Several years ago, during my 4th year of teaching, I was up in my AP's office and told me a card I had written her was going in her "Sunshine File."

"Sunshine File?"
"Yeah, it's where I put all the nice things people write to me and then when I'm having a tough day I pull it out."


I was totally sold and, now, on each new computer I have had and in each e-mail account I've created I also create my "Sunshine File" folder.



Some days I purposely go back and reread the things in there and other days, like today, I just randomly come across great e-mails, wonderful words that pick me right up.

Here are a few from mine...they go all the way back to 2006 and I bet if I pulled out my "box" I'd find some from middle school (probably folded into some shape with BFF W/B ASAP on it)

Sunshine from my aunt


Sunshine from a little one I used to work with 


Sunshine from my Jedi Master



Sunshine from my brother...1 of the almost 300 e-mails we wrote back and forth during his deployments in the Navy



So, here's my challenge...have you written anything "Sunshine File" worthy lately?  Go ahead, write something.  Perhaps they'll be crazy and reread it over and over and over.  Maybe it will be just the thing to pick them up on an asstastic day?!

If you don't have a Sunshine File, create one now.  You can thank me later...and I'll pass that thanks along to Faith who taught me all about Sunshine Files!

Do people bother you?

Do you love to be alone or with people all the time or 1/2 and 1/2?



Pretty much everyone in my family is an extrovert.  As you can imagine, it's a real b!@#$, fighting for talking time when we all get together ;)

I love to be around people ALL. THE. TIME.  Interesting how you say that since you're never dating anyone.  Touché.


Like, right now, this minute I'm lonely.
It's noon and I've talked to 3 people on the phone and Skyped with 1 person.
My roommate left an hour ago.
Phew, Danielle just text back.
My need for constant conversation is being fulfilled.
I know that every mother on the planet is saying, "I wish I had your life.  What I wouldn't give for 5 minutes of peace and quiet."  Yeah yeah moms.  I don't feel bad for you (I mean I do feel a little bad but you feel bad for me too.  You get a million hugs and kisses a day.  Scout only gives me 10 per day).  Let's trade lives...you'll miss the noise.




I really don't understand people who wanna be alone.  I LOVE to chit chat.  When I lived with Michelle she had to set some limits on my talking..."Um, I need at least 15 minutes when I get home to not talk."  It worked too.  It was hard work but I gave her that time.

This is not to say I love to "go out" all the time.  I would much rather just hang out at someone's house or a fairly quiet bar and chat.  Congratulations, you're 80.  I am.  A nice evening in with some pals is my idea of a great time.  I don't wanna be home alone though.  




Question, is it still an extrovert if:
A.  You can't make conversations with strangers.  SO, scary for me.  Hmm, I think we have a clue into your singleness Kathryn.  

B.  You actually try and will people to stop talking with your eyes when they are boring you.  People bore me a lot.  Talk quickly and be interesting.  Talk quickly, like you "talk quickly" writing your ongoing blogs every damn day?!  Yeah, like that.

Side picture.

I went on Pinterest to find some extrovert pictures and found these.  I want them right now.  Mini cheesecakes in jars.  Oh my God.
                                    

Meanwhile, I'll try and respect your need for silence if you promise to talk to me 24 hours a day.  

A long time ago I saw the movie, "The Story of Us."  Obviously I loved it.  It was about a family, the deep relationships in it and love.  I mean, I think they MADE it for me.

During they movie they play a game around the table every day.  High/Low.



Since this movie I have played this game with every person who I have come in contact with for more than 24 hours...ok, some I've known less than 24 hours.

What's the game Katie?

So, here are the rules.  When it's your turn, you say your "low" of the day and then your "high" of the day.  That's the whole game?  It's not much of a game.  

PS. It's called High/Low but I like to do the Low first then the High so you end on a positive note but I don't wanna change the name because Low/High sounds dumbballs.  <---Lol, I just said that word and it sounded like gumballs.  I really amuse myself.

My brother says, "I !@#$ing hate High/Low."  I know most might believe him because why would someone cuss and be so intense if he didn't really hate it.  Because...it's Tom.  He doesn't hate it.  I'm sure he doesn't.  Why would anyone hate this game?

Here are all the reasons I love it.  Before I start this list, I feel like it would be a million things but I'll probably get tired of writing about about 5 things...but I really do love it a lot, more than just 5 things.

1.  It gives everyone an opportunity to talk equally.  Ohhh, I just realized why Tom hates it.  He likes to be in charge of 100% of conversations so you really have to claw your way in but with High/Low, no clawing necessary.

2.  It encourages communication!  I heart communication.  PS.  If you have moody sweet teenagers, this is a GREAT way to get them to talk.  No more, "How was your day?" "Fine."  Change it up!  High/Low.



3.  You can get a pulse on where everybody is at that time.

4.  My nephew sounds freaking ah-dorable when he plays.  For some reason he must have heard us always start the game with, "How was your day?"  So when we say, "Let's play High/Low," he says, "How was your daaaayyyyy?"

The other day we played on Skype.  I was surprised he said yes because he usually says, "Aunt Katie, High/Whoa is only for dinner time."   He says, "And, my whoa (low), I don't have a whoa today Aunt Katie.  It was just a great day."  <---love him

And I asked Lily, "What was your high?"
"Ummm, Walmart."
"Walmart?  Did you get a doughnut?"
"Yep!"

If you're still not convinced this is the best game ever invented, guess what else?  The Kardashians also play-except they call it Peak/Pit.  It's a cute name but I'm sticking with High/Low and if you play after reading this, you have to call it High/Low too.  Ok?  Deal? Deal.

Whoops!  I haven't been great about blogging every 5 days on my Whole 30.


 I FEEL AMAZING.  Yes, amazing.

2.  I have tons of energy.  No 4:00 slump, just even energy throughout the day.

3.  I sleep great.  I don't know if I ever slept bad but I'm sleeping great.

4.  My face is thinner.  Ya'll know I hate fat face (say that with a twangy accent).  My face isn't fat anymore.  YES, YES, YESSSSSSS!

Katie, you've officially put this photo everywhere.  That's enough.

5.  I have lost weight...I don't know how much but some of my clothes are looser.

Since we're riding this positive wave, I'll continue.


Non-Whole 30 related awesomeness...

6.  I got the Ok from my doctor to go back to Crossfit 480-almost full force.  Still no running or jumpy things but back to lifting and other stuff.  SO HAPPY.  I went back, for the first time, today and I was so freakin happy when I left.  I just love it there.

3 time champ...Hot Rich Froning.  Hot.  Hot.

7.  I'm on a mission...a mission to get married this year (maybe to the man in the picture above.  Ha!).  Yes that's right.  Katie, you sound insane.  I know.  My other mission to date people failed so I'm just going to get married.  Any takers?  No?  You might have been interested but this post mixed with my Pinterest boards about a future wedding and children have completely scared you away.  Great.



PS.  I wouldn't wanna lead you astray so I will tell you that my friend who is doing with me and I agreed that we are going to do Whole 30 + drinking.  Umm, that's not Whole30 Kathryn.  Yeah I know, but this ain't my first rodeo (my dad says that a lot...does anyone else say that) and I'm doin' it.  Cheers.

WARNING: QUITE a controversial topic here.  Continue reading at your own risk.

Are you Catholic?  Jewish?  Christian?  Agnostic?  Atheist?

I don't like to get all preachy on here because that's not really what I designed this blog for but I have a few stories to share...

I was raised Catholic.
We went to church, every Sunday, as a family.
My mom was my CCD teacher.
I know all my prayers...even Glory Be.
I have received all of the Sacraments necessary, to date.
And even though I haven't been to church is about a year, I could jump in and follow every step of Mass like a Boss.

But...I don't know if I was ever REALLY Catholic.  I mean I can recite the Nicene Creed with the best of them but more than Catholic, my brother and I were raised with a ton of faith and somehow we still have all of it.

I think that religion can breed intolerance.

I don't believe, for one second, that God wanted us to do any of the following:
Stay single forever (Nuns and Priests)
Stay celibate until marriage; I wouldn't even encourage my own daughter to do this
Hate or condem ANYone (Gay, straight, atheist, purple polka dotted)
Push our religion on people as if it were the ONLY way
Be intolerant of one another.
Not have a sense of humor about Him.
Believe that people were going to Hell.
Quote a book that was written by over 40 men over the course of 1,500 years as if it had no mistakes and was absolute fact on how everything should be done now.



Now, I also believe it can do amazing things.

I loved growing up Catholic.  "On Eagle's Wings," is still my favorite church song.

I loved going to my friend's Non-Denominational Christian churches and singing fun songs.  "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High"
I had aspirations to be Mormon like my friend's family.  I loved the idea of Family Home Evening and folding our arms to pray.
Some of my favorite people are Jewish.
Some of my coolest students were Muslim.
I have gone to a Lutheran church and it almost felt like home.


So...what religion am I?  I'm not sure...but here's the story all my faith is based around...

To be continued.

Love me some asparagus

I know the OJ isn't a great idea.  I only had a few sips and threw a lot away.

I brought these for a friend who just had a baby. Why do I torture myself?

Totally overcooked my salmon...bad move

Do you think Thank You Notes are important?
Do you send them?
Do you send them for everything or just when it's not Christmas?
Is a Thank You text acceptable?
Is a Thank You Facebook post acceptable?
Is a Thank you form letter ok?
Do you make your kids write them?
Can you write a thank you blog?

When I was little I HAD to write all of my one Thank You notes as soon as I could write and before I could write I had to dictate them while I sat next to my mom.

She was huge on thank you notes.

I, am also huge on thank  you notes.  However, I am evolving with the times.


Here are my answers...


Do you think Thank You Notes are important?
VERY
Do you send them?
Yes...most of the time.  Sometimes I'm a jerk and forget.  I have friends who are amazeballs at sending them-every single time.  Once I sent 3 to the same person for the same gift because I kept forgetting whether I had sent one.

Do you send them for everything or just when it's not Christmas?
Not for Christmas but I try for other things. 

Is a Thank You text acceptable?
Yes, I think so.  I think it's totally ok (and pretty cute) to get a thank you text with a picture of them using/wearing what I sent.   small things.  Example.  Sent a shirt-thank you text is fine.  Planned a wedding shower-thank you text is not fine. Needs to followed with an actual note.

Is a Thank You Facebook post acceptable?
Sure.  See above

Is a Thank you form letter ok?
No, it's not specific enough

Do you make your kids write thank you notes?
Someday-fo sho

Can you write a thank you blog?
Obvi I say yes.  I think they are very specific and to that person.  



So, what are your thoughts?