The Best Money We Ever Spent

I know, I know.  There may be some of you that think spending money on elaborate vacations is a big waste.  And it may seem that a family that regularly plans trips to Disney is frivolous, extravagant, and foolish.

I am here to prove otherwise.  On the other hand, I feel no need to prove anything.  Think what you like.

This is a special scrapbook that is exclusively for something special that my family began a few years ago.

If you can't read the handwriting on the note, this is what it says:

"We were blessed to be able to purchase a membership that will result in great trips for the next 48 years."

This is the title page for the scrapbook in which I intend to chronicle all our great trips for the next 48 years.

Each trip will get one page to record who enjoyed the trip and where they went.

Our first trip using the Disney Vacation Club was in 2006 while Robert was on his mission.  Brian and I took the girls to Disney World for Thanksgiving.  What a wonderful, memorable time.  We decided we could get used to this.  The accomodations were beautiful and the access to the parks was very easy.

The following year we needed to show Robert what this marvel was all about and we returned to Disney World for the week falling between Christmas and New Years.  It was not a handful of days after this trip that he met his lovely Josalyn in Idaho.

We were happy to contribute our DVC points the next year for a Honeymoon Cruise for Robert and Josalyn. They sailed out of California for a week along the Mexican Riviera.  How fun to be able to offer them such a memorable beginning for their lives together.

2009 found us all together in Florida for the Christmas Holidays, including a few additions to our family. We seem to be growing.  We spent time at Vero Beach as well as Disney World. There is a glare on my photos that is distorting the images.  Sorry about that.

After the Wedding Extravaganza of the Summer of 2010, Erica and Derek slipped away quietly for a cruise to the Caribbean for their Honeymoon.  Again, Disney Vacation Club Points saved the day.  All my money had been spent on the wedding so I was thankful to have this alternative method to pay for a great trip.

When we joined the Disney Vacation Club, we were told that it would take about seven years to reclaim the value of our investment.  In looking back over the past amazing five years worth of "Trips of a Lifetime", I believe we have regained our investment already.  And guess what?  We have 43 more years to enjoy the same caliber of vacations.

Hmmmmm.....Where shall we go next?

Strive to Thrive!

I love the word, 'Thrive'.  I consider it the outward expression of inward health; be it physical, emotional, spiritual health,or all three rolled into one.

I find myself in an interesting position as a mother of four grown children.  (Can I still call them 'children' then?)  I have taken a decidedly backseat role in their lives, a position that occasionally begs me to try and drive from there and yet doesn't take long for me to see the futility of that!  Fortunately that is rarely necessary.

My children (they will always be my children) are thriving!  Their lives are not without challenges and yet they are finding ways to conquer them.  They are finding ways to face adversity, poverty, exhaustion, loneliness and simply not having enough hours in the day to do everything they want to do.  Each of them is on a pathway toward self-discovery, uncovering talents and abilities that perhaps have lain dormant.

As difficult as it is to admit, the distance between us seems to be contributing to their tendency to grow.  I don't think I am the worst mollycoddler mother but I may have been a safety net that discouraged true courageous behavior.

I am witnessing true courageous behavior by every single one of them.  I feel blessed for the good choices they are making and the outstanding people they have chosen to join them in their lives.  They are taking care of their physical health by being active and avoiding unhealthy things.  They are taking care of their emotional health by looking out for one another and being supportive.  They are taking care of their spiritual health by actively following their faithful hearts toward righteous goals and commitments.

When a mother perceives her children thriving without her, it causes an internal battle.  The human tendency is to feel sorry for herself, that they don't need her anymore.  On the other hand, I have never felt such gratitude and even just a little bit of pride that maybe I have contributed to their successful lives.

Keep going.  Keep making good choices.  Keep picking yourselves up when you skin your knees.  That used to be my job but I am turning it over to you.

How Impactful Are We?

We never really know, do we?  Oh, that we could see the concentric circles expanding ever outward from the things we say and the things we do, like the proverbial ripples in our proverbial ponds.

Hence lies a great responsibility in choosing well our words and our actions. 

And perhaps we never quite grasp the scope or dimensions of our own pond.  We used to talk of villages that raise a child.  I believe that 'village' no longer adequately describes the bounds of our potential influence.  Like it or not, we have become world citizens, interacting and rubbing cyber shoulders with neighbors from the far reaches of places we will probably never venture to.

It is important to remember that our concentric circles of influence are affected by those of others.  The song we sing is changed by its encounter with other voices.  Does it become better with the harmony of additional perspective, or does the discord of aggressive argument result in painful dissonance?

I have realized that even in the little world of Ardith's Quest I have a responsibility in what I share.  There is a reason that I feel the way I do about things.  Am I bold enough to express my testimony of  those important things?  Am I courageous enough to try and explain how I have come to those conclusions?

As a disciple of Jesus Christ I am called to the work of sharing His great mission, and helping to build His Kingdom upon the earth.
I may be but one small voice in the huge interchange of dialogue and information.

And yet, out of small things can proceed that which is great....

Struggling with my Lifestyle Change

I refuse to use the "D" word.  I swore that I would never, never, never again go on one of the "D" words.  Instead, Brian and I have adopted a new Lifestyle Change. Hmmmmph.

I tell myself to avoid the scale.  I tell myself that no good can come of it.  I tell myself, instead, 'Oh, look how loosely my jeans are beginning to fit!'  'See how much better I feel?'  'I don't feel deprived at all!'

Hmmmmmmph.

This morning a sweet friend dropped by to return some sheet music she had borrowed.  As a gesture of thanks, the music was accompanied by a lovely plate of valentine cookies, the real deal, homemade with pink icing and assorted candy garnishments.

They have been sitting on top of the piano all day.  I have walked past them a time or two.  I sat down to play a song and pretended not to notice they were there.

Sometimes I wonder why each person seems to have their own personal temptations, or weaknesses.  I have no desire to smoke a cigarette.  I don't even know what beer tastes like.  But, put a plate of homemade cookies in front of me and I become weak in the knees.  My mouth waters.  All voices of reason and good sense go out the window.

To my credit, the plate remains untouched.  I haven't broken off a corner, pried off a red hot, nor tasted a speck of frosting.

Hmmmmmmph!

"To Nobody, then will I write"

I have done it again. I have gotten preoccupied with who is reading rather than what is being written. I'm sorry that I keep having to remind myself that my blog is my own; it is my outlet for my benefit. It is available to those who choose to stop by, but the one that should be gaining the most is myself. And when I use it properly, that is exactly what happens.

Here is a revisit of an older post. Not because you need to hear it; because I do.

I was introduced to a new friend today. Miranda did the honors. She knew I would make a connection with this dear lady, one who steps off the page and instantly becomes more than an acquaintance. Although her formal name is Frances Burney, a British author at the turn of the 19th century, I think I will prefer to enjoy the more familiarity of her nickname, Fanny. Fanny was a gal ahead of her time.

Fanny's first journal entry in 1768 presented a common dilemma. She knew that memory would fail her eventually so she wanted to have a place to share her "thoughts, manners, acquaintance & actions," where she could "confess (her) every thought...open (her) whole heart!"

She continues: "But a thing of this kind ought to be addressed to somebody--I must imagine myself to be talking--talking to the most intimate of friends--to one in whom I should take delight in confiding, & remorse in concealment: but who must this friend be?"

That is a dilemma that bloggers wrestle with, at least I do. With whom am I sharing my thoughts? to whom are they directed? to whom am I uncovering and baring my soul? with whom am I occasionally being silly? Although after much inner debate and finally choosing to be blissfully unaware of who is reading my blog, I think I can take a page from Fanny's book. She delighted in figuring out to whom she could direct her writing:

"To whom must I dedicate my wonderful, surprising & interesting adventures? to whom dare I reveal my private opinion of my nearest relations? the secret thoughts of my dearest friends? my own hopes, fears, reflections & dislikes?--Nobody!

"To Nobody, then will I write my journal! since to Nobody can I be wholly unreserved--to Nobody can I reveal every thought, every wish of my heart, with the most unlimited confidence, the most unremitting sincerity to the end of my life!"

While Fanny's newfound freedom in writing to Nobody enabled her to write with utter honesty, her private thoughts were reported so fully and faithfully that, in the end, every reader is able to share them and relate to her Universal truths. That is a tremendous accomplishment. While I don't enjoy the freedom of my posts being read posthumously, I do hope that as I work through the reflections and musings and deliberations of my life and share them freely with "Nobody", perhaps some particle of truth will resonate with you, whomever you are, and that occasionally I might prompt you to look at something in a new way, or to set your sights on a new goal, or to express your previously inhibited feelings.


Thanks, Fanny. I think we are going to be good friends.

Looking for My Expertise

I've heard that if you want to have a successful blog, you need to specialize.  You need to declare yourself an expert at something, and then focus on that one area of proficiency.  Then as people look for information, instruction, education about that "one thing", there YOU are! 

Well.  That puts me at quite a disadvantage then.  I am expert at nothing; I have experimented with a lot of hobbies, but I am the master of none. 

I am very good at fixing dinner for my husband and I.  I am very good at getting the laundry done once a week.  I am reasonably good at keeping an organized home.  BORING!

I like to write.  I like to find connections between seemingly unrelated things.  I like to play the piano.  I like to read worthwhile books.  I like to plan trips.  I like to travel.  I like to watch old movies.

I used to be a really good scrapbooker....

I used to paint....

I used to....

Nobody wants a blog about "used to's". 

Time to find something new.

Period.

Wait for iiiiiiiiit! ( The Perfect Wave or the Pounding)

Having had the opportunity recently to watch at length the behavior of surfers, I have observed a few consistent patterns.  One is that many of them are as children, understanding the innate joy of play.  Putting the cares of the world aside, they head into the pounding surf, ready to take on the unpredictable nature of the waves.  This purposeful vulnerability must bring a reminder that life is short, youth is fleeting, and aging happens all too quickly.

I have also observed that there is more than one way to approach this challenge.  I notice that some surfers seem to glory in the experience, drinking deeply of the exhilaration, while frequently drinking deeply of the salt after a particularly impressive wipeout.  This does nothing to hinder their enthusiasm, nor does it frighten them away from tackling the next big one to come along.

These are the type I love to watch.  They seem equally oblivious to the show they are giving me as they are to the consequences of their risk-taking; the adventure is all about them and their pursuit of the great ride.

A higher percentage of surfers belong in another category.  I call them the drifters.  They may have told all their friends, 'I am going surfing today', but they are all talk and no show.  While sunning themselves like sea lions, they float on their boards for hours at a time, seemingly waiting for the perfect wave that, in their minds, must never come. 

What are they really waiting for?  Do they think they will become expert without taking a few chances?  Failure is part of the process.  Experimentation is the precursor to success.  A few good poundings are the price to be paid.

Maybe I am not one to talk.  I can never see myself venturing out into the surf that way.  Certainly I would fall into the latter category, hoping for a little sun on my face as the only reward for the day.

But I hope that as a metaphor for life, that I belong in the first group; that I am venturing into deeper, more challenging water, for that is where the true opportunities lie.  Youth is fleeting, in fact in my case, it has pretty much flown.  I am all too aware that life is short and the time for boldness is now.  It is time to grab my board and go head first into the pounding surf.  I may not successfully ride the first wave.  Nor the second one either.  But I still intend to keep on trying, clutching tightly to the hope of "The Big One".

If nothing else, I intend to recapture the joy of play.

Another lesson I have learned from the surfers?  Regardless of the number of successful rides, everyone gets thumped and bruised by the erratic, sneaky waves anyway.  So why not take a few risks?