Day 21: The Archives

Hmmm.... link to my favorite posts in my archives.  That would require actually going back and reading the archives, which I actually haven't done in a while!

So.  Let's see.  I'll try and keep the list short......

1. 11 Things (11.11.11)
2. Farewell 2011 (12.31.11)
3. The A Word (2.12.12)
4. Perspective (5.28.12)
5. Word of the Day: Emotional (6.10.12)
6. Word of the Day: Laughter (6.18.12)
7. Turning Point (8.13.12)
8. Professionally Developed (10.31.12)
9. Stormy Weather (11.13.12)

Well, it isn't exactly short, but....  Those of you curious for a glimpse into more of my story, hopefully this will clear things up a bit!

Day 21 Prompt: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives.

Sketches in Stillness

I came across a new blog (by way of Facebook friends) that I have become completely smitten with.  It isn't so much a blog.... well, at least not in the sense I think of when I hear the word "blog."  It's more of an artist's blog, a sketch pad, you could say.

Anyway, I was perusing the pages and found the image here-

YogiPets Sitting - Sketches in Stillness

Love.... could it really be that simple?

30 Day Recovery Challenge Questions

While the 30 Day Recovery Challenge is complete, I wanted to put the questions all in one place.  See, when I read a few posts on the site where I found the challenge, Danielle had put all the questions into one post.  That made it nice and easy for me to find the questions, and to participate in the challenge.

And I want to do the same thing for you.  And to help even more, I'm linking each question to my response.  In participating in blog challenges like this, I find it helpful to read some responses prior to writing my own.  It helps me get my head wrapped around the topic.  It also helps with writer's block!

So my friends...... what's stopping you?  Get writing!

(P.S.  You can always substitute the words "eating disorder" with whatever it is you are working on........)

30 Day Recovery Challenge

Day 1 - Where are you in your recovery right now? What are some goals you are working on to help you to move forward in your recovery? 

Day 2 - What part of your eating disorder is hardest for you to overcome or let go of right now?

Day 3 - Give yourself credit for the progress you’ve made - what are some positive steps you’ve taken in recovery, or recent progress that you’ve made?

Day 4 - What motivates you to recover?

Day 5 - Who supports you in your recovery?

Day 6 - Does your family support your recovery? How do they help or hurt your efforts to recover?

Day 7 - What type of treatment are you getting right now? Talk about your current treatment team - are they helpful, do you trust them? Are you honest with them?

Day 8 - Do you have a role model in recovery, or someone who inspires you? Talk about that person.

Day 9 - What do you think caused or contributed to your eating disorder? What are some steps you can take now to work through these issues?

Day 10 - Did you have a turning point or a certain moment that made you decide to recover? Or was it a decision that happened over a long period of time?

Day 11 - What are some enjoyable activities you do which are unrelated to your eating disorder, but help you to cope and feel positive?

Day 12 - Who in your life knows about your eating disorder? Has sharing about your eating disorder been helpful for you?

Day 13 - What are some things - blogs, quotes, books, mantras, etc - that inspire you and keep you motivated?

Day 14 - Describe at least ten things you like about yourself. If you don’t believe those positive things, try to think of praises and compliments other people have given you, and write those down and then make an effort to believe in those compliments.

Day 15 - What does your weight/body image mean to you? How has your body image changed throughout recovery - has it gotten harder or easier to deal with?

Day 16 - What experience(s) has been most helpful your recovery (for example, meeting a supportive friend, deciding to go to therapy, etc)?

Day 17 - What do you want your life to look like when you’re recovered? What are some life goals you have that you think you could only accomplish if you recover?

Day 18 - Do you have any other diagnosed disorders aside from an eating disorder? How are you dealing with these issues? If you don’t have another disorder, what are some psychological issues that affect your eating disorder right now?

Day 19 - What scares you most about recovery?

Day 20 - What scares you most about your eating disorder?

Day 21 - What is something you have learned about yourself in recovery?

Day 22 - Do you think you are fully committed to recovery and willing to do whatever it takes to recover? If not, what do you think is holding you back?

Day 23 - What can you do for yourself when you are having a bad day or struggling which will help you?

Day 24 - What are some examples of things that your eating disorder has taken from you?

Day 25 - What has recovery given you?

Day 26 - What does recovery mean to you?

Day 27 - Do you believe in full recovery?  Why or why not?

Day 28 - What are some things you do that help you cope when you’re having a hard time?

Day 29 - How have you and your life changed from when you were in the worse periods of your eating disorder versus now, in recovery?

Day 30 - Has this recovery challenge helped you, and how?

Good luck with the challenge!  If you do choose to tackle it, please let me know, I'd love to follow your journey!

30 Day Recovery Challenge: Day 16

16. What experience(s) has been most helpful your recovery (for example, meeting a supportive friend, deciding to go to therapy, etc)?

The most helpful experience of my recovery has been having the most amazing treatment team.  Seriously, I would not be here without their support.  With my therapist coordinating pretty much everything - she sent me to my psychiatrist and dietitian, I have gotten the best possible care as I trudge through this hell.

I've also found it helpful having my two best friends knowing about the situation.  They are both amazing people, and they each help in their own ways - one of them is great for distracting me from my head, the other is great for a quick pick-me-up get together of sorts.

Finally, this blog has been a pretty powerful tool in my recovery.  Through this blog I've met so many others who are walking along a similar road.  I've found comfort in reading others' words, and found confidence in comments left on this blog.  What began as a recovery project has morphed into an instrumental recovery tool - a place where I can share my experience, my voice, my challenges, and my successes - has become a special community that feeds my soul in a unique way.

Liebster? Me?

When I was in middle school, I wanted to learn to curse in every language possible.  (Which is kind of ironic now, considering I rarely, if ever curse!)  I learned a few words in Spanish and French, but the best I could get from my friends who spoke German was an almost funny sentiment, reminiscent of the "your mama" jokes.

Anyway, I bring this up now because Amanda over at Therapy Addict has bestowed the Liebster Award upon My Purple Dreams.  Liebster means "favorite or beloved" in German, and I'm flattered and honored that this blog is a beloved favorite of anyone!

So here are the details:
1.  Thank the person who awarded you - check!
2.  Share 5 facts about yourself - check!
3.  Answer the 11 questions you were asked
4.  Nominate 5 up and coming blogs
5.  Ask them 11 questions.

I'm going to split this into several posts over a few days, make it a little more fun! 

Let's get this party started!

First, a HUGE thanks to Amanda for the nomination.  I've met some pretty neat people through this blog, and I very much appreciate all those who read it.  Even more, I love when the feeling is mutual - I enjoy their blog as much as they enjoy mine.  Amanda's is no exception, as it's one of my faves!  I've enjoyed reading about her journey and have found comfort and inspiration in her words.  Thanks again for the nomination Amanda!

Five facts about me...

1. I love the color purple!  I know this is a "duh" fact, but what you probably didn't know is that my dream car is a purple one.  Preferably a mini cooper or a fiat.  Or a convertible.  I just want a purple car.
2. I'm terrified of snakes and spiders.  Yet, I've had a yellow python wrapped around my body.  And yes, we rescue and release all spiders that show up in the classroom.  Oh the magic of teaching.
3. I love music (another duh) and wish I could sing or dance, but I can't carry a tune nor catch a beat to save my life!
4. I have wanted to be a teacher pretty much my whole life.  When I was in 4th grade, I even wrote a poem about becoming a teacher.  To this day, I still keep in touch with my 3rd grade and 4th grade teachers.
5. My favorite food is cereal.  I could easily eat it three meals a day and not get tired of it!

Week 45: Three Wishes

Hmmm..... Three wishes.

If you were to grant me three wishes as a kid, my first wish would be for unlimited wishes!  Thank you to Aladdin for clarifying the rules!

My wishes are pretty simple, and have been the standard wishes I wish for when I wish upon a star. (Yeah, I still do that.  So what?)

Wish One - I wish for happiness and good health for those that I care about.
Wish Two - I wish that all children receive the love and care they deserve.
Wish Three - I wish to see myself the way others see me.

There you have it...  My three wishes...

(An aside - If Wish Three is granted, then I will also fall under the group of "those that I care about" and will therefore be rewarded with Wish One, as well.)

Week 41: Dream Job

That's an easy one!

If I could do any job, I'd be a technology teacher in an elementary school.  Let me be more specific- I would be a technology teacher in an elementary school that has up-to-date and fully functioning technology!

I've thought about a variety of different educational endeavors that I could tackle over the years, but all of them take me out of the classroom, which is my favorite part of teaching.  For the last few years I've become the go-to person for tech trouble in my building.  I'm also a creative brainstormer when it comes to ways to integrate technology into projects and learning instead of making it an add on.

I don't know...... there's something pretty spectacular about putting a digital native (read: child of today) in front of a computer and supporting them along the creative and innovative learning experience of today....

So there you have it, my dream job.  If anyone happens to have an extra salary laying around, and would be willing to donate it to my school, I'd happily accept it, cause right now, a tech teacher is not in the budget!

Awarded?

Well, I hate to admit it, but I'm blushing.  Larissa over at Papa is a Preacher honored My Purple Dreams with a Wonderful Team Member Readership Award!

I "met" Larissa through NaBloPoMo, and have quite enjoyed reading her blog.  I've actually met many wonderful bloggers through NaBloPoMo, and while it's sometimes tough to post every single day, I'm definitely glad I signed up for the challenge!

This recognition comes with a few requirements, and I want to get those situated before the celebrating begins!

The Rules

1. The Nominee of the Wonderful Team Member Readership Award will display the logo on his/her post/page and/or sidebar.  - Check!
 
2. Over a period of 1 week, the Nominee shall nominate a number of readers that he or she appreciates – this can be done at any rate during the week. It can be all on one day or a few on one day and a few on another day, as most convenient to the Nominee. - Check! (see below!)

3. The Nominee shall name his or her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during the 7 day (1 week) period. - Congratulations bloggy friends! (all nominations have been delivered!)

Jackie @ Confessions of a Cupcake Queen
Kylie-Rose @ Rose's are Red
Attachment Girl @ Tales of a Boundary Ninja
Paula Young @ A Therapist's Thoughts
Nicole @ Riding the Wavez
Tracey @ Just As I Am

4.  The nominee shall answer the questions, all in the spirit of fun! - Check!

1) Why do you blog?
I blog because I want to make a difference.  If sharing my story - the good, the bad, the painful, the happy, all of it, helps even one person, then I'll have reached my goal.  As I know this has already happened, I continue to blog because I enjoy writing, and am enjoying meeting new people in the blog-o-sphere!

2) If you were trapped on a desert island, what book, DVD, food, cartoon character, and childhood game would you bring?
Umm..... can I say that I'd bring my iPad, a wireless hot spot, and a solar recharging station?  Then I'd have all the entertainment, books, and distractions I'd need!
Oh, that kind of answer.  Well then..... let's see......
Book: Can I have a series?  Can't pick just one book.... at least not easily.  Ok.  One book.  Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass.  Series?  Harry Potter.
DVD: American Eats Series.  History Channel rocks.
Food: Cereal.  Cereal and chocolate.
Cartoon Character: Calvin and Hobbes - I'd never be bored!
Childhood Game: The game of Life!

3) Share a funny joke or one-liner.
The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar.  It was tense.
:)

4) What is your favorite thing about yourself?
Tough one..... it'd have to be my ability to connect with my students and make learning meaningful for them.

5) What one word best describes you?
Thinker.  Explanation here.

6) If you could have a lifetime supply of any candy/candy bar, what would it be?
Almond m&ms.  Or peanut m&ms.  Or mounds bars.  Yeah, maybe mounds bars.

7) What fictional character do you relate to most?
Easy!  Wrote a whole post about it.  You can read it here.

8) If you were to write the story of your life, what would you call it?
Well, I already have the title picked out, and the blog site reserved..... so let's just keep that between me and my therapist for right now, k?

Week 38: Where Has Time Gone?

That is such a good question.  Where has time gone?  It seems like just yesterday it was summer vacation, and now it's nearly Halloween.  This school year is flying by, which while I don't mind that, I do mind that I always feel so stinking tired!

Funny thing is, that I was just looking at some recent pictures of my former students.  I worked with them when they were 8-9 years old.  This was a special group, so we've kept in contact through the years.  The pictures I saw today were pictures of young ladies and young men.  Not pictures of 8-9 year old kids.  These kids are gangly teens now.  Looking at them and seeing how much they've changed in the past few years.... makes me feel old.  At the same time, it makes me proud to see what wonderful people they have grown into.

Me, on the other hand?  It's been a whirlwind, that's for sure!

Week 36: Most Meaningful Gift I've Given

This topic had me stumped for a while, hence the hiatus on this particular blog challenge.  Ironic, too, as I posed this topic for conversation.

It's hard for me to gauge what the most meaningful gift I've given is, because I am not the receiver of the gift, and I will never fully know what the receiver thinks.  That said... there are a few gifts that were meaningful for me to gift, and I hope they were equally as meaningful for the receiver.

One of the gifts I gave was a quilt.  This was a very special quilt, as I had spent months working on it.  It was a photo quilt with pictures of the family.  No, this wasn't my family, it was a friend's family that had become very close to me.  I was nannying for them for a summer, but I've known them for a long time. In fact, the mother of this family is someone that I've written about before, as one S is an inspirational person in my life.  Though we don't see each other or talk as often as we did, S will always be special to me.

This quilt was extremely special to me, because upon graduating from high school, S gave me a blanket.  Said blanket has been on my bed ever since it was gifted to me, and it has very special meaning, as it is like being wrapped in a hug with all her good wishes for me.  So for me to be able to gift her and her family a blanket filled with photos of the family, making it was very special to me, and I know receiving it was very special to them.

The other gift that comes to mind is one with a slightly different story.  A person I work with, who was very helpful to me as I transitioned into my current position, was telling me about her favorite book as a child.  Knowing this, and with my affinity to books (ok, my addiction to book collecting) I was able to track down a copy of said book.  While the cost of this book was next to nothing, the value was priceless, as was the look on her face when she opened it.

Dunno.  I can only hope they appreciated the meaning behind their gifts as much as I did.....

Week 25: Something I'm Proud Of

Let's take a quick peek back at the accomplishments I wrote about way back in December for week 10.  Did you click the link?  Read up?  Good.

I can say that I am still proud of the accomplishments I wrote about nearly seven months ago.  They all stand true today.  Especially teaching, I am so proud of all my students, and the way we impact each other.  I am proud to say that I still love my job, despite the challenges over the years.

I am proud that I have chosen to continue to walk the path in front of me.  It's not been an easy journey and there are many, many times where I wanted to give up.  But I didn't.  I won't give up.  I am proud of my decision to join my team in the fight against my challenges.  I'm proud of the fact that I still show up for therapy and dig into things I don't want to acknowledge, much less look at and talk about.  I'm proud of the fact that I've learned to better take care of myself during family situations that get out of hand.  Instead of toughing it out and letting my family walk all over me, I will now do what I need to do to take care of me, even though it feels impossibly hard.

I'm proud of this blog.  I never thought that I'd become a blogger.  Sure, I've always loved to write, but I've shared my writing with maybe 5-6 people, three of whom were my former teachers.  Otherwise, my writing has always been private.  I never thought it good enough to share.

Hmmmm.... pride.... this is a pretty decent list of things to be proud of... if only I can transfer them into sources of confidence.... guess I'll just have to wait and see!

Arielle's Word-of-the-Day: COMMUNITY

 June Blog Challenge Day 30: COMMUNITY
 

Merriam-Webster defines community as a unified body of individuals.  If you would have asked me a month ago which unified body of individuals I belong to, I would have given you the standard answers - the city in which I live and the school and district in which I work.  The only two real life communities I feel connected to.  I am a part of three online communities that have been very supportive, as well.  But that's it. 

I have never felt I belong anywhere but by myself.  From childhood through college, my community has never been consistent, as I never was able to fit in with any one group.  I became a part of the community that was my focus at the time, almost like a chameleon, but it was never a perfect fit, there was always something a little off, I never truly fit in.  I am not in contact with most of my childhood friends, as my siblings are.  I have few friends, but the few I have are wonderful people whom I cherish very much.  Even with my friends, though, each belongs to a different part of my world, and rarely do all my friends interact within the same community.  I just figured that's how my life was supposed to be - I am one of those people who is independent enough to withstand the life of a loner.

This blog challenge has really opened my eyes to the power of virtual communities.  Just because I don't know everyone in this challenge face-to-face, doesn't mean that we aren't a part of the same community, doesn't mean I don't know you all.  It's just a different kind of community, one, I'm guessing, that 30 years ago, no one thought would be possible.  The internet has opened the world to loaners like me, so that we can finally find a community in which we fit. 
My first foray into the virtual community world was because of recovery.  This blog was born through a wonderful online recovery community project.  I have yet to meet any of my virtual friends face to face, but that doesn't make them any less special.  I so appreciate each comment left on my blog, and am honored to leave comments for others.  Reading others thoughts, hearing their stories, it's a treat to get a peek into your worlds, your minds.  I feel a sense of belonging that I have lacked for much of my life. I have grown through this project in a way I never anticipated.  Community, as it turns out, like life, is what you make it.  And everyone reading this blog, everyone that I have met, ultimately helps me grow as a person, and plays a role in shaping my community.  For that, I thank you.

Prompt: To end, I chose the word “community” because that’s what these blogger challenges are about. What does community mean to you? How does it fit into your life? Into your health? Into your recovery? Or how does it relate to blogging? Or family? Share with us what it means for you.

Playing Catch-Up

My favorite walking path

I realized that it might seem a little odd that my posts thus far have all been "Week such and such" yet, I posted three "weeks" this past weekend.  See, I'm playing a little game of catch-up (not mustard, mind you) on this blog project.  The project began in August, but I only recently jumped on board.  I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now, but never really had a good reason.  This project was a great reason for me to finally get going!

So while the bulk of this blog will likely end up NOT being related to the project, for now, I'm going to keep it simple, take it one day at a time, and see where this project takes me!