sleep anyways!?

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I have been marinating all this year {so far} on what it looks like to explore. More and more it is looking like my word is morphing in to COURAGE.

For me, it’s just having the courage to move.

An object at rest tends to stay at rest. —Newton

I was always a lousy physics student!

Apparently, still am. But my commitment each day is movement.

Physical movement

{believe me, this should be my commitment!} I’m all for it. But more than being all for it, I actually need to get. up. and. move.

And my dogs. Poor things. They sleep 22 hours a day, and rest the other two. Have to get those slugs out of the house more regularly!

Mental movement

Reading, learning, exploring new things. I’m a lover of words…this is not a huge hurdle for me.

Career movement

I’ve been stagnant way too long. It’s taking a bit of oil, but this ole machine is beginning to move. And I like it. I’m excited for new beginnings. But I’m not on the home stretch yet. There is still much prayer and waiting. Hard, but necessary. Lord… please. I long for something better.

And yoga

I want to explore yoga.

{I’m about to get real REAL, here people.}

But I’m afraid.

Then I saw this Hawaiian woman who’s been doing it and I thought if she can do it, I can too.

Someone brave enough to put it out there and be real.

Maybe I’m about to explore what it looks like to be vulnerable.

Oh. Dear.

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I am so ready to make a change.

So ready to go out there and try new things.

So ready to be done with what I have been doing for over 20 years.

Not because I don’t like it… because it’s my family’s livlihood, and I do love it, but I am just done, personally. My creative juices have done dried up. I find myself procrastinating {hello, blog post} and getting behind and just generally being so paralyzingly uninspired that I get claustrophobic just thinking about work. Life in a vacuum can do that.

There is much that needs to happen before I can make my leap.

Until then, consider me getting in shape.

Preparing for great things.

Getting prayed up.

This isn’t going to happen by magic, after all.