Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Common Practice?

I tried reflexology for the first time today because I desperately needed some relief.  My shoulders, shoulder blades and neck have had increasingly radiating pain for the past several days.  I get massages regularly and had one yesterday, but woke up with the same pain today so knew I needed to try something different.  I had heard friends of mine talk about doing reflexology before...walking in not being able to move their neck and being totally fine afterwards...so, I thought it was a perfect time to try it out!

I didn't necessarily know what to expect, which is always not totally conducive to complete relaxation for something like this, but lets just say it was intense.  I knew it was going to hurt, but I had no idea.  In normal massages, they do a little bit of footwork and occasionally it's a little painful so I wasn't totally blindsided by the pain that was about to be subjected upon me today.  I usually do very firm pressure in normal massages, so silly me I ask for the same today.  Holy moly!!!  At times, it was incredibly painful but I just kept thinking THIS is how messed up the rest of my body is!  If it's hurting this much on my feet then that's why the rest of me is so out of whack!  I almost started laughing when they started slapping me around a bit...meaning, after they've rubbed through everything, they slap the legs, back, etc. to keep the blood flowing and stimulated....kinda of like you see on TV at times where they karate chop your back several times.  I definitely should have gone for a bit less pressure, but stubborn me just moaned through it...a lot!  

When I got up, the Chinese guy was a bit shorter than me but very nice.  When I first arrived and was getting settled, the lady who greeted me asked me where I was from.  First question!  Always!  Never fails!  When I left, she asked me if it was my first time.  I said yes.  Was it that obvious?  I didn't do anything but moan...ha!  Definitely intrigued by the whole process, but really just needed some pain relief!  I'm happy I tried it and maybe next time I'll ask for less pressure so the poor little guy doesn't have to use all his strength to torture me!  

Now I wonder if I should try a Thai massage?!  Blessings to you on this last day of April!  And, Happy May Day tomorrow!!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Just a Farm Girl...

Well, I use to be just a farm girl....growing up on a diary farm in northeastern Iowa.  When I was little I remember wanting to raise a calf one day...that was my big dream at the time.  And, then it was to become a ballerina...and then a flight attendant.  Typical occupations that most little girls dream about being one day...well, maybe not the raising a calf part...but for where I grew up it was pretty typical.  

This week my first phone interview article was posted on a Wisconsin agriculture website.  A few months ago, the crops editor reached out to me and asked to review my book.  This was definitely one opportunity I didn't see coming...an agriculture site interested in posting an article about my book?!?!  Why not?!  Plus, my dad was thrilled!  Being the eternal farmer, he thought this was my best interview opportunity to-date!  Since it was my first phone interview, I wasn't sure how the article would turn out since I wasn't sure what she'd pick up on or how she would interpret our conversation, so I was anxious to read it once it was published online.  

I love the title "Fenneman not your typical farm girl...or is she?"  Knowing the audience this article serves, I thought it was well written and focused on my time growing up on the farm.  I enjoyed reading the article and how she put the pieces together from our conversation.  The only weird thing for me was being referred to as "Fenneman" throughout the article.  Yes, that's me, but I'm more use to that being referred to my older brother or younger brother by their teammates from the sports teams they've played on.  You know how guys always call each other by their last names all the time, so it was a little weird reading it throughout the article for me.  Is that weird?

Regardless, this article will probably be the one my dad is most proud of...at least for now.  So, to all those farmers out there and your families....I know how hard you work, how much you watch and care about the weather, and how much family traditions mean to you.  Thank you for all your hard work and for providing the food we all consume on a daily basis.  You are what keeps us going!  So, bless all the farmers out there and may we all take a moment to truly appreciate and support our local farmers.

You can read my latest article HERE.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

A Dumb Question Deserves a Dumb Answer, Right?

If you've been following my posts, a month or so ago I wrote about a mini-book signing I did at a friend's house.  The last lady I met that night had been waiting for their 2 year old Korean son to be finalized for adoption.  The call came a couple weeks later and she and her husband were off to Korea to pick him up.  He's been acclimating to his forever home now for about 2 months.  He has 3 other siblings....2 brothers and a sister...to help him get adjusted.  Recently, the mom posted on Facebook that someone had asked her if he spoke Spanish.  She wasn't sure how to respond.  She said "No, he speaks Korean and he's learning English."  So then logically, the person followed-up with "Where is he from?"  

Really?!  You'll find a lot of those kinds of stories in my book along with my sarcastic humor plugged in.  For one, the little boy doesn't even look Spanish and if you're actually listening and want to know the answer then you wouldn't follow up one dumb question with another one.  But, so it goes...and it will be a regular occurrence throughout his lief time, so my advice to her was don't be surprised by those "dumb questions" because you'll get a lot of them...just try to find the humor in them.  And, occasionally start answering those dumb questions with dumb answers to see if they are really listening or care!  

Recently, I was at a nail salon with a friend and I was so distracted by the conversation my friend and I were having that when the nail technician asked me where I was from (as I ALWAYS get asked), I blurted out the city where I live.  And, then stopped a moment and told her what she really wanted to know.  Usually, I know the question is coming and tell them straight off what they want to know, but most of my friends tell me I should say I'm from Iowa!  Again, if you've read my book you'll find another story about this.

So, how would you respond?  I think as long as you have a sense of humor about it it'll all work out, but sometimes people really do need to be educated about the questions they are asking...so, go for it!  Blessings to you this week!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter!!

Blessings to you and your family on this Easter Sunday!!!  For HE has Risen!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Easter Rising

Easter is almost here!  Although temperatures might not reflect spring has arrived, there are hints of buds blossoming and flowers bursting with color.  I cut my first two irises yesterday and put them in a vase in my office.  They smell wonderful!  They are two white irises that my dad planted from some bulbs he got from my grandma's garden years ago.  He didn't know what color they were, as she grew many different colors in her flower garden.  So, when they finally bloomed several years ago to our amazement they were all white!  All of them!  They were so beautiful in my backyard and definitely a sign from my grandma.  I love them!  And look forward to them every year now!

Although we had a freeze here the other night that I had to cover my garden for, you can feel the Easter traditions kicking into high gear...with Easter egg hunts last weekend, pictures of kids with the Easter bunny popping up on Facebook, Easter egg making kits all over the stores and of course all the yummy Easter treats that people are making and will be consuming come this Sunday!  

And thanks to my aunt and godmother, she has been outdoing herself every year at Easter as she hosts our family Easter celebration.  Yes, there's a massive spread of food to consume (which we do!), a fun little Easter egg hunt for my nephews and now nieces, and the best part of Easter Sunday...the adult Easter egg hunt!  That's right!  You're never too young to hunt eggs!  Except now, we know how to fight each other out the door and push each other down to collect the most eggs which gives you the best chance to win prizes...specifically gift cards!  My aunt outdoes herself and truly has taken Easter to another level...but, she learned from the best, her mother and my grandma!  One year I got 7 gift cards!  Oh yea!!  There's also a golden egg which is the grand prize!  My dad hid it last year for the first time and none of us could find it!  It took forever to find it, but we finally did so we could open our eggs and collect our prizes!  It's a fun, competitive, and joyful time that we all look forward to every year!

So, whatever Easter traditions you have for this Easter weekend, I hope you are filled with joy, happiness, contentment (from all the treats) and truly blessed for the rising of the Great I AM!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Dear Friend...

Yesterday, I had my latest book signing at a dear friend's newly launched popcorn and gift shop.  It's a cute, general store-type feel store with over a dozen deliciously yummy popcorn flavors, old-fashioned candies/candy bars/sodas, taffy's, and numerous other goodies.  It was a fun back-drop to my latest book signing.

The owners are a married couple I graduated with from high school and the lovely lady is the first true friend I made when I moved to Texas.  I started 3rd grade the week after Spring Break, so there was only about a month and a half left of school.  That fall when I started 4th grade, I met this friend who was transferring from another local school.  We became fast friends and have been friends for 30 years now!  Yep, 30 years!  Holy moly!!  We both have a kind and gentle soul, but she has that something extra....that "x" factor that draws everybody in.  She sees and treats everyone the same and has such a fun-loving personality!  That's probably why she and her siblings were so popular in school growing up.  They were kind and friendly to everyone they met and that was reciprocated back to them in friends from all grade levels.  So, I'm so happy and excited for her and her family in this new adventure...becoming small business owners!

It was fun to come together yesterday as a new business owner and a 1st time author celebrating our successes and sharing a piece of it together!  We enjoyed catching up about current activities, but more so about past memories...and new memories we hadn't shared with one another from the past.  There are a lot of great and fun memories!  It's those kind of friendships, those pure and true bonds that just happen and bless our lives forever.  It's the joy of shared memories, especially of a time where we were still innocent, carefree and not as cynical about the world.  We were just good, happy and cheerful young girls enjoying our youth together!

Now, 30 years later through all the twists and turns of our lives we are standing here together in a place that neither of us had ever imagined was possible all those years ago!  Who knew we'd be here...in this place...doing what we're doing now?  Who knew if we'd still be friends and located in the same area?  And, who knew that we'd still be sharing each other's joy and happiness together after all of these years?  That's what friendship is...it endures.  And, I'm so blessed and grateful for her friendship...from that very first day until now.  

However, I think my dad actually had an even more enjoyable time helping me yesterday!  Why?  He got to talk about corn and meat all day!!  Yep, he talked to my friend's husband about growing corn and popcorn in Iowa and about how all the different types of popcorn they sell get made.  My dad was in heaven!  He could have sat there all day just talking about that!  But, we also got to talking about meat so he was all over that!  Oh, and he did talk about me a few times...ha!  He loves talking about that stuff to anyone that will listen!

So, to my dear friend...I'm so proud of you!  From that sweet, little girl I met 30 years ago to the women, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend you have become today...you are a true joy and blessing in the lives you touch!  Just like your sister!  Blessings to you and your family this week!

Sunday, April 6, 2014

April Showers...

April showers bring May flowers, right?!  I hope so, as we're getting some much needed rain in north Texas today.  I only wish I had gotten the fertilizer on my lawn before all this good rainfall.  Add it to my to-do list.  I see neighbors planting colorful flowers and I think for a brief moment I should, too, but then alas it probably won't happen.  Honestly, I'm just concentrating on keeping the plants I have in the house alive!  That's challenge enough for me.  Yes, no green thumb here.  But hey, at least my garden is getting some beneficial rain and I don't have to stand out there with the hose...yet.

Have you done any spring cleaning yet?  Some of us are still experiencing winter so I'll assume no.  Some make it an annual ritual and some get to it if they can.  I think I'm the latter.  Some years I'm all enthused (or at least as much as you can be) to clean all the windows (inside and outside) of my house or clean through closets to get rid of barely worn clothes to donate, or even to go through all the pantries and cupboards to sell in our yearly neighborhood garage sale.  It's the annual purge of "stuff" to get ready for another year of 'collecting' more stuff...or just NEW stuff!  

So, as the rain continues to fall today while church scripture and music fill my heart, may the seeds we plant this spring blossom into beautiful new flowers....opportunities, ideas, adventures and relationships!  May you have a blessed week ahead as we get closer to Easter weekend.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Happy Post-April Fool's Day

I hope you didn't fall for too many April Fool's Day jokes yesterday!  It's always a day to be a little leery of what anyone says or offers, but today is a new day and perhaps you consider it to be the 'true' first day of April.  If so, happy spring, first of the month, first of the 2nd quarter and simply just happy day!

Now that my garden is planted and my lawn service has started mowing again, I feel like it's really starting to feel like spring.  Flowers are being planted, more sandals are showing freshly pedicured toes, and spring storms are in the forecast...what more could symbolize spring has sprung?!

So, what's next on the book tour?  I've got a book signing scheduled at Crave Popcorn Company in Plano, TX on April 12 from 2-4 pm!!  So, if you are local, please come out and support a newly launched business and a first time author!  You can stock up on popcorn, candy and gifts for Easter and get a signed copy of my book!!  I hope to see a BIG crowd there and look forward to hearing YOUR stories of adoption!

Blessings to you as you 'spring into April' (spring for the U.S.)!