Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to you and your family (here in the States) a few days early!!  I hope you and your little ones have a safe and fun-filled evening trick or treating!

I've never been a big Halloween person, but I do remember the plastic masks we used to wear in the late 70's.  I know I had a Princess Leia costume from Star Wars with the hard to breathe mask.  I think most girls have been a witch at least once in their lives, as I have, but I don't remember too many of my costumes growing up.

Now, it's just fun to see what interesting and cute and cuddly costumes my nieces and nephews decide to dress up in.  It's still a fun holiday for kids, but I definitely don't like the scary part...including those haunted houses!  I went in a few of those when I was younger and it's not my cup of tea, if you will.  It's not that I mind being scared, I just don't find it that appealing.  But, I know some people live for them and love this holiday.  

So, for those that absolutely love Halloween...eat it up!  Ha!  And, enjoy the spooky ghosts and goblins that come your way this Friday!

Blessings to you on this o'Hallows eve (+ 1 day)!!

1 Week Until National Adoption Month!

This coming Saturday starts National Adoption Month!!!  I know there are so many great awareness campaigns going on throughout the month!  If you are going to be involved in any of them, please let me know what and how you are supporting National Adoption Month.  I would love to hear from you!

Also, if I can help your organization in any way...via interview, article, speaking, etc....please let me know!!  I would be happy to help spread the good news of adoption!  I believe my story is a testament to what a positive and thriving experience it can be for all parties involved.  It's what we're here for right?  To give back, to share our experiences and to continue to grow and connect with others.

So, get ready....National Adoption Month is almost here!

Blessings to you this final week of October!!

Technical Glitches

Sorry again everyone for missing my post on Wednesday...for some reason I haven't been able to get into the posting site due to some technical glitches.  I'm hoping they are resolved, but I'm either having some connection issues or there's something else going on.

In the meantime, things are fast and furious here...work is crazy busy right now as we've got our major tradeshow coming up next week, my dad's birthday is today, Halloween is coming up and all the other daily stuff that fills our lives has been buzzing around my head for 2 weeks now!  I'm exhausted mentally.  I think I need a mental health day...several!!  If I can just get through next week with flying colors I'll be good!  So, wish me luck!  I need some quiet to fill my head, but I don't see that coming anytime soon.

I've also seen Christmas lights up on houses already!  Did I miss Halloween and Thanksgiving (here in the States)?  Christmas will be here quick enough, but I'm just not ready for it yet.  I want to enjoy the fall season first!  How about you?

I just want one day that I haven't planned to just do whatever I want...and hopefully that day is full of blue skies, cool fall temps and something good to eat!  If you didn't know, I'm a planner by nature so I'm always planning...not today, but the next day, the next week, a month away!  It's non-stop and lately I've been a planning maniac or at least it feels like it.  I definitely have been better about living in the moment and being present than I ever have been in my life...BUT, I still plan...look ahead...worry about the next thing...so I'm trying to find that balance.  Any suggestions?!

I hope this last week of October finds you well, ready for fall and ready for some trick-or-treaters (here in the States)!  Enjoy the season and try not to plan one of your days during the week!  Lets see if I can!  Blessings to you and your family!

Calming Fears

There's been a lot of fear spreading fast and furiously over the past several weeks...on the dangers of catching Ebola.  It's a scary thing, but sometimes our fears get the best of us...and understandably.  It's something new in the United States, it's shown to be very deadly and it's very contagious.  There's been so much news coverage of Ebola and the up-to-the-minute status of this and that especially in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  It's been never-ending.  It's good to be informed, but sometimes the media does more harm than good by some of their coverage.  It's been all about the bad...how bad the disease is, how poor the hospital's initial reaction and care have been, all the  mistakes made, and how other people have been exposed to the disease.  Again, it's been never-ending.

But, what about the good news stories?  What about the positive and uplifting stories?  Who is telling those stories?  In this over-hyped media age, so many things the media reports is so over-dramatized.  They report what they do to either one-up their competition or to get a strong reaction even if they are stretching the truth or over-selling the story in one way or another.  And we as consumers either start to get immune by all the sensationalism or we react to every little warning or scare tactic thrown at us.

It can be overwhelming sometimes...all the bad news stories on day after day after day.  So, how do we take in all that information, process it and use it for good?  A moment of pause (first of all) and then a reflection of how it truly affects our lives and how we might possibly do something about it or make a difference.  That's how we make a change in our lives...and in the world.  One person at a time.  One step at a time.  One conscious decision at a time.

So, don't let the fears of all the world's problems get you down.  Empower yourself to be educated and then to take action!  It's the only life we have, so don't waste it!  Blessings to you this week!

The Wait...

I have a saying on my fridge and one line of it states, "Your health is your most valuable asset."  It's so true, but it's something I think many of us take for granted on a daily basis...unless you're sick or have a lingering illness.  It's a scary thing when you don't have your health.

Yesterday I took my mom in for a procedure and the whole morning leading up to it my stomach was churning.  It was worried.  Understandably, she spent the morning doing the same thing.  Her stomach was in knots full of worry, too.  It was a normal reaction to the unknown, but we both said a few prayers to calm our nerves and lead us towards the grace of God.

The procedure went well and we'll find out the results today, but the waiting beforehand and during the procedure was hard.  As I was waiting for her during the procedure, I kept thinking about all the other people that are dealing with life-changing health problems.  The ones that have to keep coming back to the hospital for treatments.  The strength and courage they face everyday to keep fighting their own fight.  

None of us know what tomorrow will bring, but I pray we all have the courage and the strength to face it with faith, determination and love.  May you have continued blessings today and everyday!

Fall Frenzy....

Sorry I missed Wednesday's regular post, but my computer has been having some issues this past week connecting and I couldn't get to the page to post a new update.  But, it seems to be OK for the moment....

So, what's the latest?  Well, I've been reaching out to more adoption agencies and support groups to try and get some interest going...plus, I'd like to get in touch with some New York City publications and/or agencies since I'll be in New York City next month.  I'd love to get some face-to-face time with a few organizations that could help promote my book.  So, if you know of any publications (newspapers, magazines, online publications, etc) or any adoption agencies, or support organizations, please let me know.  You can email me at kimfenneman@gmail.com.  Thank you for your support!!

Yesterday was the first chilly fall day that we've had here in Texas.  It was supposed to warm up later in the day and the sun was supposed to come, but it didn't.  It stayed gray, cloudy and chilly all day.  It was great and added to the fun of going around to different craft fairs (for the first time this fall) with my mom.  We always enjoy getting out to different craft fairs in the fall and it builds up the excitement to Thanksgiving and Christmas!  

On Friday, my mom and I took one of my nieces and two of my nephews to a pumpkin patch nearby where we went through the hay maze, took a hay ride, jumped in the bouncy house and picked out some cute little pumpkins.  Then we took them to our local Heritage Museum where they actually looked at everything and learned about the history of the town I live in.  They loved and laughed at the old black and white short film of a man on a train that had to no sound which was pretty amazing that they sat down to watch it.  And, my oldest nephew was thrilled to see and play the original Nintendo with the original Super Mario Brothers.  He said it was better than the one now!  Go figure!  See, sometimes 'old school' is better!

So, it seems that fall is kicking into gear and things are picking up!  The holiday madness will soon be upon us, but I want to enjoy the cooler temperatures for a couple months first.  I love the cool, crisp air and solid blue skies during the fall.  It's my favorite time of year!

So, enjoy the weather changing and whatever season you may be experiencing (around the world) as we get closer to the end of another year.  Slow down your daily 'frenzy' if you need to and just take a deep breath in.  Many blessings to you in the week ahead!

Call for Adoption Orgs

November is National Adoption Month....so, if anyone has any recommendations of adoption organizations that would be interested in doing a feature/article/interview/book signing, etc. of my book, Corn-fed with Rice on the Side, please let me know.  I'd love to get some national exposure for my book and would appreciate any local/state/regional organizations you are aware of.  Please contact me at kimfenneman@gmail.com.

Continuing to spread the word and my story of adoption with others!  I hope it continues to inspire, bring hope and inspiration to others.  Thank you for your continued support in my '1st time author' journey!

Blessings to you this week and I hope you're enjoying the cooler fall temperatures!

Birthdays Abound

October is the busiest birthday month for my family.  My younger brother and sister (the twins) have their birthday, my oldest nephew the day after, my dad later in the month and I have a few friends with birthdays, too!  So, it's a busy month of celebrations...and lots of cake!  

There's usually that 1 month out of the year that's the busiest for all families and October is it for us.  So, as I look ahead at all the celebrations to come...and all the gifts to buy...it's a time to reflect on what phase of life each person is celebrating.  The twins are in their early 30's (so in most cases of...30 year olds...have established their careers and are looking for advancement), my oldest nephew will be 9 years old (ohhh, the memories of being 9...I remember it so well because it's the age I was when we moved from IA to TX), and my dad will be in his late 60's (not as spry as he once was and a little grumpier, too).  All in such different places in their lives and looking ahead at such different futures.  It's pretty interesting to think about.

The twins should be hitting their strides and really finding out where they want to go in their careers because now they've had enough life experiences to know what they like, want and don't like or want.  However, they're both not quite there yet and as their older sister I'll always be concerned and want the best for them.  My nephew on the other hand, he's got his whole life in front of him!  But, when I see my friend's kids who are 8 or 9 (and now my nephew) I can't help but think of myself at that age because it's when we had our house fire, moved to TX and my whole life changed.  I look at them and think "Wow, I was that age when all that happened?"  I can't even imagine.  Who knows what life will hold for my nephew and what struggles and tragedies he will face in his lifetime, but looking at him now at this age I think of my youth.  And then there's my dad who I've always adored and looked up to.  I never really thought about him getting old...no, I mean really old...each year because he always kept so busy and active.  But, now as I see old age catching up with him and him slowing down a bit it makes more wonder about the next phase of life with my parents as they do get older and have more health problems.  It's a scary thought.  I've been around a lot of senior citizens growing up and it was always different because I never saw my parents that way.  But, I think over the next 5-10 years it'll really be part of all our lives as we help and support our parents more.  

That's the beauty (and yes, the stress, joy, concern and happiness) of life!  We all go through those different phases of life...grade school, high school, college, our first jobs, our first relationships, marriage, kids, getting older, etc.  But, we all go through them with different perspectives, different experiences and different expectations.  That's life...for each one of us!  And that's part of my intent for writing my book...to show the different phases of my life so that you and others could see how it was to be adopted and to see it from a very real view of daily life...those everyday experiences we all go through.

So, whatever month is your busiest birthday month, may all those celebrating find their joy at whatever age they are in and continue to enjoy the different phases of life!  Many blessings to you on this first day of October!