Feb Moon Entry

The Art of Keeping Your Friendships Alive

Timeless sayings; “When things calm down, let’s do lunch” or “We are so busy, we don’t have time for anything!”

We have time for whatever we want to have time for. Those lunches with friends or family barbeques we talk up with one another, don’t happen as much as we all would like or need. Communication, support and plain old friendship in the everyday are lacking in our hustle bustle lives. How do we make this work with different schedules and family routines? I think the answer lies in adding the people you really want around you, into your daily life. Figuring out how to do life with them.

This is natural and easy with family members. I don’t worry about my guest bathroom (or in my case the kid/guest bathroom) when my sister stops by. But, my sister doesn’t stop by, because she doesn’t live here. The anxiety over a clean house and perfect appetizers make including other people in our lives a bit tricky.

Because many of us out here on the island live away from close relatives, the need for friendship is vital to our wellbeing. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that on Wednesdays your favorite friends were coming over with food, no matter what? Or, that Fridays are always cookout nights with neighbors. Once we get over “My house needs to look a certain way and my schedule needs to be totally cleared in order to have guests for dinner”, life will get a lot more fun.

Don’t let the carpool line be the only time you see your friends! Embrace sharing a meal with another family. Let the kids destroy the bedrooms while the adults laugh. When all is said and done, the reprieve each person receives from relaxing and being with others is priceless.

Life on the island lends itself to sharing life with one another because we are all a hop, skip and maybe a bike ride away from one another. Therefore, don’t get stuck every night within the walls of your house in front of your television. Eat together, share; let others into your every day.

More than a Guys Fishing Trip or a Girls Shopping Weekend, it would be therapeutic for us all to witness other peoples’ messy kitchens and unsparkly bathrooms and share a meal. Instead of saying, “It’s been so crazy; when everything settles down we need to catch up.” How about, “Life is sure crazy, can’t wait to see you Tuesday and hang out with your family!”

Keep on Keeping on, the Beauty is in the Simple Every Day…

Sunny C. Reed

Sept Moon entry

Fear:

I have many fears, well as of last week, I had many fears. Today marks one week of me being fearless. I realized fear was the ultimate factor in everything iI was not accomplishing or doing poorly. So while sitting in church last Sunday I decided that I was not going to be afraid of ANYTHING anymore. A lofty proclamation, huh? It might have been more logical to say, " I won't let my fears rule over me." or, " I will acknowledge the fear, and then let it go." Honestly, neither of those nice sayings have worked for me so I must eliminate the word all together.

I believe most of of my fears and yours to, are a little irrational and silly. But I had held on to these so firmly that they had become a big part of who I was everyday. Here are a few, or maybe more than a few, of my “small” fears. Perhaps you can relate to a few.

1. I fear driving in storms

2. I am scared of getting lost so at all cost I will enlist a friend or any helpless body that is near, when I am forced to find a new place, and most of the time I will ask them to drive.

3. I don't write consistently because I fear no one really wants to hear my take on life. What can I say that hasn't been said before?

4. I am scared of rats.

5. I fear thick fog and will not drive over the bridge until it has burned off.

6. I am scared of dogs that are not mine.They might bite my hand off.

7. I fear my cooking is on the lame side , so I never veer from the recipe , making it all that much more lame.

8. I am scared of re-decorating, because I might hate it and would have spent all that money on stuff that is ugly.

9. I fear painting because that's my husband's job. Why would I want to do something I know I'm gonna stink at? I can barely make a stick figure for goodness sake!

10. I am scared of elevators. While in NYC I puffed up 13 flights of stairs in heels for 3 days.

One can see how freeing it would be to get rid of all these and actually be able to move around like a normal person!

1. So that is just a few of my " I don'ts”, based on my fears. Then there are the biggies; The fear of someone breaking in my house while I'm asleep. The fear of my airplane getting hijacked, or crashing. My fear that I will be traveling with my children at night, and have a flat tire in the middle of nowhere and some lunatic might stop and bust open my window and drag me away from my children and do who's knows with me. ( this is biggie for me .... was a biggie)Or the biggest , my kids could be kidnapped.

Some of these are healthy, some normal, but a lot of them had way too much control. A lot of small fears ,come from bad experiences, and you swear you will never put yourself through that again. For me, the fog fear and elevator fear and getting lost fear were all results of bizarre instances that I turned into truth.

So upon returning home on Sunday I immediately put my girls bunk beds on Craig's List. The bunk beds were a road block I had put up so I didn't have to paint their room. “When we get them sold, I'll have room to paint” but I never did it and here a year later I was still telling them “maybe next week.” The bunks sold in 1 day and I was on the road to re-decorating and painting my girls' room. My oldest inquired about my new found energy and I told her proudly, " I'm not afraid of anything anymore and I'm not afraid that I will make your room look bad." She had a funny smirk and said " Really?" " Really” I said. “You are looking at one Fearless Mama!" She laughed a,"We"ll see" chuckle. At that moment I realized how crucial this new resolution was. My fears used to be funny to me, good for conversation and made people laugh. Despite them, I'm a pretty strong girl. For example I had all 3 of my children ALL natural.. no drugs. It was not easy but nothing about that truly frightened me. So why do I hang on to the silly stuff? My fears were not funny anymore and I certainly didn't want my daughter to be held back by such nonsense. So I told her, " I wouldn't be scared if we broke down in the middle of the night on the side of the road and a big truck pulled over to help us." She did not believe me, but I could tell she thought I believed myself. "Progress" I thought. And, as I played out the situation in my head I really felt differently. Of course I would be cautious and smart but not scared. Nope, no more of that.

So until next time, I will fight off the dragons that seek to keep me immobile and maybe be able to tell a few funny stories of my victories! ( or maybe I will tell of my hand getting bit off )

Great Pics from March

Reed Boys


!

STUD

My Niece Gracie and Race

For my Dad

Late night basket ball in our p.js is a favorite memory I like to pull up when I’m thinking about my Dad. The reason I could win an essay contest on why I have the Best Dad is because he always seemed to make my “things” his “things.” In return, I soaked up everything he was interested in. Like every father, my Dad is not perfect. His way of showing me love ( being interested in me) made that imperfect part more bearable as a child. Also my Dad made certain I knew a couple of things and he reinterated them frequently. 1. I could always call him if I needed help and he would come. 2. He would always be on my side, he believed in me.

My Dad hung out with me, talked with my friends, looked the boys I dated in the eye and made sure to talk with them.(sometimes privately). I didn’t have a simple curfew. No way! The time I had to be home was the time the event I was attending was over. This did not leave any room for “ just hanging out” with boys. That was only allowed in my living room with the rest of my family in attendance. Also, he was always waiting for me when I returned at night. No slipping inside quick to my room. I had to greet the man I loved and respected most, at the door after every date. This consistency effected my behavior with boys tremendously.

The key ingredient in my relationship with my Dad, even today, is deeper than communication. Bottom line..... he likes me and he has shown that since I was a little girl.

My purpose in sharing my own Father with you is in hopes that you will remember how your own Dad or other male influence in your life has invested in you. Fathers have a huge job and frankly I get down right mad when I see or hear the role of a father being undermined. T.V. rarely holds “the man of the house” in high respect, but rather portrays him incapable and foolish. The role to lead a family strongly is of upmost importance for the health of our society. It would be amazing to watch the outcome if wives and children began to really honor the men in their house. Building the men up in our life will only make them stronger. And who in the world doesn’t want a strong man on their side?

My latest article in the Island Moon ( island newspaper)

Celebrating Us

A Bad Start
“Oow ” I blurt out, as tears seep out uncontrollably. We were in the very beginning seconds of our Carribean get away/ 10 year anniversary trip , and I have whacked my head while not quite ducking into our taxi. Ugh, gosh that really hurt I stammer as I try to will the fog out of my head. My husband squeezes my hand and looks at me pitifully. You see the head whacking thing is a constant in our travels. To be honest it’s a constant no matter where we are, just a bit more memorable and inconvenient while traveling. So, I get through the blur of our taxi ride through the mountains of Roatan, quite perturbed that my head is screwing up my ability to relish all this new scenery. We find our cozy cabana which is the closest one to the beach (Yay ) and get ready to take in the bluest of blue ocean I have ever seen. Well, to make a long evening short, I had to take a nap to sleep off the pain and still felt discombobulated until the next morning. After that long nap I realized I had: 1. Forgotten my favorite swimsuit, and 2. Left my makeup in some unnamed spot , leaving me foggy headed , plain faced and clad in my second choice swimsuit- which after I put it on should have been my, “never purchased” suit. This trip was clearly not supposed to revolve around me and my desire to look great. Changing this focus gave way to 3 days of surprises and more fun than Lonely Planet could guide me through.
It Got Better
We ate barefoot at local restaurants, snorkeled a little, strolled markets, and my favorite, took a scooter for a whole day discovering the entire island of Roatan. We rode from isolated mountains to small neighborhoods with narrow streets. This place was amazing. The people were going about their daily lives , working, playing, keeping house. It was most definitely less developed world looking except I was impressed with how clean it was. Small humble homes scattered the coastline with dignity. Little girls played on porches braiding each others hair and reading magazines. Women did laundry, rocked babies and swam in the ocean with toddlers. It was very serene, very tranquil. The guys at the scooter rental advised us to stay out of the neighborhoods and keep to the beaches. He told us about various bars that served great drinks. Well we had already seen a lot of beach and I knew as soon as the guy said “ don’t go that way” my husband would no doubt go THAT way. It was great. At one point we were at the top of a mountain and could see the ocean on both sides. My husband pulls out 2 local brews that he has kept cold with frozen water bottles in his back pack. Much better than a watered down Margarita at a bar. Private view, with a local drink and my favorite person in the world.

You Feel what You Focus on


I had decidedly switched my focus to my husband. After all, the purpose of the trip was to celebrate us. What we both like to do best is go somewhere and embrace it. We both highly dislike going to a different culture and being bombarded with American food and music. My husband has the gift of fitting in really well in foreign places, esp Latin ones because he can speak Spanish. It was freeing to embrace him and his ways. While dating I thought every single thing he did was magnificent. When we traveled, I was star struck at how he walked to his own beat. It always ended up more fun and adventurous. Besides the fact that he could speak language he also has his first degree in Aquatic biology and a deep love for botany. So I had a personal tour guide both in the mountains and in the water. Over the last 10 years, work, kids and home life being our focus I haven’t had much time to goggle at his knowledge of the coral reef or relish in our love for new places.
Reminders of our Roots
As we sat on our balcony eating fresh avocado and sweet cream in corn tortillas flavored with fresh limes I remembered who WE were. This was us. We had taken a water taxi to a local supermarket to pick up some essential items and come back at sunset. No weird tour with strangers. Just us on a small boat coming back with groceries. Bliss. I watched my husband’s blue eyes sparkle as he took in the ocean. As he described the wind movement on the water and patterns it made I thought back to a time we were in Africa, just engaged, at a local supermarket. We were sitting on the steps waiting for a ride, drinking a soda. I will always remember seeing my husbands eyes sparkle as he went on about Zimbabwe agriculture. He was highly excited to be where he was. He saw things in this new place I could not see. I felt uncomfortable, hot, and a little scared. He was invigorated with a new place. I tried to embrace his attitude. In Africa it was much more difficult for me, but I remember trying desperately because I saw the value in his attitude and I wanted him to be glad I was his future partner for life, not let down. Back to this trip- On the balcony, I realized how easy it was to embrace this attitude, it was the Carribean for goodness sake. I was overcome with joy that right then we were both totally happy to be together in this beautiful place, and we lacked for nothing. Truly a gift. The gift of who we STILL are.

may things

May has been very celebratory. Birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. Mothers day was a blast having my family down here to celebrate and have a 20th B-day party for Meg. Our newest addition , Gracie,( Whitney's baby) loved the beach!. Claire graduated Pre-school and we celebrated our 9th anniversary. Claire was very serious and adorable. She told me "No Pictures until it's over" but Kirby sneeked this one anyway.
Kirby and I enjoyed an awesome weekend in downtown Austin, while family cared for the kids. While in Austin the kids caught a baby turtle by the new waterfalls downtown. Gwen had a publishing party in her class to close out the school year. She and friend Abbey, wrote and illustrated a book that they read out loud to the parents. She was great of course and her story was so good, I was a proud mama.

I can feed pets and people but not WILD PIGS

Generally I enjoy feeding people, hosting, making my home comfortable for others. I have even taken a liking to feeding the cat ( mostly because it's the same thing 3x a day and he still gets excited) but the hostess didn't stay at her mostess when Kirby brought home a wild baby pig.
First I thought it was gonna be pink and tiny. So it isn't either one of those but I will admit it is cute. And it has taken a liking to the turtle which is pretty hilarious.
Nevertheless, it is a PIG and wants to eat ALL THE TIME! I don't like this feeling and I can tell he isn't into a lot of fruit and veggies which is a lot of what I got, so we just kinda stare at each other when I throw the stuff out there. In the pic he is eating Cat food which is the other option for him. I am kinda scared of him to. He likes to charge you when you feed him, so for someone who is even scared of dogs sometimes this freaks me out.
So I know they get Gigantic and the plan wasn't to keep him very long, but............I can tell Kirby loves him. OF course. However my love for Kirb couldn't override my feeling of discontent to see a pig eating my new and very expensive grass. Kirby has agreed to make a hole in the fence so he can leave but also come back if he likes. Hmmmmmm................
Like my girlfriend Mariah said, "Kirby brings adventure to you Sunny, you never even have to leave your house for it!" I did kinda sign up for this when I said I do, I guess.

Later 08' we're off to new adventures in 09'

Spending a piece of New Years day at the beach is imperative for our family. This year the kids sported their new scooters and raced along the seawall. Well Race hardly races at all on his scooter but at least he can scoot it.

Lots of travels over the break. My sis had her baby, (pics to come) and now I am the proud Aunt of baby Gracie Lane Cannon. Gracie decided she wanted out before Christmas so she could cash in on the gifts and give Mommy Whitney a sigh of relief. She came 10 days early! Whitney and Jason on doing great , and adjusting to sleep deprivation. Whit says " I read all the books but nothing prepared me for this!" HA! She is right.
Looking forward to January, not a lot on the schedule which is terrific. My New Years Resolutions are as follows:
1. Read through the bible this year. ( using the Bible in a Year )
2. Write for our local Newspaper regularly ( have been asked to write for the kids school )
3. Routinely practice Spanish as to feel comfortable speaking it on vacation in May
4. Read minimum 12 books
5. Continue and get better about praying 3x a day
6. Lift more weights and keep within my ideal weight range the whole year( key word being RANGE)
7. Keep in better communication with sisters and Mom through out each week
8. Learn a good rhythm for cooking dinner and recipes my family enjoys
9. Submit at least 3 pieces to various Magazines for publishing
10.Be a more romantic wife

I'm only Blogging this so you people will ask me how I'm doing and so I have a reference. I realize 10 resolutions is kinda steep but these are all things I struggled with in 08 and I would at least like to attempt to get better at them. Perfection however is not the goal. Speaking of perfection I will leave you with these 3 perfect faces.
Happy New Year!