The post that lacks direction

Well, settle in folks because, as the title alludes to, I have no idea what randomness is going to come out.

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged so I wanted to take the opportunity. I am off work today using a freebie holiday day that needed to be used by the end of May. I figured I would make a long weekend out of it – yay! I am at my regular blogging site (Starbucks) enjoying my free birthday drink, a grande non-fat mocha light whip.

Speaking of my birthday, it was a good day! Lots of thunderstorms rolled through the area which of course was right up my alley. I like to think of it as Mother Nature’s gift to me after the crappy winter. Last year I took my birthday off from work, however I learned from this experience that I did not like that. I am a social person who gets energy from being around others, and it was a really lonely day! The lackluster “happy birthday” I got from the guy at Caribou last year who couldn’t have cared less was not ideal. So, this year Eric and I went to get coffee before work, then worked for the day which was nice because of all the wonderful co-workers I have that gave me bright happy birthday messages (Caribou guy, you have things to learn) and then Eric met me for some shopping and dinner! I’ve been asking for a tent for a couple of years now and Eric got me one for my birthday! The Fink’s are going camping!

Regarding the weather, it has been so stinking rainy. I enjoy the rain and the gloomy days but I am ready for some beautiful spring weather – 50’s to 60’s and bright skies. This weekend I potted some flowers for our front stoop and also potted two difference kinds of cherry tomatoes, one larger tomato, basil and rosemary. I was inspired by my Uncle Mike who was telling me recently about all of the things that he has in his garden. I’m ready to reap the rewards of my labor – ha! I realize that to others this may not seem like much of a big deal but I’m super proud of myself! Maybe I’ve found a hobby! Ok, simmer down Jenna…one step at a time. Let’s just hope the plants make it through the spring :)

I’ve been listening more to Jars of Clay again. They are one of my all-time favorite bands. Dan Haseltine’s voice sounds like angels singing into my ears and feeding me chocolate while I bask in the sun and lay on a cloud. Yes. THAT good folks. There are four members of the band, however when I listen to them I become the fifth member who is super talented and can do lead vocals, backup vocals, vocal drums, and a killer vocal guitar.

I need (and maybe want) a new pair of running shoes. Did you know that wearing cotton socks while in your running (or workout shoes) causes the material to break down and bust open in the heel or other areas? Apparently nylon running socks are better for your shoes (don’t cause as much rubbing) and your feet (more breathable)! My blog is highly educational.

Oh, I’m still drinking brewed coffee with creamer!

I’m shipping up to Boston (whoa oh oh!) – if you don’t get the reference Google “Dropkick Murphy’s”. But it’s true! One of my best friends and past co-worker, Bonnie, recently moved to Boston. Eric and I are going to visit her for a long weekend this summer. I’m super excited because even though she’s only been gone about a month, I miss her terribly. Skype and phone dates just aren’t enough! I/we are also excited because we have never been to Boston – or to the East Coast together for that matter! I’m gunna get me some seafood.

I have big plans for some baking in the coming days! The Alzheimer’s Association does a spring bake sale on May 21^st for our building to raise money for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in September. I enjoy baking and I am fairly decent at it, so it’s enjoyable! If you are a baker or know other bakers please consider donating some baked goods to me! Items need to be non-refrigerated but can include cookies, bars, cakes, breads, snack mixes, jams/jelly’s, etc.! Please let me know if you would like to donate some baked goods to me and I will schedule a pick up!

Between family, friends, and the bird’s nest under my deck there are a lot of babies that will be arriving in the new couple of months! Congrats to you all!

As much fun as I’m sure you’ve had reading this, I must save some mystery for another time. Plus, I want to do some shopping, probably take a nap, start baking, and do some laundry…and paint my nails. I have big plans for my days off. I don’t relax well :)

Have a wonderful week, friends!

Until next time….

Coffee, Cats, and Wine and I’ll be Fine

Yikes! My regular readers are rioting in the streets due to my hiatus from blogging! Ok, maybe I made that up, but the point is I'm back :)

I have had a CrAzY past couple of weeks. Let me share with you some eventful and some not so eventful happenings:

1) I completed my polar plunge! Holla! It was SO much fun, folks. The #1 question I get is "was it cold?" Answer: Yup, BUT there comes a point where cold is just cold whether it's being bundled up outside or after jumping into a frozen lake. However, it's seriously not as bad you would think! If you are considering doing a polar plunge at some point - do it! So. Freaking. Fun. Join the slew of people that can say that they have jumped into a frozen lake during a Minnesota winter!

2) I'm drinking coffee. I'm talking straight up, brewed through a coffee pot or Keurig machine coffee. It all just happened one day! I've had some rough days these past couple weeks and mocha's in the morning have been a little pick me up. Well, one morning I was driving to work and decided (again) to stop for a mocha. After waiting for my barista to make my glorious treat in a cup, I got to thinking about how much money I was spending and how many calories I was consuming and that I would be better off if I just started to drink coffee. Boom. Decision made. So, I got me some French vanilla coffee creamer and WALLA! I tolerate and enjoy coffee! Baby steps folks... :)

3) It's a big decision, but I think I'm adding a color to my favorite color list. Yes, one can have two favorite colors. So coral, suit up - you're in! Sorry "happy green". I still deeply love you but coral is just such a peppy color! You two will need to cohabit in this category. Happy green and coral do look good together too so it's all good. 

4)  I am watching Twister for the first day this year. I usually make myself wait until at least April 1 to start watching it, unless the weather is unseasonably warm (like last year) or there are some storms - like tonight! A tornado was spotted in south western MN this afternoon. That's my sign. Twister must be watched. Once a week Twister watching starts now :)

This may seem like a pretty lame blog post, but my goal was to blog more and clearly I haven't done a super great job at that, so this is what you get. I'm hoping that in my next post I will be distracted from typing by the beautiful weather because I will be sitting outside with a spring breeze blowing gently across my face...hey, one can dream right. Mother Nature, where the heck is spring?!

Until next time,

Coffee, Cats and Wine and I'll be Fine

A note of thanks

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all that supported me financially and through thoughts and prayers for my polar plunge today. My heart is warmed by your kind words and support.

I know that I have asked for your support often this year with my participation in The Longest Day, the Walk to End Alzheimer's, and now the polar plunge - all supporting the Alzheimer's Association. Please know that I truly appreciate your donations and warm thoughts. The reason I participate in so many Alzheimer's Association fund raisers is not because I work at the Association, but because I believe it in and the work that the Association does on a daily basis for people affected by the disease. I am blessed to work for a company that I enjoy working for and in knowing that I am a part in making a difference in the lives of those that are affected by this disease.

So, thank you for your support, folks. Seriously. It does not go unnoticed.

Love and warm thoughts to you all! Pictures to come in tomorrow's blog post of my polar plunge experience :)

Until tomorrow...

Coffee, Cats, and Wine and I'll Be Fine

Out with the old, in with the new!

Welp, we did it. We bought a new car and got rid of Eric's 2003 Malibu that I've hated for years! Eric brought it in recently and we were told that it needed some fairly significant repairs. The car was older and we were not willing to throw that much money at it, so we decided to start looking and purchased a 2008 Honda CRV last weekend! I am really enjoying driving it and can totally feel that 4 wheel drive power! I sit up so much higher than in a car! It feels so different to me. I feel like I may as well be driving a truck!! Ha!

We sold the Malibu to a mechanic who thought that he would be able to repair it and plans to use it as his vehicle. Got our asking price in cash. The guy had planned to bring his girlfriend but she was ill and wasn't able to come, so Eric dropped it off at a local store for him to pick up later. I realized that I get attached to things. Knowing that the Malibu is now sold, I feel bad for saying mean things about it for years (that it smelled, that it drove too low and that I felt like Barney Rubble in it, that I was excited for the day when it would be gone, complaining about getting out of it since it's so low it was like getting up off the floor, grumbling like Harry (Joe Pesci) in Home Alone trying to get out of it (ie: razza-frazza-grrrrh-I hate that kid!), etc.). Just knowing that it's sitting in a parking lot alone makes me feel bad. Seriously, Jenna?! Ugh...I'm pathetic. At least we didn't bring it to a junk yard! Oh gosh, I'm having flashbacks to The Brave Little Toaster...

...Man, that movie (The Brave Little Toaster) was good! I always loved that grumbly old vacuum! I guess I've always had a soft spot in my heart for curmudgeons! Maybe I will need to find and watch that again soon! ...Whew, glad this post ended on a positive note!

Enjoy your Valentine's day tomorrow! Whether you have a special someone or not, do something nice for yourself tomorrow, loves! You deserve it!

Until next time...

Coffee, Cats, and Wine and I'll be Fine :)

A decade of 'Eric and Jenna'

Tomorrow marks a special day in my life as it is the anniversary of Eric and my relationship - our dating anniversary. Eric and I haven't celebrated this since we got married (since clearly a wedding anniversary date is basically the mother-load of anniversaries), but we are celebrating tomorrow because it is a significant one in our lives. Tomorrow marks our 10 year dating anniversary. I've been with this guy for 10 years straight! A DECADE of 'Eric and Jenna'. That's cray cray!

Eric and I met through a mutual friend in college, Tyler. The first time meeting Eric is one of my favorite memories from our relationship and one I will never forget. I was studying with Tyler for an upcoming poli-sci test (jeez, I am so happy I never have to repeat a class like that! Sorry, I digress.) when Eric came into the room. I swear to you folks, my world stopped. There Eric stood in the doorway wearing black sandals, black socks, black basketball shorts that were a size too big, a black Roccori HS shirt that read the top ten reasons that his high school basketball team should go to the State tournament, and wearing his black backpack. My first thought was "Oh, this guy needs so much [fashion] help!", then I saw his boy next door face smiling at me. *sign* ...whoa, sorry...I was mentally back in that dorm room all over again! Ok, focus Jenna. Tyler "conveniently" needed to go do something and left us alone. Eric went over to his computer and put on his HUGE headphones (which are actually size-wise popular again now, Beats by Dre anyone?) to listen to music while I sat admiring him from behind...*cough* I mean studying, of course. Eric eventually took off his headphones and turned around to talk to me where we discovered that his cousin was a friend of mine from high school and that I was invited to his cousin and Eric's joint grad party that was at Eric's home (that I couldn't go to because of a conflicting grad party and because it was allll the way out in Cold Spring and at some kid that I didn't knows home!), and that we at numerous times had been at the same place at the same time. I believe with every ounce of my being that God had a plan for Eric and I and that all of those times that we were at the same place at the same time, we were not meant to meet yet. We were meant to meet in college on that October night in the Winona State University Prentiss-Lucas dorm. Funny thing is that I had gone into my freshman year of college swearing not get in a relationship and just have fun - guess God had a different plan and I'm glad that He did :)

It's strange to think that I met Eric when I was 18 and am now 28. The numbers make it look so much more significant, I think. Man, when the heck did I get old?! 

 

Eric and I have grown in so many ways as individuals and as a couple. Eric has been a continual source of support for me and I am blessed to have him in my life. I'm 100% certain that he's my soul mate (you had better have read that in a Kip from Napoleon Dynamite style voice). 

Here are some pictures from our journey the past 10 years:

 

Hello 2014!

Resolutions  2014 Improvements 

Adios, 2013. Hello, 2014!

I hope 2013, overall, was a good one for you!

I feel like resolutions get a bad rep. Why is it so bad that people make them at the beginning of a new year? Since when did wanting to improve or reinvent yourself for the better become a bad thing? However, I’ve seen statistics recently that only 8% of resolutions are kept. I also know that I’ve ditched or forgotten resolutions that I’ve made before. So, I’m instead titling today’s post “2014 Improvements.” At the very least, It’s my goal to remember them throughout the year!

I feel like I’ve been thinking about some of these improvements for so long that I am forgetting what they are. (Great way to start your blog post, Jenna! That’ll keep the readers biting at the bit for more!) 

Overall, my goal for 2014 is to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m sure you’ve all heard this before or said it yourself, but I’m talking about health from a larger perspective: body, mind, and soul. So here are some of the improvements I plan to make:

- Be a healthier me! How many of you have started the year saying “I’m going to eat better this year!”? Yeah, me too. But, I plan to make healthier choices in my eating habits and start working out more regularly again. I totally expect to have weeks and months that I totally fall off this grand idea train. Where my “improvement” comes in is that I plan to make it healthier year than an unhealthy year. I may need to purchase some snazzy new workout gear to get me a little more motivated, but I’m ok with that. My body is a temple dang it! ;)

- (Similar thought as above) Stop just doing cardio at the gym and start doing some weights. I am embarrassed to say that this is what I have been doing recently in an effort to get my workouts over with…ok, and because I’ve become a bit of a lazy bones. Michelle Obama’s arms and Jennifer Aniston’s legs are not just going to happen with cardio alone! Work it gurrrrl! 

- Remember that I am not in control of everything in my life. This is one area that I will always struggle with, but I need to remember this. I am a planner, and I am careful and thoughtful in my planning. So when I think I’m ready for something and God doesn’t agree…I just gotta trust that it will happen when it’s supposed to happen. 

- Have more fun! Play more! Stop taking things so seriously! Yeah, sure…I’m and adult and this is life and life is important…but man, I need to let my inner geek out more. There. That’s your warning world ;)

- Taking it easy on me. I have high expectations of myself. Often these expectations are unrealistic or I put so much focus on them that they become unhealthy for me by stressing me out. I’m going to start following the words I say every day to caregivers in my job: YOU are important – make time for YOU. Watch a freaking movie, J! Sit and read your celebrity magazines! Read a book! Shocker: It’s OK to be at home and not be productive! 

- Pray more. There is a quote that says, “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve complained about it?” I can often answer that in one word – Nope. Gotta change that. Less complaining. More praying. And while I’m praying, I’ll pray for Michelle Obama arms and Jennifer Aniston legs… ;)

- Blog more. (I’ll wait while you have your ‘screeching-for-excitement-like-a-teenage-girl-meeting-‘Nsync’ moment…hey, you have your 90’s examples, I have mine!) I’ve really enjoyed blogging and I have found it to be a relaxing and introspective outlet in my life. I SO appreciate the support that I have received from you all. I have some topics that are on my mind or heart that I plan to blog about but will experiment with just updates of my life or week. In an effort to be easier on myself I need to remember that not every blog post is going to be super meaningful and let’s be honest, I’m not exactly saving the world here!

- Be more present in my own life. I find myself sometimes going through the motions but not really paying attention. Pay attention!!

Welp, it’s been fun but I feel I better quit while I’m ahead. I have some good 2014 Improvements here. Enough to keep me busy for a year – Ha! I have a good lucky feeling about 2014 - I hope you do too! May your 2014 be full of joy and love.

Until next year…

Coffee, Cats, and Wine and I’ll be Fine

Holiday fun

After a brief hiatus (Christmas shopping and Christmas movies called...tis the season!), I'm back!

Holy mackerel...how is Christmas already over?! I felt the shorter time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, did you? I crammed a lot of holiday fun into a short period of time. In the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my life revolves around Christmas. We start to decorate our house the night of Thanksgiving, I stop listening to my regular radio stations and listen to the stations that play Christmas music non-stop, Eric and I watch Christmas movies or listen to Christmas music each night, I shop for Christmas gifts in free time...it's like Christmas threw up all over my life - and I love it!

I have some favorite Christmas decorations - basically all of my favorites are decorations from my grandparents that they gave me or I inherited (sentimental anyone?!). I have some pics of these items below:

 Two parts to this picture: The red elf was made by my Grandma Hjort when my mom was young (there is a matching green on on the other side of the window). I loved playing with these when I was young visiting my grandparents at Christmas. The village houses were given to me by my Grandma and Grandpa Hjort knowing how much I loved my Christmas scenes. (Side note: Yes, that is a green army man on the church steeple. My dad would hide it somewhere every year and wait for me to find it so I've carried on the tradition!)

 

My Grandma Larson gave this to me before she passed away. It was in her home growing up as a child. The writing is my Great Grandma's. It's one of my most treasured Christmas decorations along with...

 

This was in my Grandma and Grandpa Hjort's home. My Grampy was full Swede and this is a Christmas wall hanging in Swedish.

 

Again, I love my scenes. This is actually my parents though they gave it to me because as a child I would sit and turn the ornament around and around forever imagining what this family was doing. It's always at eye level so that I can easily see it.

 

Eric and I got this ornament in 2010, the Christmas after my Grandpa Hjort and cousin Allison passed away. It was the tree topper to our tree until we got my Grandparents star. Now, it has a special place on our tree.

This ornament was made by my Great Grandpa Larson. Like all of favorite ornaments, it's always at eye level.

Eric and I are on a very busy schedule around Christmas. We celebrate the holiday with both of our immediate sides of the family, with both of Eric's mom and dad's sides of the family, and my mom's side of the family. Needless to say, by the time the holidays are over we are in need of some down time and sleep. Eric and I were able to take some much deserved and needed time off this week. It's been nice to be home with him and the cats these past two days.

It seems that the end of 2013 has brought joy to many of my family and friends which makes my heart happy! Congrats to all those that have recently gotten engaged or are expecting! 

I have some additional time off next week and I plan to reflect on the past year and think of some resolutions for 2014. More to come on that for sure, but one that I know of immediately is to blog more - ya'll better be in for some more regular blog posts from yours truly! Joy to the world!

Until next time...

Coffee, Cats, and Wine and I'll be Fine ;)