Thursday Three Archives - Page 2 of 12

Thursday Three

November 20, 2015Samantha Gratton

Well lookie here…it’s Thursday again! I’ve got a random list of things to say, so here it goes.

1. Hot chocolate goes with everything. Mondays are our days “off” but more often than not end up being catch-up work days or accomplish-this-thing-that-needs-to-get-done-anyway days. This Monday was no different, but at one point I looked up and realized how cute our matching computers and hot cocoas looked together. As someone who eats chocolate daily in one form or another, I’m pretty thrilled that we’re back to the time of the year when it’s normal to drink hot chocolate in the middle of the day.

2. My shortcomings seem all too clear right now. I am behind on everything from emails and responses to bills and birthday cards. I never fall asleep easily and my mornings are always rough. I’m almost always late no matter how hard I try. Social media makes me anxious, but I check it all too frequently. There’s distance in some of my friendships that I want to better invest in. I eat cereal for at least half of my meals each week and rarely cook. I feel like I have all of these glaring errors or awkward tendencies that I don’t know how to suppress, yet don’t we all? Maybe yours aren’t the same as mine, but I think we get into these bad hair days or “I have nothing to wear” days that leave us feeling self-conscious and unworthy. But we’re all just trying to hold it together. Social media and online identities make it easier to hide behind personas and filters, but we’ve all got our faults and failures. Having flaws doesn’t make you less of a person, it’s part of being a person. None of us have it all together or totally figured out, so don’t let anyone fool you.

3. Things are beyond our control. We had plans for this week that fell through and frankly, we were both way more disappointed than we should have been about it (umm hello, the plans involved getting free food, so yeah, we wanted that). In the end, it wasn’t a huge deal, but just felt like a reminder (or slap in the face) that so much of life is way beyond our control. We can make plans and have hope, but at the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do.

Thursday Three

November 13, 2015Samantha Gratton

It’s been an entire week. I like writing a few things and posting them here throughout the week to shake it up, but this was just the week with which I never seemed to catch up. A mix of work, events, and friends took over instead. So to keep it interesting, let’s make this the Thursday Three of three word phrases.

1. We did it. Of the several things I’ve been working on lately, one of them just came to a close this past weekend. I got the honor and privilege to help coordinate and emcee the annual women’s event at our church. It’s been a crazy season, and I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to do a good job or pull it together. But thankfully, I had tons of support and a lot of grace. With two days, 130-ish women, and a great team of people, it was a wonderful weekend, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it.

2. Write it out. I write all the time. Sometimes I wish this blog was a better reflection of all of my writing, but the truth is, I have several projects that are in process still or submitted to some random publication. Believe it or not, the Thursday Three isn’t my favorite of all of these pieces…it’s just the one that haunts me until I scramble to get it done every week. That said, I am so grateful for opportunities and prompts to write. It’s such a wonderful way to share life with people, and it’s something that makes me feel alive. Even though it takes dedication and effort, it’s worth it in order to have a creative outlet that I can share with others.

3. Wait and see. Do you ever feel like there’s a phrase or word that has been put into your heart? Right now, my phrase is simply wait and see. I don’t know what’s around the bend for me or for us, but I’m hopeful. Wait and see doesn’t mean rushed or anxious. I don’t have the answers or the plans or even much control. So all I can do now, in the best possible way and with sparkles in my eyes, is wait and see.

Thursday Three

November 5, 2015November 6, 2015Samantha Gratton

Oh my goodness, I’m not sure if this has ever happened before–it’s double blog day! Yep, two blogs posted on the same day. Sorry, but what’s a girl to do after writing all through the night and then it turns out still owes the people their regular Thursday blog? Double blog day it is (just don’t get used to it).

1. Encouragement can come in all forms. I was at a monthly presentation/gathering of creatives this past week and met this sprightly 73-year-old cheerleader. A cancer survivor who decided she wanted to be a cheerleader when she “grew up” now goes around telling people how great it is to be alive. Once you hear her victory cheer, you can’t help but agree.

2. Football has found a place in our home. I know, what?! Yes, you do have the right people and my musician husband is fully on board with this new trend. For whatever reason this was the year we decided it was time to watch one game a week and root for “our” team. Lucky for us, the Carolina Panthers have managed to stay undefeated so far, even though this past week’s game was a total nail-biter. Go team!

3. Every Halloween we look the same. You know, that day when people dress up in ridiculous costumes and get all excited about who they will “be” on their day off of being themselves? Yeah, well, we wear the same thing every year. Perhaps it’s laziness or as the hubby says “it’s a classic!” Therefore, he’s always Floyd the Mechanic and I’m a rodeo girl (or someone who wears bedazzled wrangler shirts with boots and pigtails). If you look at the past few years of Halloween photos, we always look the same, but sometimes what looks the same on the outside is totally different on the inside. This year’s Halloween included a “meh” pumpkin, working in costume, walking to see the most decked out house in town, and shouting out our guesses of what people’s costumes were downtown with a few friends.

Thursday Three

October 29, 2015Samantha Gratton

I have everything to say and nothing to tell you, so might as well ramble off three things for Thursday. Let’s do this.

1. Fall weather brings all the feels. The drizzly day that gives you an excuse to curl up on the couch, the crunchy leaves and colorful trees to break through the dark, the ability to eat outside but still require the warmth of the fire, and of course, the reintroduction of my collection of scarves back into my wardrobe. Fall has long been my favorite season, and I’m thankful it’s here.

2. There will be rest. Remember being in school and getting to the point in the semester when you realized a big break was coming up but the final exams and projects between now and that break seemed insurmountable? The break always came and somehow you managed to get through, no matter how many all-nighters, freak outs, and cups of coffee it took. That is where I’m at right now. I know that one day the break will come…maybe I’ll sleep in until lunch time or I’ll get so bored of having free time that I’ll have to pack my schedule all over again. (Okay, maybe this daydream is getting out of hand.) But this is the time of the struggle and the hard work and the effort. Not the fun part, but still important. Just like in my school days, I don’t totally know how I’ll get to a break from it all and a time of rest, but I’m confident that it will come.

3. You don’t have to be on social media every day. I realize half of you are reading this blog because it was posted there, but I really think pulling away from the nonstop feed is better. It’s such a force of habit for me and feels soothing for a minute…but I’ve also found myself feeling stung by a photo or post that frankly, doesn’t bear any actual weight on my life. That photo of a fun outing or declaration of success or request for attention just piles on until I feel less. Less interesting, less cared for, less accomplished, less informed, less fortunate, less engaged in my own life and community. The more I scroll, the less I feel I become. The good news is, we can turn off social media and just look up and talk to the people we most want to connect with instead.

Thursday Three

October 22, 2015November 5, 2015Samantha Gratton

Hey there. We made it to Thursday. Yes, it has been a rough week, but I have also found many sweet hidden joys within it. So let’s claim all the wins, shall we? Because no season, month, or week is all bad all the time, just like no winter is below zero degrees every day (unless you live somewhere like Antarctica, in which case, what the heck is wrong with you?) and no summer brings only sunshine. Take the good and the bad for what it is, but give yourself the opportunity to acknowledge both as it happens. Here’s a few of our wins for the week…

1. This guy is my absolute favorite. Okay, so maybe that’s not new information to anyone. But seriously. He’s awesome, and I’m so glad to spend my days with him. I won’t gush too much and risk making him blush in public, but he brings such strength, kindness, and a sense of humor to our relationship. (Not to mention, he’s super talented and dropped another free instrumental album online this week.) Here’s a snapshot from two weeks ago when we snuck in a day of sightseeing in San Francisco on our way back from visiting with family in Oregon.

2. When you’re a grown-up you get to eat cookies for breakfast. So, maybe I’ve eaten cookies for about 75% of my meals the past few days, but hey, that’s not exactly a bad thing. If we’re celebrating the wins, then let’s all cheer for chocolate chip cookies. Have no fear, this is not a long-term plan…because eventually, we’ll run out of cookies.

3. All that’s left to say is, thank you. We’ve been given so much care, concern, and compassion the past few days. While my intent was not to alarm anyone with my last post, I will admit to feeling very loved through these harder life moments lately. Writing a blog means you get to hear more of the good and the bad. My thoughts and feelings get to go somewhere, but the trick is conveying it in a way that tells the truth without getting too tripped up by the raw emotion. Thanks for all the love and support.

Thursday Three

October 15, 2015November 5, 2015Samantha Gratton

I’ve been gone and out and about. Here’s a quick summary of what has happened in the last two weeks.

1. Goodbyes are hard when it feels like you just said hello. A good friend of mine from college and her husband came to live in our fine state but then sadly were relocated a few months later. As much as I hated to see them go, I was so glad for the short time we had together to reunite and be a part of regular life for a time again.

2. Lots of work makes for lots of long days. That sums it up, right? Jobs, freelance work, side projects, additional work commitments–you name it. It’s not super awesome to blog about, but it’s what life has looked lately in our house…which means our actual house looks like a disaster, and we’re just hanging on one day at a time. So, if it’s been in awhile, I’m sorry. Everything feels hard to keep up with right now. I’m tired of that being the case (and tired of being tired), but it’s the reality. The little time we have in between we try to, you know, see each other and talk but even that we seem to be behind on lately. It all feels like too much, but work things seem to be the hardest things let go thanks to a desire to do good work, to provide financially, and to achieve our potential.

3. Faraway family is better in person. As much as we’re grateful for Skype, you can’t hold a baby, hug a niece, or play catch with a nephew over the internet. While it’s definitely time to be done with traveling for awhile, it was good to see these relatives on the West Coast this past week.

Playing Piano | Moving Peaces

Thursday Three

October 1, 2015November 5, 2015Samantha Gratton

Back to our regularly scheduled programming after a brief week of no blogging because it was all a bit too much. So, let’s go ahead and make this a two-week round up of what’s been happening around here.

1. I attended Influence Conference. There may be a bigger recap at a later date as three days can hardly be summed up in a few sentences, but I was so glad to have the chance to go for the final year of this event. After buying my ticket a year in advance, in some ways it was different than I expected but that might be because I’m in a different place and have done a lot of different things since last year. I spent my time listening to some powerhouse speakers, writing my thoughts in cursive, and meeting some incredible women.

2. I got a new logo! I know you thought something looked different, but no, I didn’t get a hair cut (ha!) so it’s a good thing that wasn’t your guess. My friend Jordie did a wonderful job helping me out with a design so I could have business cards for my blog in time for the conference. We’re still working out some of the details for the layout of the blog and how it all works together, but I am so pleased to have this. She was incredibly kind and gracious to me, and I am so grateful for all of her hard work.

3. We snuck in one last trip to the beach. Going in the off-season means it’s cheaper…but you run the risk of it being cold and rainy, which was exactly what happened this time. We still managed to find a few good hours of beach time and played in the rain before returning to Raleigh for another day of exploring. Nevertheless, we had a great time on our 4th annual trip with this fun family we just so happen to be related to.

Thursday Three

September 18, 2015November 5, 2015Samantha Gratton

Hey there! For this week’s three, I started writing this from a cute little coffee shop in Indianapolis (and then finished it several hours later). What?

1. I’m on the road again. Because I don’t go out of town enough or something. It’s been a crazy few weeks, and I feel I’m in a new place every few days lately…probably because that would be accurate. I told you this was a full season, didn’t I? This adventure is in the name of the Influence Conference, where a whole bunch of women get together to talk about blogging and influence and faith…or at least that’s what I’ve been told. Sessions officially start tomorrow so I’ll be sure to give you more details about it in the days to come!

2. Having priorities means making sacrifices. I don’t think we can have it all. That’s maybe not a popular opinion, but I think it helps us to realize that we must focus our priorities on what we really want to achieve.

3. I’m more of an introvert than I thought. Being surrounded by people or being “on” for a certain amount of time tires me more than it used to. I find more peace in the quiet by myself, but I don’t think anyone is extroverted or introverted all the time. I think it’s more about striking a balance between the two in a given day or week. So maybe your extroverted job means you need more introverted personal time or vice versa. Maybe your introverted self loves a party every once in a while to change things up or your extroverted self loves reading a book. Finding what your preferences and needs are allows you to seek out the people and/or the extra space when needed, and I think that is such a valuable lesson.

p.s. That picture? Yeah…it had nothing to do with any of these three. Just a picture from this week with my favorite guy.

Thursday Three

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015Samantha Gratton

It’s been an entire week! How? How?! The week has gone fast but the days have been long and tiring. I hate the overuse of the word “busy”, so recently I’ve taken to saying that we are in a very full season in life right now. It’s a good season with a lot of great things, but full can be overwhelming and stressful just the same.

1. Prep work doesn’t look flashy. A lot of my days and weeks recently have been preparing for the long-term–whether in writing, working, blogging, or relationships. There’s a reason you don’t often buy tickets to watch sports teams practice or attend musical rehearsals. I’m in that hard work behind-the-scenes phase, but don’t have much to show for it.

2. Birthdays are the best (when they aren’t yours). I think most people feel a little weird on their birthdays past the age of 13. There’s a mix of expectation and disappointment and introspective thinking that hit you all at once. Lucky for me, it was the hubby’s birthday so I had a grand ‘ole time inviting people over for a surprise ice cream get-together to celebrate another year of his life.

3. Summer is for side trips. Most years it seems we take our week-long trips in the fall or spring (it’s so much cheaper that way), but we try to squeeze in a day or two of exploring or rest throughout the summer. After spending one weekend near the mountains and this past weekend at the beach, we’re grateful for the many opportunities to see some natural beauty in our state and glad we got to spend some time with family.

This Week’s Three

September 4, 2015Samantha Gratton

It’s Friday, and I’m just now getting to the weekly recap. Whoops. Here’s a few questions that I think are worth asking…

1. Do you have to? Sometimes you have a lot to do but then realize you don’t have to do it and really need to take a nap or call a good friend instead. A lot of this week I’ve been stressed out by my to-do list, only to step back and see that only a small fraction of it had to be done by the deadline I had given myself. There’s usually something that can wait a day and take a backseat to the things that are really important.

2. Did you take the chance you had? All summer long I’ve said we’ll get to a baseball game. A simple and small thing, but it didn’t happen last summer and here we are at the end of the season. With a packed weekend ahead, Monday night was our last chance, and I’m so glad we took it.

3. Who do you want to be like? I think we are each individuals with unique talents and dreams, but I also think we are greatly influenced by those around us. This weekend, my three-year-old niece wanted her hair to match mine, regardless of what it looked like. As we get older, that admiration may take a different form, but I think there’s still value in it. If there’s someone who you appreciate or respect, it’s worth realizing what it is about them that you would like to learn from and work towards. Maybe it’s their values, commitment, skills, work ethic or wisdom. Who are those people in your life? Are they the right people to learn from? What is it that you admire most?