Exam Anxiety!

Welcome to the middle of the week! We spent the weekend in Truckee and it was bliss. We made it home in plenty of time for me to write and send my Monday Motivator but I studied instead. I had a philosophy exam and frankly, I just wasn't getting it. It's odd when I feel like I really don't get what I am supposed to be doing, but I sat with paper in front of me and pencil in hand and kept right on doing it. I referenced my notes, corrected homework, memorized rules and even watched instructional videos on line - and when it was time to take the test (yesterday afternoon), I felt like I couldn't remember a single thing! So, as quickly as I could, I jotted my thoughts on my scratch paper and went to work. It was a 7 problem exam worth a whopping 100 points. I'll let you know next week if all my angst was for not.


Amidst all my exam anxiety, we had rats nest in the engine of the Durango (juggling all the Partaks schedules with only one car is a challenge, to say the least!), I had an event in Meadow Vista Tuesday night, and I had to have a tooth extracted first thing Wednesday morning. As it always does, things worked out. The Durango is fixed and the charge was minimal, I made it to the event and my tooth came out with relative ease. I won't know about my grade until next week, but that's okay because next week is spring break, so the pressure will be off for a bit.


I hope your week has been less eventful than mine has and you are seeing signs of spring!

Winter's Finally Here!

Happy Monday Friends!

It's the day before spring starts and winter just got here - looks like Mother Nature is running late. Yesterday Dave, Mason and I ran up the hill to The Monte Vista in Dutch Flat, it was a winter wonderland! We stayed just long enough to have a hot chocolate, make and throw a few snow balls and then headed home to have hot soup and fresh bread for dinner.


It is looking like we won't get to see my WalMart commercial. The "Take the Challenge" campaign is based on real time so they shoot a commercial on Monday, quick edit and it airs on Wednesday. On Sunday I came across a full page add in the Sacramento Bee showing copies of the grocery receipts for Safeway and WalMart with the exact same items on them and then a photo of the "real mom" shopper in the upper corner. My spot being shot on 2/27 had aged and all the prices had changed so even though I had the biggest percentage of savings ($262 at Safeway to $154 at WalMart - exact same items), it didn't run. It was used however to roll the campaign out to all the WalMart management at their national conference in Orlando, FL the week of 3/5. I have asked for a copy of the piece and to this point, I have one no and one no-answer. Que-Sera-Sera, that's the way it goes sometimes, but it was disappointing for sure.


Mason got a great report card - academically he is excelling. He is reading at a 4th grade level (almost 5th), and his math is on par with that accellerated level as well. His teacher has suggested we will be approached about putting him in the GATE program but we'll have to see what that entails when the time comes. On the flip side of the coin, he is still not following rules at school and pushing the boundaries at every turn (I know, you all are saying, "I wonder who he gets that from?!"). He may indeed get that from me and sadly, he is going to get in more trouble and miss more field trips. Dang hard heads (his and mine)! Other than that bit of news, just school and life as we know it.



What about you, anything new?

Hi From Colorado!

Happy Monday from Mile High Colorado!

I've been here visiting Diana since Thursday night and it's been a nice visit. These are not easy times and this visit has been right in line with my journey and the life lessons I'm learning. My big focus for this new year was about honesty and more importantly getting honest with myself. Yeah, it's easier to "help" someone else see when they are not being honest but I want to keep the focus on me. The useful part about the people around me is I get to know when some of you are putting on the "Aint life grand!" show on Facebook and then share with me the truth - life's not the easy ride so many make it out to be on the social media channels. With that said, Diana loves her family in CO, but misses her family back in CA - there's no shame in that. Moving to another state and starting over is hard. I just moved to southern CA and I didn't make it 6 months! I know how lonely it is and more than lonely, it's scary - especially for a beautiful single woman. With that said, this weekend we met some wonderful women who interestingly are dealing with many of the same things Diana is. One has relocated to CO to take care of her mom, too. The other woman, also caring for her mom is a yoga instructor who invited Diana to join her at their new studio. These ladies seem like a great start to making new friends ands establishing a much more comfortable life here in CO. For me, I see much of my journey in Diana's in terms of finding joy in my own company and most of all realizing that comparing what I have and where I am to anyone else is pointless. The grass is not greener and who says greener is better anyway? We each have what we create and when we are put in situations that have been created for us, we need to redecorate but the fact remains, there is no over, under, or around, the way to happiness is through (plug in whatever you have to get through). Simply through.


So off we go to the airport and me back to my boys. I'm so thankful for this time with Diana not only because I know the comfort of a good friend in her space was good for her, but also because I appreciate that we had a real visit, not a fluffy, fake one. It was as good for me as it was for her, maybe even better for me. With love to all of you, thanks for being real.

Good News X2

Happy Monday!

Last week I was off living my dreams making a television commercial for Walmart, it was the best day ever! Walmart is rolling out a new nationwide campaign and last week they shot in 20 cities simultaneously, 40 spots. That's all I can say for right now, but the spots will begin airing next Monday the 12th. I also understand that all the spots will be available on Walmart.com. I will hopefully get a copy of my spot so one way or another we can all see it. Yes, I can hear you all now, Kathy is now part of the people of Walmart!

Another high note this week, I got the job as the wedding coordinator for a local event spot called The Beda Place in Meadow Vista. It's a beautiful location and I'm working with some great people. My first wedding is April 21st and I couldn't be more excited. This position works perfectly allowing me to do most of what needs to be done from home (or wherever I am) and the big day is on the weekend.

So what's new with you? Share some good news with me, it's time that things start going in the direction of happiness and affluence. It is going to be 70 degrees in Auburn today, I'm going to get outside, practice gratitude and take in some vitamin D. What about you?