Sometimes, I have to think and think…and think about what I should focus on in a blog post. Other times, like today, something happens which triggers a thought that prompts me to say, “I need to write about this.” Yep, that’s how the title above came to be.
If you know me, you know that during the school year my alarm goes off around 4. Most days I’m out of bed before 4:30, but I’m rarely still in bed at 5. Why? I like to get an early start in my classroom since I often leave by 3:30 to go to the gym. When summer comes, I turn off my alarm clock (unless plans dictate otherwise). So far, my body continues to wake me between 3:30 and 4:30 each morning, but I lay back down and try to fall back to sleep. Some mornings, I’m successful and sleep past 6. Today, Whoot! Whoot!, I didn’t get out of bed until AFTER 7:00. I was proud of myself. That may seem like a little thing to you, since most wouldn’t consider that sleeping in, but to me…that was HUGE!
Off to the gym I went. I’m currently in the midst of my 3rd 100-mile-challenge of 2022. My goal is to have it finished by the time I meet my parents for breakfast on Saturday. This morning, with my late-for-me start, I gave myself permission to do 10 minutes on the rower, 10 minutes on the arm cycle, and just enough arm resistance machines to close today’s Exercise Ring on my watch. On the rower, I maintained my current “normal” and finished a mile in 8 minutes, but I was thrilled to add another fourth of a mile during the final 2 minutes even though I slowed for a cool-down before switching machines. Then, on the Arm Cycle, I generally finish a mile in 5.5 minutes. However, I cranked those arms around enough to finish two miles in the ten minutes. That added over 3 miles to my 100-mile pie chart and I have less than 6.5 left. So…I’m pushing my target to finish to tomorrow by lunch instead of Saturday. It’s just a day. Not a big deal. But…to me, it’s HUGE.
Heading to my parents’ house to pick up laundry and dog-jog Banjo, I swung through Hardee’s to buy my favorite fast food breakfast. However, it’s regular price is over $5, which I won’t pay for fast food. Yet, with a coupon that expires next week, I paid only $3.20. Yes, it’s only $2.00, but that little savings made my morning. Just saying, if you haven’t tried Hardee’s Frisco Breakfast Sandwich, you really should. Just make sure you have a coupon!
During my dog-jog, Banjo generally stops…A LOT. Today, as we were at the bottom of the hill, he heard the bark of a “new dog.” In dog-language, the new dog must’ve been threatening because Banjo jogged nonstop all the way up the hill and back to his house. He had my pulse elevated higher than any of our previous dog-jogs. Was it fast? Nope. But…it was jogging, uphill, without stopping. I was proud of BOTH of us. It may seem little, but it was…you guessed it. HUGE!
Next stop was Dollar Tree. I know, I know. It’s really the Dollar-Twenty-Five Tree now, but let’s face it…rebranding would cause the prices to go up again. I went in to find a clear bowl for the trifle I’m making for small group tomorrow evening. Of course, I can’t go into that store without looking through almost every aisle. Guess what ! I found a lot of little things that brought smiles to my face. Whether it was a new placemat for RockyTop & BlackTop’s feeding station, wall decals for Room 404, Butterflies for my teacher corner (If you don’t know why I bought them, read my previous post.), a light for my no-light laundry room, or a large bottle of bubbles for feline frolicking, each item made me smile. Some made me chuckle And…even with the increase of a quarter, my 15 treasures came to under $20.
Let’s see… back on Tuesday, I made dinner for friends. The husband was injured at work and is off for several weeks. The wife is working, overseeing medical appointments, and had a lot on her plate. I provided them comfort food for dinner: Cheesy Potatoes, Homemade Sloppy Joes, and Garden-Grown Corn [Not my garden but a gift from friends.] Besides blessing them with a meal, it also provides a meal or two for myself. Well, last night, I had some cheesy potatoes with Chick-Fil-A nuggets (YUM!). I had a dilemma. The practical side of my brain said I needed to eat the remaining sloppy joes and cheesy potatoes tonight. The goal-oriented side of me said I should try this week’s new recipe [Yes, one of my summer goals is to try one new recipe each week.]. The problem rose when my grocery pickup order had the ingredients for the new recipe. I awoke with this inner battle (I know…stupid thing to be overthinking, but that’s how my brain works.).
Anyway, I walk into the kitchen and see….the cheesy potatoes still on the stove from last night. Decision made. As much as I LOVE my cheesy potatoes, I figured eating cheesy potatoes that had been sitting in a warm kitchen for 10 hours…was probably not the brightest idea. Guess what! The new recipe was delicious! I strongly recommend it. I included it below.
Okay, my little things for today are about finished. I’ll end with an email from a colleague. I responded to an email about professional development. His reply asked me if I’d been in the gym lately since he and his significant other [What do you call a girlfriend when you’re an adult?] go each day and haven’t seen me. See! That’s why I share my daily workout posts on FB. I’ve quit too many times, and I want friends to do exactly as he did. I assured him that when I go to the gym in the summer it’s generally in the morning and when I’m not there I’m either walking or pedaling my boring bike. Be a friend. Hold people accountable. It may seem like a little thing, but….it’s really HUGE.
In conclusion, what LITTLE thing can you do for someone else that could be HUGE? That meal ended up being provided on an evening when my friend was EXTRA stressed and overwhelmed because of work. That $1.25 bowl will hold a pretty trifle to feed my friends at small group. That bottle of bubbles will bring entertainment to my Instagram followers of Tales_From_Two_Kitties. Little things REALLY can be HUGE!
Speaking of little things. Why not visit Amazon and purchase one of my books. You can give it to a child or an elementary teacher. It would be a small thing, but to me…it would be HUGE!
Jodi Lea Pflaumer, Author 