Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Oh Television...

I cannot be the only one who gets into a show post production. I don’t mean shows from before my time that I’ve grown up watching reruns of like I Love Lucy. Although granted, that is indeed my absolute favorite show – that is not my point. So staying on topic here, I’m talking about shows that were perhaps made just a few years ago or so like Sex and The City. When that show was in a current run on HBO I could have cared less. I never watched an episode, but I was so over it just from the hype the show received. Everywhere I went I found shirts that said “I’m A Carrie” or other various forms of merchandise that related to it. I didn’t get it. So during its original run on television I ignored it. it wasn’t until after Sex and the City was being shown on other networks all cutup and edited that I actually took the time to watch an episode…then another and another. I got so into the show that I now own all six seasons and both movies on DVD. I even got Candace Bunshell’s book the series was based off from.

These days I find myself, yet again getting into a series that is no longer in production. Enter, The L Word. It originally aired on Showtime from 2004 to 2009. Again it was another that only lasted six seasons and again, it was another that I did not watch until catching a cutup edited version on another network. Presently I have the first two seasons on DVD. I finished season one just the other day and have officially begun onto season two. I’ll admit it here and now, I’m hooked. This show has made me laugh, gasp, yell at certain characters and even nearly cry! And that was just my experience with the first season. Already just a few episodes into season two I am cheering on for a certain pairing and still feeling the loss for another. The show has definitely captivated my attention and best believe I shall soon have to be investing in the rest of the seasons!

So tell me, what shows do you like that you could have watched when it was in production, but didn’t get into until after?

--XOXO, Jane

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Thankful Thursday

Shaking off the negative, as it’s time to embrace the positive once again! Oh yes, taking a page from There’s Just OneMommy once again for a ‘Thankful Thursday’ post! Life is full of ups and downs, but it’s important (at least in my opinion) to take the time to remind ourselves of all the little things we have to be grateful for. Now I do swear this week has flown by. I swear it was just yesterday I wasn’t writing about yoga, but my last ‘Thankful Thursday’ post, but that is not going to slow me down from counting my blessings this week.

My friends are what I am thankful for today. Life is not all sunshine and rainbows, so it’s good to have people you can lean on when it all gets cloudy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m blessed in the family department as well, but this week it’s about my friends. My four core friendships that keep me going. They keep me motivated and let me lean on them when I need it. Of course they also know they can lean on me as well. Its equal opportunity friendships with these ladies and I couldn’t feel luckier with them.

Granted we all hit our ups and downs with one another, hello being human, but really if not for my four core friends. I can only hope that others out there have the sort of friendships I do. The kinds you can feel secure in and relax in. The kinds that you can let all your walls fall down when you are with them (be it one or four or more) and just be yourself completely. Embrace your best friend(s) today. Embrace them for all they are and give them a hug!

--XOXO, Jane

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

No Yoga = No Food

Sometimes in life we have to learn the hard way. That was such a case with me today. Prior to doing a yoga session with one of the DVDs I’ve got, I had nothing to eat. It wasn’t that I intentionally starved myself or anything drastic, I simply hadn’t gotten around to it and well… didn’t think eat before yoga. Also, I made the mistake of only drinking a little coffee. You see, as much as I love my coffee I have to admit it’s not always enough to make my body go. However prior to doing yoga today I didn’t think it would be horrible. So with practically nothing in my system, I went on and rolled out my yoga mat. I popped in the DVD and began my yoga workout.

It was strange because while this was only the second time I’ve attempted yoga, I struggled from the beginning. It was not like the first time through at all. About midway through the hour long workout I found myself getting a little dizzy and even nauseated. I actually stopped moved into a “childlike” stretch pose and concentrated on my breathing. I had to move a little bit from that pose and sit up and just really concentrate on breathing for the dizziness and nausea both to pass. When it came close to the ‘cool down’ portion of the yoga session, I slowly began to participate in the moves again, but I was moving at a slightly slower pace.

As you’ve likely gathered here, my lesson of the day was to make sure I am well-nourished before doing yoga. No I don’t plan to eat right before, but I will have more in my system then a spot of coffee!

--XOXO, Jane

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Thankful Thursday

Alright peeps, I am taking a page out of There’s Just One Mommy’s book and linking up on this ‘Thankful Thursday’ theme of things! I love the idea of sharing something to be thankful for. I also want to encourage others to go ahead and do it as well. It’s always good to kick the negative in the butt, by simple kicking back and thinking of something you are truly thankful for in this life. So here we go with my first post for this weekly themed post!

Since I don’t have my hard copy yet or a photo with my passed certificate, I am sharing a non-related photo to what I am thankful for this week. You see, if you’re a long time reader of this blog than you know from previous posts that I have dealt with plenty of troubles on the depression and anxiety front of things. With that, there were plenty of things that I did not achieve and get handled when… they may have been more age appropriate. Included in that is my driver’s license. In my youth I never really learned to drive nor had I ever got my permit. Here I am though, today, a licensed driver!

One year ago today, I would have laughed and not believed for a second I would have come this far. Seriously. So while it may seem silly to some that I am 28 and just now licensed for the first time, I am excited. I also feel accomplished that I got it done. My driving instructor was a true friendly spirit. When he first approached me he greeted me by my first name and I just knew from the vibe, this was going to be ace. Of course I had a few mess ups – hello testing nerves – but overall I did a good job overall and I passed! Though I admit there are things I need to work on, I passed and I was like beaming from ear to ear. I even hugged my instructor… okay I asked him if it would be totally inappropriate if I hugged him and he sort of sideways leaned into it and said I could hug him that way. LOL! What a good sport putting up with my excitement! LOL!

Anyways, I went straight from the testing spot and right on over to the secretary of state. Now I have my paper license until the real deal arrives in the mail to me. I am excited and I feel like I really accomplished something. Also here’s the fun kicker, I didn’t tell anyone except for my therapist/friend whose been teaching me to drive and brought me to the test. We set up the appointment yesterday and I just told people I was going practice driving with him. So when I got in, I got to surprise my family and friends with my exciting news.

But yes, this week I am thankful that I got my driver’s license! That I passed the test and all went as well as it did. Sure it could have gone better, but hey I was nervous and at least I still passed. LOL! So watch out roads of Michigan, Jane Ridgewood is on the loose! ;)

--XOXO, Jane

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Time To Get In SHAPE!

Have you ever felt like you not only got a sign, but you got slapped in the face with it? All throughout my two week getaway out of town where I first house/dog sat then spent the holidays with my mom I was going on and on to her about how I want to start Yoga in the New Year. It was an encouraged suggestion for me to do from one of my best friends’ ages ago, but now I’m ready to give it a shot. How I fully intended to get with one of my other best friends at least once a week to work out together, but I’m really going to learn to take care of myself better this year. It’s going to be a year of incorporating more health and fitness into my regimen. So I ordered a couple of DVDs for beginners and a Yoga mat to get me started. – Which I’m still anxiously awaiting to arrive in the mail to me.

So with that all settled as the friend I shall be working out with is all on board for Yoga, I came home yesterday evening to discover that I’ve somehow managed to acquire a subscription to SHAPE magazine. How on earth I got signed up, I have no clue. It’s been suggested I could have purchased something awhile back that came with a subscription and I didn’t realize it. It’d be far too soon of an order for my start in Yoga supplies as I have both the December and January/February issues here. Truthfully regardless of how I came into the possession of having this magazine subscription, I’m looking at it as a sign I’m on the right path. A very loud sign indeed, but definitely taking this with great optimism and encouragement of what I’m about to really embark on for myself. After all, what are the odds that I would have a mystery subscription arrive to me when I’m finally really feeling ready to take charge and make a difference in my health?

I’m definitely looking forward to reading each one in its entirety. I’m also looking forward to seeing if more end up arriving in the mail as time goes by. I’ll be sure to soak up the health and fitness information I can get from those. My health is something serious for me to get on track and in order. There’s a lot of diseases and illnesses that run in the family line (on both sides for me really) and I would like to avoid as many as possible. So here I go, starting off my true healthier lifestyle, but cracking open the pages of a magazine geared towards such a thing.

--XOXO, Jane

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Twas A Spicey Surprise!

Who was your hero when you were a teenager? For me it was five ladies that hailed from England. Five pop singers who while weren’t everyone’s cup of tea, were quite the worldwide phenomenon. They spread the message of ‘Girl Power’ and stole the hearts of many – including mine. The Spice Girls were everything to me. I like to say I had a “mild obsession” back in the day, but my family and friends beg to differ on that one.

Back in the day, I was all about collecting anything I could get my hands on when it came to the girls. I joined a club with some friends…where, prepare to roll your eyes, we were each our favorite girl. We learned the lyrics; we sang the songs and even at times came up with our own dance routines as well as mimicked the ones of the ladies. I made a scrap book that contained several clippings and images – including the newspaper clippings out of the Grand Rapids Press when Victoria and Mel B both first became mommies. My four fellow Spice fanatics and I would rush to the store to get the dolls, the other merchandise and any VHS (you know the thing before DVD) of the movie and any other official tapes we could get our eager hands on.

The Spice Girls inspired me in many ways. They were really, the first official introduction to feminism (little did I realize at the time), as well as the ones who made the music I turned to the most in those years. I was not a popular kid in school – quite the opposite and while I’m fortunate to have never been physically bullied really, I was verbally attacked quite often by my peers. It was the positive tunes that I could escape into with the message of Girl Power that kept me from turning to darker vices of release from my pain. Really I still consider the five girls as part of my niche of heroes in this world. Though I can’t say I’m as wild about the movie as I once was (even though yes I occasionally watch for nostalgic purposes), I still love them. I was truly heartbroken when the end came for them as a group, but still I flat out loved them and followed along with their solo careers. Perhaps not as closely to when they were a group, but still I followed them. To this day I proudly call myself a fan and even when I was more self-conscious and not as self-confident, I would declare myself a fan of them.

Recently my mom and I had a pretty open conversation about the girls. About my continued adoration and it came about how I want to recollect the dolls. As back in the day I only had two of the Geri (a.k.a. Ginger Spice) dolls and one group set. However, when we are young we don’t always properly care for things and it’s possible I took them out of their boxes to play ‘concert’ with my friends. So truly I want to get them all over again. But not just the ones I had already, all of them. To have them sealed in their boxes to be put on display in my home to cherish completely. Well fast forward that conversation that took place weeks ago to Christmas morning. Imagine my surprise when I opened up a large box and one by one, unwrapped each Spice Girl from the ‘Spice Girls On Tour’ set. All I remember saying was “OH MY GOD!” Then… then there they were. Some extra goodies from the wonderful person my mom purchased the dolls from to add to my own Spice collection. There was a set of magnets, playing cards and a candle. All of it was in beautiful pristine condition and will definitely be displayed!

Needless to say, I was in complete shock as I opened each item in the box. Heck, I’m still in shock! It’s hard to believe I actually have one complete set of the few the girls released back in the day. I do feel the biggest need to give a special shout out to Roxanne, the lovely and beautiful individual who sold the dolls to my mom and included those extras for me after hearing of my enthusiasm for the Spice Girls. I swear I am going to cherish these dolls and extras forever!

Included on this post (forgive the makeup free shot) is me posing with the dolls Christmas morning! As you can also see at the bottom of the pic are those awesome extras as well. I am so excited still and just in complete awe of it all. The thoughtfulness my mother put into this for me and the kindness of Roxanne to include the magnets, playing cards and the candle!

You know though before I officially end this post, I’ve got just one thing to say… GIRL POWER!

--XOXO, Jane