Kristina SummersYesterday I was reminded once again how sweet and loving my little tryant of a 5 year old can be. All three lids were sick. Feverish, coughing, grumpy etc…I fell asleep with the baby in the rocker and woke sometime later so we could move to the couch to get more comfortable. I am not sure when I noticed how cold mu feet were and realized I was barrfoot…strange since I’d been wearing socks when I fell asleep. I shrugged it off assuming I had pulled them off when a little later my 5 year old asked me how I was feeling after my nap. In a moment of curiosity I inquired about the socks- he said “yes mommey, I wanted to rub your feet so you’d feel better since you work so hard.”
The tears welled up and I hugged this little tyrant who had earlier told me I was the meanest mom in space. Little boys will be boys, but not for long. Choose your battles and llove them most when they frustrate you to the breaking point. Before you know it they will have moved on. What kind of memories do you want to hold on to? The choice is yours.
the forgotten one
Posted by Kristina Summers on October 20, 2009
Posted in Family, In my head, advice, challenges, happiness | Leave a Comment »
The (forgotten) joys of being a child….
Posted by Kristina Summers on July 20, 2009
When I was a little girl, there was no doubt I was a tomboy, through and through. There was simply no better way to spend the long hot Georgia summer days than to run barefoot through fresh-cut grass, catch crickets and lizards, climbing trees, and hopping from rock to rock in the creek behind my neighborhood.
That being said, I did have the occasional moment of girlishness (as is normal, even for tomboys). For example I remember making the long drive to visit my mama Summers and her mother (my great-grandmother) mommer in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Mommer was quite the character, having been quite the socialite during the roaring twenties and then losing everything during the great depression. I remember that her bedroom was sparse, with few photos from an earlier time and even fewer nick-knack type things. Each and every thing was special to her and she often had a story. I will always remember how careful she was with her few belongings.
One thing that stands out in my mind were her collection of scarves. I loved them. Soft..silky and sheer on my skin I felt like a princess….and she never once hesitated to let me play to my hearts content with them. It was our special moment.
Mommer passed when I was still a little girl, but I was still allowed to choose a couple items from her room to take as mementos. I knew immediately what I wanted. I chose two of the most beautiful scarves and a porcelain potpourri ball so I could always remember her scent. (I still have it on my dresser…and unbelievably it still faintly smells of her….)
well fast forward 20+years and I am a grown woman with a nature-loving tomboy of my own. Today I was cleaning out drawers, creating piles for hand-me-downs, good-will, etc when I came across those scarves. I smiled as they slid through my fingers, but being busy with the task at hand I set them aside. My daughter in her attempts to “help ” me was underfoot and so I was not surprised when she climbed onto the bed to check out what I was doing. Before I knew it, she had those scarves….wrapped around her, flinging them about like a cape….all with a look of sheer delight on her face. I remember that feeling.
So I set down my cleaning and spent the better part of the nest hour playing dress up, laughing and taking silly pictures of the two of us. When she finally moved on to something else (as is inevitably the case with a 22 month old) I admit was a little sad. I carefully folded those scarves and placed them back into the drawer, for now….
Someday I hope she looks back with fond memories of moments like these, moments of playful innocence that seems to be becoming rarer these days.
I love you Lakie….thanks for letting me be a little girl again, if only for a little while.
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Fun Friday Links
Posted by Kristina Summers on July 10, 2009
I am starting a new “Fun Friday” post modeled after my favorite #FollowFriday fun on Twitter. Enjoy!
1. Real-Life Wall-E Recycling Robot Takes to the Streets of Italy
2. In Defense of the Cow: How Eating Meat Could Help Slow Climate Change
3. Awesome Conservation Photos!
Feel free to send me your suggestions, I love to hear from you!
Posted in In my head, Life in general, twitter | Tagged: Friday, Fun | Leave a Comment »
Georgia Mountain Bog Turtle
Posted by Kristina Summers on July 9, 2009
New Video on the marking and monitoring of Georgia’s smallest turtle, the mountain bog turtle.
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You Can’t Take It with You
Posted by Kristina Summers on June 27, 2009
Due to the demanding nature if my job I have been gone a good bit, away from my family and away from any semblance of a normal life. How ironic is it then that every time I turned on my Ipod the shuffle immediately went to songs that of course drove home the point of just what I was missing out on.
For Example, the first song to play? “You’re gonna miss this” by Trace Adkins. For those who may be unfamiliar here is a nice excerpt:
“You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back, you’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast. These are some good times, so take a good look around, you may not know it now….but you’re gonna miss this.”
So I am about to cry as I curl up on the cold bus (way too much AC) as I speed away for yet another day in the field and then this comes on: “Don’t Blink” by Kenney Chesney:
“Don’t blink,just like that you’re six years old and you take a nap, and wake up and you’re 25 and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife. Don’t blink, you just might miss your babies growing like mine did, turning in to moms and dads and next thing you know your better half of 50 years is lying there in bed and you pray that God takes you instead. Trust me friend a 100 years goes faster than you think, so don’t blink…”
At this point I feel like jumping off the bus and thumbing my way back to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (where my car is) when of course this song comes on, “Three wooden Crosses” by Randy Travis.
“It’s not about what you take when you leave this world behind…it’s what you leave behind you when you go…”
So my question is this: How often do we stop and really look at our lives, our spouses, our children? How often do we really listen to what they have to say, notice the wonder they experience each new day?
We all get so hectic, busy, caught up in what we think is important, but really…..can you take it with you?
no. Enjoy life now, it is all we have.
Posted in In my head, advice | Tagged: busy, career-mom, love, parenting | Leave a Comment »
An unexpected moment of zen…
Posted by Kristina Summers on June 22, 2009
I have been truly running myself ragged lately. I work, go to school, write, blog, wipe noses, change diapers( and all those other messy mom jobs) as well as attempt to keep my social media consulting business going. I know I burn the candle from every which way but often I just turn a blind eye, that is until a rare moment of unadulterated innocence sits up and smacks me in the face.
I came home today tired and cranky. My four year old asked me (as he usually does) how my day went. I almost immediately responded with the usual reply, “OK I guess, you know another long day at work. My boss is happy, which means I’m happy.” My wonderfully sensitive, and emotional little boy looked at me with solemn eyes and said nothing. Worried I’d upset him I said don’t worry, it’s not all bad and someday you’ll grow up and have a fun job where you get to go work every day!!
Again, silence.
Now, more than a little worried that I had completely jaded him and with visions of no-good unemployed bums dancing in my head I asked him point-blank – “don’t you want to go to work when you get big, like Mommy does, with a cool boss and all?”
Finally… an answer.
“I will never be tired or unhappy ’cause I will never have a boss. I’ll be my own boss and only do what I want to do. I am going to work for me and only me. “
Now I was the one who was silent.You could have heard a pin drop.
I wrapped that wonderful little entrepreneur in my arms and said a silent prayer that he would never lose that spirit.
May he always do just what he wants, and may it bring him immeasurable joy.
I love my job, I am lucky that I do exactly what it is that I have always dreamed about, even if it is hard sometimes. Thanks Race-man for reminding me what’s really important.
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People I Don’t Want to Know (Ever)
Posted by Kristina Summers on June 3, 2009
There are people in the world that will ruin a good day.
I like to think of myself as a fairly positive and optimistic person. I make a point to smile and I genuinely feel good when my positivity rubs off on others. I love to make people laugh. (At one point I even considered going to clown college, seriously.) However there are times when you come across a person that within what seems like minutes, has the ability to shift your whole outlook right into the ditch of pessimism and negativity. You know the kind of people I mean, the ones that always have bad news, are always saying bad things about others,are always complaining.
I have long been fascinated by personality and various traits that create people’s personalities. I have scoured books and articles and recently I came across an article on Yahoo that really summed up these types of people. Here is an excerpt:
There are toxic people out there….
“Maybe you are a positive person, but when you are around a certain individual, you feel negative. Or, maybe you have an idealistic view of the world and when you are with certain people, you are made to feel silly, unrealistic or delusional. Or, maybe you pride yourself in being completely independent and in control of your life, but when you are around a certain family member, you regress into a state of childhood.
Some of these situations, and yes, these people, can have a tremendously negative impact on our lives. And, although we are all human and have our ‘issues,’ some ‘issues’ are quite frankly, toxic. They are toxic to our happiness. They are toxic to our mental outlook. They are toxic to our self-esteem. And they are toxic to our lives. They can suck the life out of us and even shorten our lifespan.”
(To read the full article, click here.)
I realized that these are the types of people that you don’t want to work with if possible. They can and will bring you down and are a death sentence to your creative abillities. Know how to recognize these toxic people and make a point to avoid them whenever possible. If you find that you must work with them, take a little extra time each day to practice positive thinking, to bolster yourself up, as added ammunition.
Hopefully this information was helpful.
Do you know people like this where you work? How do you manage to get along and succeed without getting caught up in the negativity? Curious minds want to know.
Posted in In my head, advice | 1 Comment »
Peregrine Falcons Nest for a Third Year in Atlanta
Posted by Kristina Summers on May 29, 2009
Inspirational story about some of Georgia’s rarest birds.For the full article click here.
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Why I can’t save the planet
Posted by Kristina Summers on May 22, 2009
During a recent conference I was faced with a depressing fact. No matter what we do, the world is going to keep right on turning, changing, evolving and that means that certain species WILL in fact meet their demise.
The planet is not ours to save…..
A person I know tells me that my efforts are a waste of time, that the world will shake us off like a bad day and only cockroaches will remain. While I do not agree my work is in vain, I admit he makes an interesting point. I mean wasn’t that the whole point of the “Wall-E” movie? What was left after the humans had made so much of a garbage dump of the planet that it was no longer inhabitable? A curious robot and what else…a cockroach.
Another person told me that we are reproducing faster and faster and the resources of the planet just can’t keep up, that it would take a another wide-spread plague-like epidemic to really “save” the planet. Of course he is also a fan of forced sterilization, and Logan’s Run, so I don’t put too much stock into his “research. “
So what are we to do? Personally I am beginning to come to terms that yes there are species out there we can’t save. Whether it is evolution that we have simply hit the fast-forward button on or something else, we can’t stop what is already in motion. I think that the whole point now should be to maybe slow down the the process, reduce our overall impact and really try to enjoy what’s left.
Doesn’t sound too hard does it?
I can’t save the planet, but I can make sure that as many people as possible know what is really happening, and how they can truly make a difference.
Will you join me?
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An Exercise in Creativity Brings Positive Results
Posted by Kristina Summers on May 4, 2009
An exercise I did in class recently really struck a chord with me. The idea behind it was that creativity flows better if you are in a positive frame of mind. Part of the exercise required you to write as many things as you could in one minute, the topic: things you like or things that make you happy. We could list anything, whether it be a food, activity, movie, etc. The only requirements were that it made us smile and that we couldn’t spend time thinking about it, we had to write the very first things that popped into our mind.
I admit I was pleased with my list.
My happy list: being warm, dancing, laughing, reading, drawing or doodling, writing, taking pictures, looking at pictures, swimming, splashing, singing silly songs (A.K.A. Spongebob), listening to music, laying in the sun, blowing dandelions, eating ice cream, hugs (especially from my children), watching people learn, watching my kids have moments of wonder, candles, fuzzy puppies, stuffed bears, blowing bubbles, coloring with crayons, wandering, traveling, walking, warm chocolate chip cookies, fall leaves, being barefoot, fresh cut grass, daffodils, listening to the ocean and birds, watching the clounds, solving problems, cartoons, silly movies, the scent of lavender, cinnamon, pine and wild peppermint, funny socks, hats, happy meal toys, red wine, bubble baths, jumping on trampolines and rowing or canoeing in the early morning as the sun comes up.
After this process, and especially after sharing things with the class, which resulted in lots of laughter all around, the creative juices were definitely flowing more freely.
That’s the power of positve thought.
What would your happy list have on it? Grab a pen and paper and then post your results. Happy writing.
Posted in In my head | Tagged: advice, balance, children, creativity, dreaming, Family, growth, happiness, life, life is good, slowing down, wonder, writing | Leave a Comment »
