Summer Bucket List

Oops, took a month-plus blogging break without even meaning to. I have been busy, which will always be true, but mostly I just didn't take the time to sit down, think and write.Here's to a new month (10 days late) of recording my life as it happens! (I wish I had started on July 1, but oh well).

June was a busy month, full of sand soccer, regular soccer, lots of yoga, discovering how much I love fresh juices, and deciding where I wanted to move.

July has started off busy as well, with a 7-day trip to Boston, July 4th at Fenway Park, and some quality family and friend time, and some relaxation at the Trapp Family Lodge, which of course I loved because the Trapp Family story inspired the Sound of Music!!

 

Now it's almost time to go back home to humid FL, for more sand soccer, and crossing things of that Summer Bucket List!!

A few weeks ago I started jotting down some summer goals on my phone, and it quickly turned into a long list.... So I am posting it here to keep myself accountable to the items on the list. Some are serious, some are silly, but I firmly believe that it is good to have goals that challenge you so life doesn't get stale ;)

Summer Bucket List
Golf
Play tennis with Dad
Go vegan/vegetarian for a week
No caffeine for a week
One day no phone
Social media free week/weekend
Read five books (outside of book club)
Run 10 miles at once

Sign up for a race (10k or higher)
5 days no tv
Keep nails painted all summer
Drink a corona Rita
Take an impromptu trip
Save more money
Don't avoid people when you run into them ;)
Visit Danielle in Miami
Lose 10 lbs
Get second tattoo
Buy ray ban aviators
Have a steamy make out session 💋

So there you have it! Ready, set, go!!

One Year

Last Sunday marked one year since the world lost my sweet Nana. It was a day of mixed emotions to say the least. I am in awe at how fast a year has gone by, and felt both like a million things and nothing at all happened in that time frame. I spent most of the day at my childhood church, St Stephens,  celebrating our priest, Father John's 50th anniversary of his ordination. I was baptized at St. Stephens by Father John, in the cafeteria because the church wasn't finished being built yet. I did all of my CCD, PREP and Confirmation classes there, and it has always been my home church, an open, faithful and loving community that I am proud to be a part of. The church itself is breathtaking, huge and open, with beautiful and special details. The music is second to none. I stood next to one of my best friends last year at this church as she married the love of her life, and it is a wonderful, wonderful place. Anyways, end ramble, back to the topic. We celebrated with a beautiful mass celebrating Fr John, with heartwarming stories, beautiful songs, and a gigantic church packed 100% to the brim with parishioners from near and very far, to gather and celebrate a wonderful man who is truly a servant of God, and who has been a comforting, loving and faithful presence for so many people.

Anyways, again off topic. Nana. It seemed fitting that this celebration occurred on the anniversary of her death, because she was the Godliest woman I have ever met. She went to church every day, prayed daily with her  Italian prayer novena, which my grandpa now has taken over praying with every day since she left us, and she had the quietest, but most faithful spirit I have ever encountered. She was so gentle, so kind, so loving, quiet, caring, friendly and generous. So many things have reminded me of her over the past year, and I smile thinking of her, always. My sister told us a few weeks ago that she used to pinch Nana's skin, which was so pale and soft in her old age. I crack up laughing thinking about my sister gently pinching the skin on Nana's frail, soft arm and hands, and that she would think Emily was a nut case for doing this, but smiling and letting her do it anyway.

Being in the church on that sad day was comforting, my dad and I talked about her a little bit, how she would have loved to see the turnout of people, all celebrating someone who was so close to God, just like Nana was. It made me feel close to her, which was a nice reminder that she may be gone from the Earth, but never far from our hearts.

Nana, we miss you and love you always and forever.

Blog Every Day in May

Wow...I set out to blog every day in May, was given interesting prompts, and even wrote posts, but end up posting less frequently than normal. Fail...

Anyways, I will attempt to catch up....

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

I miss being young and careless. In middle school, I wasn’t the most popular kid, I was awkward with the whole package of awkwardness: braces, glasses(tinted blue no less so my eyes wouldn’t be damaged by the sun. Thanks mom), thick bangs, strange clothes, and hairy legs (until I was 12 and allowed to shave them). But this didn’t bother me, or my friends. We were all sort of awkward in our own ways, but we were also pretty confident with ourselves, we were smart, but not super nerds, most of us played sports, and we were just happy to be ourselves. Life hadn't turned into a place full of judgement for us yet, we hadn't felt pressure to live up to expectations yet, we just had a good time having sleepovers, watching scary movies and freezing peoples bras. We couldn’t wait to grow up, but were happy right where we were, content with who we were, and did what  we wanted (or what our parents would let us do), and that was a great feeling, even if we weren't aware of it yet.

I have included a picture to document the awkwardness, just for fun. :)

Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

I thought this was easy topic to choose, until I went off on a complete mental tangent. I want to rant about people. People can be so mean, so hurtful and so selfish and don’t even give it another thought. When did this world become so full of judgement? When did it become ok to hurt peoples feelings on purpose? When did it become ok to not listen? People are so self-righteous these days, constantly looking down on anyone who does or thinks things differently than they do. I am in no way innocent of this, judgements slip through your mind and cross your lips before you have barely registered them, and sometimes I am quick to jump into a conversation without truly listening to what the other person is saying. But at least I acknowledge that it occurs, and TRY to make an effort to be a better listener, a better friend, a better human. Some people are so wrapped up in their own world they cant even do that, and it makes me sad. For some reason talking about humans being selfish led me to think about excuses. Excuses are everywhere, lurking, surfacing and abundant. I am not innocent of this, by any means, but the guilt of making excuses never fails to build up and grab at me. Excuses about eating healthy, about losing weight, about working out, about their relationships, about why they aren't working at their dream job, aren't making that move to the new city, aren't living out their dreams in any way, shape or form. Again I'm not innocent in this, but I am trying to make a conscious effort to find out what truly tugs at my heartstrings, and to let those things guide my life as much as possible.