A little …. me time.

I played hooky from Church today, cause I needed a me day. I slept in, got some laundry going, watched some trash TV, reset all out clocks cause of the end of daylight savings time and just kind of … hung out. AT some point today I might do my taxes. Mine are never really that hard it’s just waiting for all the documentation to arrive so I can do it then … procrastination. Eventually however I’ll sit down, download the program and get it done. 

Yesterday me and my coworkers participated in a chili cook off that ended up being a very long day. We have been doing this for several years, skipping last year cause of Covid (in 2020 it was the last thing we did before everything shut down). It was pretty cool cause they moved it this year to an area that we are helping revamp and so it was like our project was literally on display. At one point the project manager of that project was talking to someone else when a huge 18 wheeler went through the Roundabout that we designed and everything stopped in our tent as we watched this huge truck make its way through it. One of the big deals of that part of the project was that Mardi Gras Floats had to be able to navigate it (successfully done a few weeks ago btw) and big 18-wheelers that often used the route needed to be able to navigate it as well. After what we saw on Saturday … mission accomplished. We were all quite proud.

I got there at 8:30 but the guys doing the actual cooking got there at 5AM. It was stupid cold. Like in the low 30s cold and windy. The cold wasn’t so bad cause you could put on layers but that wind just cut you in half. When I got there at 8:30 it was still pretty bad but overall it was a good team building day of fun, laughter, selling our chili to people, and raising money for the American Cancer Society. I get there around 9ish cause by then the table is clear of all the “food prep” and I can put out the tablecloth with our name on the font of course and the give a way items and make the booth “pretty.” Every year once we are there, I think damn we could have done more to decorate but our focus is always on the chili not the extras around it. We are hearing that our chili came in 2^nd … but no official results yet. Everyone that tried it said it was good and that’s good enough for us. So all in all a great day.

However, I decided to take today as a me day. I’m doing what I want when I want and how I want. Which includes updating everyone on this blog. I am now some 13 days into Lent. I have not had caffeine, nor been on social media since Mardi Gras (March 1^st). The lack of caffeine has nearly done me in. The headache was unbareable for the first 3 or 4 days. At one point it hurt to even touch my head let alone brushing my hair. At one point I almost downed a coke just to make it go away. My SIL said “you can take a break on Sundays” but I thought one coke would end it all so I refrained. I have had more water than I think I have ever drank in my life. I have also used the bathroom more than I have ever in my life. Which I guess is a good thing. I can see inches falling away, slowly but surely. Plus I feel better. I’m also sleeping more than I ever have. I seem to be overly exhausted either due to lack of caffeine or the last few months of non-stop insanity. Either way it’s been nice getting some actual rest. I guess that’s what the lack of being on my phone will do for a person.

Golden is also doing some self care during these 40 days, she’s doing her 40 acts of kindness as usual but has also started a vow of silence on Sundays. No using her phone for social media, no texting or talking just her working in her art therapy books, journals, reading, and just playing with her dog. I’m glad she’s doing that cause I think she really needs a day to recharge and chill.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks, the SEC Gymnastics Championships, the NCAA Regionals, National Tournament, the Final 4, Invictus Games, French Open, Indianapolis 500, Wimbledon, all kinds of fun athletics on display. So it should be an interesting few months!

Hope you guys are having a great Lent!

Marcy

Lent - 2019 Social Media Break for Lent

It’s Lent people. 

Well ok not yet, but starting Ash Wednesday, Lent will be in full effect and I'll be back at work so I'm posting this today on my day off for Mardi Gras. You guys I actually went to a parade this year … it was fun ….. the weather wasn't so great but the floats were fun …. 

Now I don’t consider myself a wholly religious person. Yes I go to church, yes I participate in various events (vacation bible school, Easter egg hunts, anything really dealing with the kiddos etc.) but this is a practice I've really gotten into for the last several years cause it allows me to shift my focus from me to the world around me. What is Lent you might be asking me . . . well not me cause I’m not there but likely the person you are with... I'll answer since that person seems preoccupied to do so ….. rude....  

Well according to dictionary.com it’s …. 

According to Wikipedia it’s ….

Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian Calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, doing penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and self-denial. In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in order to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's journey into the desert for 40 days. Many Christians also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves near to God.

However, Lent isn't only about "giving up" things you could ADD prayer to your day, ADD reading the bible, Add Meditation about what your spiritual journey means to you. I also found this list of things you can "give up" that can have a positive impact on your life and those around you …. enjoy.

Golden used to do a 40-acts Lent event ….. a British movement that uses the 40 days of Lent to focus on the religious principle of giving to others from a Christian perspective. 40 days of giving back, doing good, and living generously. 

Basically it’s 40 random acts of kindness while expecting nothing in return. That by the way is the very definition of a Golden but with extra profanity and diet coke thrown in for flavor. I don’t know if Golden still does the 40acts but I’m sure she does something similar if not. She’s the most giving person that I know and I know like enough people to count them without having to use my toes too. 

As I have done the last few years, 2018, 2017, I’m shutting down my social media for 40 days to regroup, live in the moment, and step away from the negativity that social media has become. Granted it’s not as “BAD” as it has been for me lately cause after my first year doing this, I got rid of a good chunk of negativity on my feeds. As I have said before I’m a huge believer in a block button, in the unfollow button and in the hide button. I think sometimes people have views that don’t align with yours and that’s ok but I don’t need to see it.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not trying to shut down views that don’t align with mine. However what most on social media users fail to realize is that a CONVERSATION about different views is good, heck one of us might even learn something from that conversation. ATTACKING one another for your different views however is NOT. People are stupid brave behind a keyboard and it’s insane. I’ll never understand it. You know what I do when I see a post I don’t like, I keep scrolling. If it’s a post that’s just really unnecessarily awful or attacking I might report them to Twitter and block said person, but I don’t give it more thought than that. I especially block and report when I see someone pretending to be someone else. That’s just wrong on so many levels. Don’t try and contact me like you are Bryan White when I know the REAL Bryan White and you aint him! Trust me I've been to the man's house, I've played with his boys, he's awesome people and that guy aint him. Just saying. That’s oddly specific but a thing that happens more often than you’d guess. PS if the blue check aint there, it’s not him. Same could be said for nearly every other “celebrity” on earth but back to the task at hand.

This post is about Lent not the breakdown of social media and ways to make it better. Maybe that’s a post for another day. For Lent I have also decided to give up SODA in addition to Social Media this year. No I didn’t suddenly move North, let me explain. For those that know me …. Coke is my downfall. I LOVE a good COLD Coca Cola, a fresh coke is like my crack cocaine, a Cherry Pepsi is my meth. Last year I gave up Coke/Pepsi but allowed myself to drink “Sprite” so I’d still have that carbonated drink in my life. However, this year …. SODA in general is out. Nothing but water, sweet tea or juice for me for the next 40 days. Lord help the people I work with. 

So I’ll see you guys on the other side, cause as you know I get real involved with this blog when I can’t do much of anything else during Lent. It’s not social media if you aren’t interacting with people so hit me up in the comments and let's use this forum as it was intended ….  

Are you guys giving anything up or adding anything to your life during this Lent season?!

Marcy (@beaslma)

Time for Lent and #GoldenActsOfKindness

Hello All!

I hope everyone has been enjoying 2016 so far! And that not too many of you are hung over from Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday Celebrations. It's Ash Wednesday and time again for Lent. I'm not a very religious person but I have always tried to observe Lent because I believe that being able to make a sacrifice, if only once a year, is good for me. Plus the money I usually save by making these sacrifices I'm able to donate to causes that I care for. So for years I've joined in with Lent, much to the confusion of family and friends who know me and my beliefs.

Last year I joined in with the group of #40acts. They are a wonderful organization but this year, I've chosen to branch out on my own. #40acts is very strictly religious based and some of their ideas were not in line with my own beliefs. But I enjoyed the experience so much that I didn't want to abandon the idea. Before I proceed I want to say please don't misunderstand, #40acts is a great organization and they are not preaching anything extreme and I'm not using my powers for evil. I just wanted to apply the concept to my philosophy and open up my capacity for kindness to more of my world around me. So this year I've been inspired to practice (what I'm calling) #GoldenActsOfKindness for the next 40 days.

So what's the plan? Well it's genius in its simplicity.

For the next 40 days I will attempt to spread happiness, joy, love and acts of kindness throughout my world. By doing this I'm hoping to accomplish hopefully two things.

1. To help even just 1 person get thru a day that they may not have thought they were going to be able to make it through.
2. Inspire others to do similar things, so that maybe by taking little steps we can all spread more than pure madness in this world. Because as a species we have to do a better job of loving each other before we rip this place apart.

If your interested in following along feel free to join me on twitter @theonlygolden and I also hope to post updates here on our blog. I am new to snapchat and am still navigating those waters, but I do hope to use my snapchat as a tool for the cause so check me out there as well if you don't mind my dumbass not completely knowing what I'm doing (@theonlygolden2).

Let me know what you guys are up to, if you make any sacrifices or have any ideas for acts of kindness.

-golden

40 ACTS

Yesterday I reminded you that your Lent is Due! Today I wanted to share that while I'm observing Lent this year I'm also signed up to participate in the "40 Acts" movement.

40acts is a British movement and isn't as well known here in the states but with each passing year it becomes more popular. They use the 40 days of Lent to focus on the religious principle of giving to others from a Christian perspective. 40 days of giving back, doing good, and living generously.

 

Whether you are religious or not, the program adapts easily for people of all faiths to join in. I came across it last year but just observed, feeling that it was too late to join in. This year, I'm no longer just an observer but also an active participant.

I have adapted the original program to fit my desires. To me, giving isn't just a religious or Christian principal, but should be something that we all strive do. This is why I am doing 40acts, 40 days to focus on random acts of kindness and generosity while expecting nothing in return. Putting that posi juju out into the universe can only lead to good things. Maybe by doing one good thing for someone, it will lead to them passing the goodness along and they, in turn, will do good for someone else, who may do the same, ad infinitum. That has to have a major impact on the world around us.

It doesn't take much. You give as much as you can afford and this year 40 acts has amended itself to different levels in order to allow anybody and everybody to join in. You don't have to be wealthy to give of yourself. You can choose the easiest of the three daily options or you can take the spirit of generosity and make it work for you and your situation. Even something that may appear small to you, could be a huge blessing to someone else.

"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

So join in this year. Even if you don't meet the challenge every day, think of how much good you can put out into the universe.

You can sign up on the website

http://www.40acts.org.uk
 
You can also participate on Twitter at @40acts as well as by using the hashtag #40acts

They also have a facebook page for those of you facebookers https://www.facebook.com/40acts


to learn more check out this video :

I will also be posting periodically on the #SayWhatMG blog and on my personal Twitter account @theonlygolden.

Let me know if you decide to take the challenge and join the movement. Making the world a better place is never easy but we have to start somewhere.

Good luck and posi juju to you all. 

Golden (@theonlygolden)