Compassion is a Verb

As a writer, I'm very familiar with the ins and the outs of the language.  If you're a writer too, you might be reading the title of my blog thinking, no it's not - compassion is a noun.  It's a feeling.  It's not something you do.

I'm here to tell you otherwise.

A verb is an active word.  It's something that you do.  It's something that you're a part of.  

Let me tell you about a little movement that I'm a part of - a movement that I'd like you to join.  

Welcome to the Year I Turn 40!

It's 2015.  I can't believe it.  This is (duh...duh...duh...da!) the year that I'll turn 40.  The big four-oh.  Over the hill.  One year closer to pushing up the daisies.

Nah...I'm just kidding.

I'm just turning forty.

I'm not dead yet.

I have friends who dread the passing of every year.  They dismay at each little wrinkle.

That's just not me.

I've earned each and every one of my laugh lines.  Sure...a few of them may have come from stress - but stress makes diamonds.  And I'm certainly getting there.

I have so much left to do!

This is the year that I'll get a new job.  And unlike before, I'm not going to limit myself - I'm going to jump out of my comfort zone and see what's out there.  It's time for a change.

This is the year that I'll tackle new things.  I plan (among other things) on visiting a local wind tunnel with my soon to be seven year old to experience weightlessness.  I've always wanted to go skydiving - but it's a little too risky with three kids and an ex-husband like mine - I'll wait until their older.

I also plan on ziplining with my son, and possibly (potentially) tubing over white water (we'll have to see if he's comfortable with it, he's not a particularly good swimmer).  If he's not coming...I may go anyway.

I might go to Vegas.  If not...I'm sure something else will pop up.  Maybe New Orleans.  That would be fun.  If not, I've never been to Chicago.  Or Rhode Island.  There is definitely some travel in my near future.

As of January, I'll have been writing and blogging for a whole year.  I understand most people don't make it past a couple of months.  I'm going to celebrate that too.  And I'm now a featured columnist on DivorcedMoms.com.  Look for new and interesting articles there shortly.  And I'm going to start branching out - it's time I get seen on other sites.  

I'm telling you - 2015 is going to be a great year.  What have you got planned?

Image Credit (edited):  "Fireworks" by sippakorn / freedigitalphotos.net

Follow Live by Surprise on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Pinterest and Bloglovin 

#AAF with Echo of Domain of the Mad Mommy

Well, 2014 is almost over.  And the promises of one of my favorite trilogies, Back to the Future, remain unfulfilled.  
This was the year we were supposed to have flying cars, hover skateboards and a revival of eighties fashion (ok...I'm not so worried about that last one).

6 Steps to Make More Time for Blogging

I'll admit it...mothering three kids and holding down a full time job and keeping up a blog is a bit more of a struggle then I'd anticipated.  My blog is suffering.  I've still got great ideas - but I have a new director who is offering me new opportunities (yes...that's what I'm going to call them...she's not an passive aggressive bitch who appears to need to show me the size of her cahones...this is an opportunity for me to grow).

Whoops...sorry...I digressed there a bit...

So I'm determined to make more time in my day so I can fit in job, kids and blogging.

Back to Work - A New Chapter Begins

Well...it's been a nice run.  I've been very lucky to have a kind employer who was willing to allow me over one year unpaid leave after the birth of my third child.  Two summers home with my kids.  For the first time ever, a whole year to wait at the bus stop for the kids to come home.  A fantastic vacation with hubs and Bae to Holland.  Walks to the park.  And the opportunity to pursue my own new favorite hobby - blogging.

It's very rare in the good ol' USA to have such an understanding and forward thinking employer (who, being an anonymous blogger, I can't name, and who don't know about my blog anyway...).  I can tell you it's not Hobby Lobby.

Ask Away Friday With Jenessa

So last week was my very first #AAF Ask Away Friday.  I swapped questions with April from the 100 lb Countdown.  And truthfully...I was going to take a break for a month or so.  But while I was hopping through the #AAF blogs, I came across the lovely Jenessa Mullen from Mothering {In Real Life}.  Like me, Jenssa was also an #AAF virgin until last week.  And so we came together and this was the result.  

But before I start - a recap on Ask Away Friday:

#AskAwayFriday was created by the amazing Penny from Real Housewife of Caroline County as a way to connect with other bloggers.  The format is a a great Q & A session between two blogs - 10 questions and 10 answers!  It's a great opportunity to get familiar with other blogs (and bloggers), as well as to promote your own blog.  And the added bonus is you can make new friends!

These ladies are the amazing #AskAwayFriday hosts…

Ask Away Friday with April Grant from the 100 lb Countdown

Friday has always been one of my favourite days.  The start of the weekend.  Extra time with my kids.  Time to decompress and get ready for the next week ahead.
And this Friday is no different - except that this Friday, I've been asked to participate in #AskAwayFriday!
What is #AskAwayFriday? Well…

#AskAwayFriday was created by the amazing Penny from Real Housewife of Caroline County as a way to connect with other bloggers.  The format is a a great Q & A session between two blogs - 10 questions and 10 answers!  It's a great opportunity to get familiar with other blogs (and bloggers), as well as to promote your own blog.  And the added bonus is you can make new friends!

Surgeon General's Warning: Contents of this Post May Make You Angry

New day, new rant.  This one may potentially alienate some of my readers.  I can't say I'm sorry if it does - if you're offended by this, you're not my type of people anyway.

My cousin, we'll call him Ray, separated from his wife and after about nine months, met a new woman.  Which is great for him.  The separation wasn't his idea, and it hit him hard.  He tried very hard to get her to come back.  But it wasn't working.  For her or for him.  I think he's come to terms with it now.  They had a child together - and they're working fairly amicably together to co-parent him.

Lessons Learned: How Divorce Changed Me - Guest Post

You may recall earlier this month I did a blog review on some of my new favourite Mommy Bloggers.  If you missed it, look here:  Blogger Reviews Part Deux - Mommy Bloggers!   Jessica Terry from 4 the Love of Mommy has graciously agreed to write a guest post for today's blog.

I am sure that if I look back at my first marriage that the warning signs were probably there. Before the kids came, before we ever walked down the aisle, I am sure if I looked hard enough, they were there.

Blogging and Hypocrisy...

I read a blog this week from a SAHM who was admonishing divorced mothers and step moms for blogging about their troubles.  She suggested, in general, that if you don't have something nice to say, you shouldn't say it at all.  She suggested that the potential for damaging the relationship with your ex (or your spouse's ex) and your children (or step children) by laying yourself bare on the internet (as a divorced woman) was too great.