All in Life

Jody Yarborough: Sharing the Backstory of My Life

Jody Yarborough: Sharing the Backstory of My Life

Jody Yarborough
Life

It came to my mind the other day that in all the years of my blogging, I've never written a blog post detailing some of the highlights of my life. I'll try to keep this post from sounding like a book report or a personals ad. But I make no promises. Here it goes:

I was born in 1976 in Colorado Springs. My father was a pilot in the Air Force. My mother had her teaching degree, but she didn't work while my sister and I were growing up. I'm the youngest of two girls. My sister is four years older than I am and still lives in the city we grew up in, Tacoma, Washington.

Most families with parents in the military have to move every few years as they get new station assignments.

Numerology: What 17 Means for Me

Numerology: What 17 Means for Me

Jody Yarborough
Life

I have this numerology-seventeen card that hangs on my bulletin board. I was born on February 17. On the front at the top it reads, "Discover the secrets of your day of birth." On the bottom are the words in bold caps "THE WRITER" In the middle there is the number "17" atop a multi-colored figure shaped like a diamond.

MWF Seeking BFF: Good (local) Girlfriends are Hard to Find

MWF Seeking BFF: Good (local) Girlfriends are Hard to Find

Jody Yarborough
Life

I've moved around the country a lot. From across the midwest, down to the south, and now to the west, I've looked to each move with fun, adventure, and new beginnings. And I did them all without having a tight group of girlfriends along the way. Sure, I have a best friend from high school, and I make friends pretty quickly in new environments, school, or work. But the whole BFF thing? Me, Nah. I've typically been fine flying solo. Until now-- having lived in California now for five years, I'm still struggling to make some long-lasting connections. It didn't help that until recently, I wasn't working outside of the home. But to make up for that, I joined various social groups through Meet-up.com, where I did meet some great ladies, but no one who comes over to "just hang."

Don't Give Up! Minor Changes Can Bring Major Results

Don't Give Up! Minor Changes Can Bring Major Results

Jody Yarborough
Life

I have vowed that 2010 is going to be a better year for me than 2009 was. I will take more time to do things for myself, I will be more productive, I am going to learn new things and breakthrough old barriers. Whew! that is a lot for just one year!

One challenge for me in '09 was keeping up with the housework. It seems like 80% of my time is spent in the kitchen! I'm either clearing off the kitchen table, which can be a catch-all for everything, preparing food, doing dishes, emptying the dishwasher... and the list goes on and on.

Trying to Solve My Chronic Not Finishing Problem

Trying to Solve My Chronic Not Finishing Problem

Jody Yarborough
Life

I don't know what it is with me lately. I have had the most challenging time with finishing things. Whether it is a big project or small, a longer-term goal with baby steps, or a shorter-term task, the items on my to-do lists grows like weeds. As soon as I finish one thing, another thing gets added to the list. Am I the only one for which this happens? It doesn't help that I have one husband, two senior dogs who require a lot of attention and that I wear about a dozen different "hats." Before I go any further, I feel I should add what I am sure a lot of you are thinking; I don't see any mention of kids. You are right; I don't have any children, although I consider my dogs my kids. But I give huge props to all the moms out there, no matter what ages your kids are. I don't know HOW you do it!

Sometimes It's About Just Showing Up

Sometimes It's About Just Showing Up

Jody Yarborough
Life

Sometimes you just gotta get up and show up. Even when it's early and you don't want to, and you wish you had a magic wand you could wave that would make the whole world just stop spinning. Such is how I felt around 8 a.m. Saturday morning. You see, a couple of weeks ago, as the organizer for a South Bay girl's Meet-up group, I scheduled a fun outing for some local ladies to go to the DeAnza Flea Market. It seemed like a great idea then! But at 8 a.m. Saturday, when I would have rather slept in, enjoying a quiet house, and nuzzling husband, I instead had to get up.

"This I Believe" Inspired by the late Edward R. Murrow

"This I Believe" Inspired by the late Edward R. Murrow

Jody Yarborough
Life

I want to share my own “This I Believe," inspired by the late, great broadcast Journalist, Edward R. Murrow.

In case you aren't familiar with "This I Believe," it was a five-minute CBS Radio Network Program, originally hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955. The show encourages both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal motivation in life and then read them on the air. This I Believe became a cultural phenomenon that stressed individual belief rather than religious dogma. Its popularity both developed and waned within the era of US Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Cold War.

Looking for Balance

Looking for Balance

Jody Yarborough
Life

The new year always provides the opportunity to reevaluate the course life is taking me at the present moment. In my personal life, I have never been happier. I love Drew; I love being married, I love our families, I love our friends. And I am very thankful that we are healthy, live in a lovely home, and are financially secure. Yet even among such happiness, I can't deny the combination of restlessness and frustration I feel at times. More so lately than ever before. Why? I ask myself. A huge breaking point came one Sunday a couple of weeks before Christmas. Out of know where, three-quarters through the church service, I just started crying. And I couldn't stop.