Lifestyle

Love Life

/ Jodi / 16 Comments

love life bird yellow

So it’s Friday night – though you are reading this sometime after 6:00 am EST on Saturday.  (If you haven’t caught on yet, I schedule my daily posts for 6 am EST, but I typically write them the evening before.)  😉

And for this particularly exciting Friday evening (as I am fighting off a head cold that is trying to get the best of me and a little bit of a sore back – did something at the dang gym – grr!), Marty and I ate Chinese take out (I indulged in my favorite 8-treasure rice from Jimmy Wann’s and a nice glass of Red Zin – my first all week!) in front of a warm fire… and I got to pick the movie.

I rarely even care what is on television, but I love to pick a movie on Friday evening for some reason.  ( I know – really exciting stuff – eh?!)

So, as I write this, I am not only sniffling from the nasal drip of this cold, but from literally bawling my eyes out.

We watched “The Fault in our Stars.”

I know – a little late to the game on this one – eh?  But – wow – what a beautiful story…

Ok – maybe a little mushy, a little cliche, a little predictable.

But also so life affirming, thought provoking, and a reminder of how precious life is.

A story that shows us how we need to discover that a good life does not mean we have to be famous or accomplished or published or world-renown ….

One of my favorite lines is when 16 year old cancer patient, Hazel tells her boyfriend Gus, an 18-year old young man who is dying and disappointed that he didn’t do something greater with his life:

“You say you’re not special because the world doesn’t know about you, but that’s an insult to me. I know about you.”

My BFF, Jill, and I have often said to each other throughout the years, “What’s it all about?”

I think it’s about loving…

Loving life – and the people that are in our life…

And isn’t that enough?

So what a coincidence that I had made this (yet another – been on a crafty kick this week) card with this crazy little bird that I can’t even tell you what colors I used, because I kept combining and mixing and blending a million colors until I liked it, from the SU stamp set called – of all things –  “Love Life.”

So Discover how to love life.

It is worth it.  Every cherished moment.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

And P.S.  I’ll be baking tomorrow… look for a new recipe I’m trying for Orange Slice Cookies.

The Old Porch Swing

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

snowy swing black and white

Oh the stories this old porch swing could tell…

Of afternoon story time with mama and sons,

and little boy shenanigans, plots, and plans.

Afternoon breaks for dad and mom,

important decisions discussed and planned.

Moonlight kisses,

and engagement photos.

Tears shed while swinging,

both happy and sad.

Deep conversations,

and happy reunions.

You have carried us through,

and will continue to do.

I went to the Gym yesterday…

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

See me?

IMG_5573

Yep – that’s about all you are going to see for a while of me at the gym….  Oh dear – it is NOT a pretty sight!

giphy (1)

Maybe when my form looks a bit more like this, by possibly 2020, I’ll share my tips with you!

giphy (2)For now – I was lucky to lift one foot up on this contraption:

snap gym matt and balance ballOops!  Need to flip it over!

IMG_5575Here is an ultra special top-secret sneak peak of my amazing form mid lift (action photo!)….

IMG_5579

…all while snapping the photo with my iPhone and listening to Uptown Funk on REPEAT through my headphones – AND keeping my shoes off the wall!  (which are not, God forbid, the shoes I wore to enter the gym from outside, as that is a BIG NO NO! – and there are cameras everywhere!)

Impressive – right?!  Okay – maybe not so much – but last week I couldn’t even balance with two feet on the dang thing.  Believe it or not, it takes some core muscles to do it….  And now Nick (my son and fitness instructor) said, after I proudly texted him the above photo, I need to work on one-legged squats/toe touches on the ball!  SHEESH!

So anyway- did some crunches and then planked (I know – talking like I know what I’m talking about here – right?!).

I even managed TEN (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 – count ’em kids!  10!) [ahem] girl push-ups!

But last week I could only do 6!  (Am I PITIFUL or what?!)

Here’s my view from the floor where I was covertly snapping these photos with my iPhone, trying to be discreet to the 3 or 4 other patrons that braved the 1 degree F temperatures today to join me at the gym on their lunch break.

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I’ve been trying to get up at 5am and “hit the gym” before I get too busy, but couldn’t do it yesterday, so I went at lunch time. (a great perk on days I work from home)

So hey – I’m not calling this a New Year’s Resolution!  I never stick to New Year’s Resolutions!  Does anyone??!?

And besides, I started going on December 27th – exactly one day after my BFF posted some photos of me on Facebook that made me gasp!

That is almost a full week BEFORE New Year’s Day, so it can’t count as a New Year’s Resolution!

Gotta go for the lifestyle change dealeo – right?!  ….

….again…..

If you need some motivation to get moving, I just double dare you to not boogie while you listen to this:

Are you wiggling yet?

Well – put it on repeat and get movin’!

Help hold me accountable by asking if I’ve gone to the gym today?  K friends?  I’m thinking if I tell all of you, I’ll stay accountable.  What burden I ask of you – eh?!  🙂

IMG_5581

Time for some cardio!  Are you dancing with me Jo Freehand?  How about a song to keep me moving when I burn out on Uptown Funk?

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Tired, Blocked, Blessed…

/ Jodi / 26 Comments

How is it that is is January 3rd, 2015 already?!?!

What a busy, wonderful, joy-filled holiday season it has been.

I have been a bit lazy in my posts lately, but only because I have been so busy simply enjoying life!

I have taken two full weeks off from my full-time job to just relish in and enjoy the holidays, and boy has it been lovely!

I spent the first few days of my vacation baking and shopping and last-minute preparations for the upcoming 4-days in a row of hosting festivities.

Grandmas Old Fashioned Apricot Nut Bread Last

christmas gifts 2014

We started on Christmas Eve by sharing dinner and the evening with our boys and and our sweet daughter-in-law.  We made our first prime rib dinner, exchanged gifts, and played games.

prime rib

risk christmas eve 2014

On Christmas Day, we hosted extended family for a hunky styled feast of halupkis and pierogies, ham, and lots of other goodies.

pierogi homemade polish pittsburgh

mason on christmas day

The day after Christmas was our special McHendy Christmas celebration with our “best friend family,” followed by Saturday with my Dad and “Mom II,” brothers and their families, Aunt and Uncle.

mchendy christmas

mchendy christmas 2

Sunday was spent with hubby’s 91-year-old Aunt who was in need of a little TLC.

Monday was an effort to get back to some normalcy and a bit of time in the gym.

Tuesday was prepping for New Year’s Eve celebrations, and Wednesday brought friends and family to celebrate New Year’s Eve (and my birthday!).

NYE 2014

NYE Kiss

We were fortunate to have friends stay over and enjoy New Year’s brunch.

Friday brought my first “free” day, so Marty and I took a ride to the city and I got to take some photographs with my new camera from Santa 🙂 .

pittsburgh 2 010215

Pittsburgh from west end 010215

Two more days of vacation, and I’m thinking,  “where did the time go?”

I’m glad the weekend is still in front of us!  Then it is time to get my groove back. 🙂

For now, it is cheers and hugs from a tired, but very content, very blessed, completely humbled, extremely grateful, but briefly blocked blogger who is so grateful for all of you and your “likes” and “comments” and love!

Jodi

Warmth: @ 51.364

/ Jodi / 36 Comments
Weekly Photo Challenge: Warmth - Candle Glow & Christmas Lights

Weekly Photo Challenge: Warmth

Warmth….  Awwwwhhh….  Such a cozy thought this time of year as we begin Winter and prepare for the coldest months of the year here on in Mars.

There’s nothing like curling up on the couch under a fleece blanket by the glow of candlelight and a crackling fire – especially during the holidays with the twinkling reflection of Christmas tree lights adding additional warmth to the living room.  Add a nice glass of dry red wine – maybe 7 Deadly Zins or a nice Cab – or maybe even a stiff Bombay and tonic with a twist of lime or a glass of sweet syrupy Port or some brandy over ice (oops – I digress!).

We were talking about warmth – right?  (that’s this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge).

All of this is such a lovely scenario until IT hits….

Most women out there 45 years + likely know what I’m talking about….

The family is sitting together all snuggly – watching TV, reading, looking at our computers/iPhones/iPads – and IT happens all of the sudden – out of nowhere.

My face becomes flush from the neck up, the fleece gets thrown off, the ceiling fan goes on, and I say (every single time – completely shocked and surprised – as if it were the first):

“Is it HOT in here or is it just me?”

Warmth is an understatement when IT hits!

But then, usually in less than 2 or 3 minutes, IT is gone.  The blanket gets pulled back up, another log on the fire, another sip of…..

Oh the joy of HOT flashes as I celebrate life,

New Year’s Eve,

and my (GULP!) 52nd birthday…

Today!  🙂

Warm Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS Why 51.364?

Well, unless you are reading this close to midnight on 12/31/14, I am still 51 – and hanging on to it as long as I can…

According to ancient folklore, I was born very close to midnight – almost 1/1/63 – – –  8 minutes or 12 minutes or something close to that.

So, I’m much closer to 52 for my Australian friends than my Martian friends.

But really – 51 – 52 – what’s the difference really?! Especially when IT hits!

Giving Keys and Mini Beers

/ Jodi / 28 Comments

Our family is so fortunate to have a “best friend” family.  My BFF Jill and her family make up our extended chosen family.  Together we are the McHendy Family (a combination of McKinney and Henderson). 🙂

Our kids have grown up together.  We have spent Christmases and New Years and many other holidays and celebrations together through the years (as well as a few trying times, tragedies, changes, and everything else life throws at all of us!).

This Christmas, even though are kids are grown – – with a few married and a few moved away to other states – – we were able to all gather together the day after Christmas to celebrate our family friendship.

I like to share small, but hopefully meaningful gifts with our McHendy family.

mchendy girls giving keys bracelets

This year, I was excited to find The Giving Keys for the girls.  If you haven’t heard of it, I urge you to check out their website and their mission.  Per their website, “The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then send us the story of their key being paid forward.”

I ordered a key bracelet (The Never Ending Bracelet) for each of the girls and had the word “Grateful” engraved on it, because I am grateful for each one of them in my life.  After they wear it for a while, they are to pass it on and express their gratitude to someone in their life.

mchendy girls giving keys bracelets 2

For the boys, I painted “McHendy” in gold sharpie on a shot glass for each of them.

McHendy shot glasses

To try to get them all to look relatively the same, I chose a font I liked and printed the word “McHendy” out on a sheet of white paper.  I cut it out to fit into the glass and simply drew over it while it was inside the glass.

mchendy boys shots 2

Once opened, we filled each shot glass up with a “Mini Beer.”   Have you ever had one?  They actually taste more like a creamsicle than beer, but they look like a little glass of beer, so are fun to make.  (To make a Mini Beer, simply fill a shot glass 2/3 full with Licor 43 and top with a splash of heavy cream)

mchendy boys shots

Here’s a picture (sorry a bit blurry) of our McHendy “Kids” who I love so dearly (including a few new members!)

McHendy Kids at Christmas 2014

Here they were what seems like about 10 minutes ago…

jules1

Cherishing memories then and now!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply

/ Jodi / 19 Comments

Christmas live simply

Trying to keep things in perspective

and remembering to enjoy the journey.

Life Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply.

That is what matters.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

(P.S.  Remember when doing ceramics was “all the rage?”  I still love these three little pencil Santas on the left I painted about 20 years ago.  They are hanging out in an antique jelly cupboard in our great room with a bunch of others for the season.  I have a bit of a “Santa” thang.)

My Revised Holiday To Do List

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

What are you up to this weekend?  Do you have a crazy, long, exhausting “To Do” list for getting ready for the holidays?

I recently saw a great revised list on Instagram… and it really made me think.   So I got to working on re-setting some of my own priorities.

Christmas to do list 2014

#1:  Do you have a lot of presents left to buy?  I do!  But I’m not going to worry about it.  If it gets down to the wire, I’ll just give gift cards or money.  I think my kids like that best anyway.

And when I receive a text from my cousin’s six-year old daughter like I did earlier this week that says:

I have a concert on Saturday December 13.  Can you be there?  I don’t know what time

Well – you can bet I’ll be there.  Those kind of invites are too precious to pass up!

#2:  Do you still have wrapping to do?  Remember there are always gift bags.  Instead, make sure you wrap everyone you love with lots of warm hugs.  And my little twist is to always try to be the last to let go….  You never know when you might get the chance again or how much that person needs it at that moment.

#3:  I still haven’t sent my cards out.  And you know I’m a card making fool!  Much more fun creating them than addressing and stuffing and licking envelopes, so whatever ones I do get out, I do – and it will be sent with all the love and time I put into it.  But if I don’t get them out, or even mail them after the holidays – that’s ok – right?!  No crime!  I want to make sure I’m sending love, not just a card for a card’s sake.

#4:  I’ve got lots of food shopping to do – and no worries – the stores are open 24 hours, so I will eventually get there.  What I do want to make sure we do is donate food to those in need.

#5:  I love to make cookies – and it is a rare occasion that we don’t have a homemade cookie in the house to munch on or offer a guest – but guess what?  No Christmas cookies baked yet.  I’ll get to some I’m sure.  What is more important is making time for people – like the little cutie we’re going to go listen to sing on Saturday or the chocolate-making class I went to last night with my daughter-in-law.  Sure – I could be baking, but I first want to make time for those I love.

#6:  I adore seeing all the Christmas lights, and Marty and I sure had fun at Kennywood’s Festival of Lights, but what is more important is that I make time to BE that light.

#7:  And Parties….. I kinda live for hosting parties.  We are hosting four in a row from Christmas Eve until Saturday 12/27, and then again on New Year’s Eve.  YIPPEE!  Am I stressing over it?!  NOPE!  Will I fuss?  Probably not so much.  Or maybe a little – if I have time.  But if I don’t — – not gonna worry!  As long as the people show up, we have something to eat and drink, and there is lots of love and laughing – then the party is a success!  Right?

Christmas to do list revised 2014

So check your list.  Does it need a little tweaking?  A couple of revisions?  Make sure you are cherishing each moment along the way.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

The truth revealed – my imperfect life

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

foils

So I know I post a lot about what a great life I have…    I try to share the “good stuff” and the “happy stuff.”

But we ALL KNOW life is FAR from perfect – Right?

Mine included!

I’ve had a few people say things recently that have made me feel a bit uncomfortable – like “I’m living vicariously through you,”  “Your life is perfect,” “Do you ever sleep?”

Really and truly – that is not my intention.  Please know my life is not perfect – not even close!  I get plenty of sleep – 6-7 hours every night (though dangit – I have tried to make due on less as I feel sleeping is SUCH a waste of time)!  And there are many other people worthy of living vicariously through than me!

I just happen to share the good times, the things that make me happy, the things I enjoy at “life in between” here with all of you.

When I originally started my blog, finding the right name was important, and LifeinBetween.me was born out of my desire to share the fun stuff, the good times, the crafts and hobbies and joys that occur in those moments “in between” doing all the things that are drudgery, the things we all have to do, the crap we all deal with.  My intention is to encourage readers to seek out these special moments that are within all of our reach if we just look for and allow them.

Behind the scenes – – – you don’t see the many burnt, under-baked, or misshaped cookie…

more flopped “gourmet” dinners than ones worthy of sharing (like a recent pork roast that had all of our mouths on fire from a teensy bit too much cayenne pepper)…

crookedly stamped or finger smudged cards tossed in the trash….

or how I have been trying for days to arm knit an infinity scarf!  (I am going to master this yet though!) 🙂

I don’t like to share photos of myself.  I have cellulite, humongous feet, chubby cheeks, a short neck, squinty eyes with droopier and droopier eye lids, crooked ears, and new wrinkles and crinkles appearing every day.  I am at that ridiculous point in life where I need reading glasses to see things up close, but then when I look across the table or room, everything is blurry, so off with the glasses, or down onto the tip of my nose like a granny, or up on top of my head completely ruining any type of hairstyle I am trying to maintain.  Then there are the hot flashes that cause my face to just glisten and glow for no good reason, and typically at the most inopportune times and ALWAYS between 7:30 – 8:00 pm EVER SINGLE evening!

Shall I go on?  There is plenty more self-deprecation I can share…

My mom is alive, but we sadly don’t have a relationship, along with some others from my family who I love, but can’t have a relationship with for my own mental health and well-being.

So don’t envy or want to emulate, but do join me in seeking out the good, the happy, the joyful, the simple pleasures, the cherished moments that make our life (in between and otherwise) good.  Because it is there – within our reach – for all of us.  And it doesn’t take much.  Like maybe a box of M&Ms with a note on to our postal carrier to thank him or her for the “Miles and Miles” they travel every day to bring us our mail (granted most is junk or bills – but remember – we are keeping positive here!) LOL!  🙂

payitforward2014 mail carrier miles and miles mandms lifeinbetween.me

Check out that mailbox we have!  Not so perfect – eh?  Quite embarrassing actually!  But I’m hoping I brought a smile to my mail carrier’s tired face today, because our mail still wasn’t in it at 4:30 pm, which means he is having a very long day!

payitforward2014 homefront hugs hero christmas wishes ornamental pine lifeinbetween.me

Or send a card to someone serving our country over the holidays (feel free to send one to Christian – our Homefront Hugs Hero for the “payitforward2014” Jingle RACK Challenge).  I crafted this card on the blank card Jill sent, and Marty is writing the note.  Plenty of bloopers on this card, but you know what we say in the stamping/cardmaking world???  A mistake is an “Opportunity for Embellishment!”

It’s all about looking on the bright side – knowing we all have dark moments, tears, loneliness, grief, heartache, imperfect families, imperfect bodies, burnt cookies, and flopped dinners.

But there are plenty of awesome things to celebrate, and I hope you will join me in seeking them and embracing them, doing your best…

at life in between…

Cheers & Imperfect (but very tight) Hugs,

Jodi

jodi mckinney lifeinbetween

Sharing & Owning Up to all the Wrinkles, Crinkles, Sags, Droops, Chubs, & Squints – Up Close & Personal

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that…….

/ Jodi / 7 Comments

jodi

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that….

those who are cold will have warm shelter,

those hearts that have turned cold and hard will melt and soften,

those in darkness will be enlightened,

those who are lonely will feel loved,

those who are lost will find their way.

This is my Christmas wish.

Cheers & Hopeful Hugs,

Jodi