Coming home from Darling's brother's house was a long drive. They live three states away, and Darling Husband had to be in class in the evening, so that meant getting up incredibly early to have time to drive the whole way in time for Darling to get to school.
But road trips with my husband are always an adventure. Immediately, upon getting into the car, he told me to 'go back to sleep'. I'm grateful that he knows me well enough to know I'm no morning person. He even once bought me a fuzzy, fleece blanket the same color as my car which lives in my car, just for road trips. It came with a matching pillow. It sure does make napping in the car much nicer.
Once I woke up, he was stopping for gas....and found a gas station near a Starbucks so I could get my caffeine shot for the morning! As much as he dislikes coffee, it always stands out as a meaningful 'I love you' when he stops at a Starbucks for me.
On the way home, we drove in rain and sunshine. We drove in traffic and on empty roads. We both drove. We both slept. We talked about the business conference, and our goals for our business. We talked about our family, and our dreams for our future. We talked about moving and work and books and music, a little of everything and a little of nothing.
And I realized once again why I love road trips with my Darling Husband so much. Simply because I love spending time with him, and on a road trip, we have essentially no one else in the world but the two of us. And THAT is a great joy.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
A Bond of Brothers
On the way home from the business conference, we made another detour. Darling Husband has a brother, and he lives only a few hours from where our conference was held, and arguably on the way home. So we detoured. We hadn't seen his brother or sister-in-law in almost 3 years, so it was past time.
And we had a wonderful time. They took us out for dinner to one of the most unique places I've ever eaten...and quite delicious! It was wonderful to catch up on what the kids are all doing, new jobs, new houses and moves, all the things that happen in life.
After dinner, we went home, and the guys disappeared into Brother's office. Soon we heard laughing. Loud, joyful laughing that always seems to be at the ready when Darling and his brother are together. I was so glad we went. Sister-in-law and I have alot in common, and I just know if they lived closer we would be good friends. And clearly, Darling and his brother would be the best of friends, as well as family, if we lived close enough.
Sometimes that physical distance makes me a little sad, when it's so clear the family ties are so strong. But we had a wonderful visit, and we very much appreciated the invitation. I hope they will come visit us sometime soon, once we are moved into our new house!
And we had a wonderful time. They took us out for dinner to one of the most unique places I've ever eaten...and quite delicious! It was wonderful to catch up on what the kids are all doing, new jobs, new houses and moves, all the things that happen in life.
After dinner, we went home, and the guys disappeared into Brother's office. Soon we heard laughing. Loud, joyful laughing that always seems to be at the ready when Darling and his brother are together. I was so glad we went. Sister-in-law and I have alot in common, and I just know if they lived closer we would be good friends. And clearly, Darling and his brother would be the best of friends, as well as family, if we lived close enough.
Sometimes that physical distance makes me a little sad, when it's so clear the family ties are so strong. But we had a wonderful visit, and we very much appreciated the invitation. I hope they will come visit us sometime soon, once we are moved into our new house!
So Much More Than a Business Meeting
The trip we took this weekend was to a business conference. I know, 'business conference' sounds so boring. But the business conferences Darling Husband and I get to go to with our business partners are nowhere near boring.
Actually, they are my joy to tell you about for Saturday. We have business partners from all over the country, so the conferences turn into a sort of family reunion every few months. And there are so many wonderful speakers, helping us grow ourselves and our businesses that my brain is just overflowing by the time we leave!
It's kind of the equivalent of listening to a CD or...being on the very front row, LIVE, at a concert for your very favorite band!
Or watching a travel documentary about some island, or.....being on the beach in the warm sunshine, hearing the water lap the shore as you lay in a hammock with a fruity drink in your hand!
Get it?
The business conferences are my 4-times-a-year booster shot of joy and enthusiasm. And I appreciate all my wonderful friends and business partners who make it so awesome.
Actually, they are my joy to tell you about for Saturday. We have business partners from all over the country, so the conferences turn into a sort of family reunion every few months. And there are so many wonderful speakers, helping us grow ourselves and our businesses that my brain is just overflowing by the time we leave!
It's kind of the equivalent of listening to a CD or...being on the very front row, LIVE, at a concert for your very favorite band!
Or watching a travel documentary about some island, or.....being on the beach in the warm sunshine, hearing the water lap the shore as you lay in a hammock with a fruity drink in your hand!
Get it?
The business conferences are my 4-times-a-year booster shot of joy and enthusiasm. And I appreciate all my wonderful friends and business partners who make it so awesome.
Music City
We were away for the weekend, and as per my usual style, I forgot something I had meant to take. This time, it was my laptop. So I'll try to catch up all the wonderful things that happened over the weekend, because I wouldn't want you to have missed it!
One of the friends we were traveling with has always wanted to go to Nashville, so on our way to our destination, we made a detour. It wasn't a very LONG detour, just a few hours. We mostly drove past the places she plans to come back and visit at a later date. But there were a few highlights.
One highlight was our waiter. We stopped for lunch, and our waiter at the restaurant was...well, he was worth the price of admission! He had long, mutton chop sideburns, an over-the-top showman, friendly kind of attitude, and an loud, boisterous, ADHD kind of demeanor. Think friendly, talkative, rockabilly redneck Elvis...with too much caffeine. I hope you're laughing. If I've described him correctly, you got the picture, and you're laughing. He definitely made eating at a chain restaurant we've been to several times an unforgettable experience.
Once we had eaten lunch, we began wandering Nashville a bit. It is far more fast-paced than I had expected, but so very friendly. We saw some absolutely amazing homes, a famous restaurant (which wasn't open, or we would have missed Elvis and eaten there.), a gorgeous park which had a scale replica of the Parthenon in Greece, and more cowboy boots in one afternoon than I have probably seen in the entire previous year.
All in all, Nashville was great. Kind of 'New York City, gone country'...and it was a joy to finally visit. I would definitely go back for a longer visit, if I ever get the chance.
One of the friends we were traveling with has always wanted to go to Nashville, so on our way to our destination, we made a detour. It wasn't a very LONG detour, just a few hours. We mostly drove past the places she plans to come back and visit at a later date. But there were a few highlights.
One highlight was our waiter. We stopped for lunch, and our waiter at the restaurant was...well, he was worth the price of admission! He had long, mutton chop sideburns, an over-the-top showman, friendly kind of attitude, and an loud, boisterous, ADHD kind of demeanor. Think friendly, talkative, rockabilly redneck Elvis...with too much caffeine. I hope you're laughing. If I've described him correctly, you got the picture, and you're laughing. He definitely made eating at a chain restaurant we've been to several times an unforgettable experience.
Once we had eaten lunch, we began wandering Nashville a bit. It is far more fast-paced than I had expected, but so very friendly. We saw some absolutely amazing homes, a famous restaurant (which wasn't open, or we would have missed Elvis and eaten there.), a gorgeous park which had a scale replica of the Parthenon in Greece, and more cowboy boots in one afternoon than I have probably seen in the entire previous year.
All in all, Nashville was great. Kind of 'New York City, gone country'...and it was a joy to finally visit. I would definitely go back for a longer visit, if I ever get the chance.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Discoveries 4/23
Yesterday, as I was cleaning my house, someone knocked on the door. Usually, this means we have some sort of delivery, and yesterday was no exception. I went to the door, and there laid a box. This is nothing unusual, because Darling Husband and I have our own business, and we often have products delivered to our home. But these deliveries usually come in large boxes, 4 or 5 at a time. The box that arrived yesterday was small, only a little bigger than a shoebox, and was alone.
So I picked up the box to read where it had come from, even slightly expecting it had been misdelivered. But sure enough, it had Darling Husband's name on it. The printing on the outside of the box, tho, referred to something about tea. Now, I LOVE tea. I like regular Lipton's tea. I love herbal tea. I love fruit teas. I love hot tea. I love iced tea. My favorite is Twining's English Breakfast tea, hot, with just a splash of milk or cream.
So seeing 'tea' printed on the box led me to suspect the package was not actually for Darling Husband, but something he had ordered for my birthday! I was so excited! One of the things that means the most to me is a gift. It doesn't have to be big, or even cost any money at all, but there is nothing like the feeling that someone was thinking about me, and wanted me to have something I would like, when I wasn't even around! I still have a tiny little blue bottle I found once at an antique shop that Darling Husband used to call my weed vase, because I would put gifts from my children in it....dandelions, buttercups, clovers....I LOVE presents!
And I loved the excitement and anticipation of wondering what my gift was, yesterday. The joy of knowing he loved me enough to buy me a birthday gift was as sweet as the gift itself.
So I picked up the box to read where it had come from, even slightly expecting it had been misdelivered. But sure enough, it had Darling Husband's name on it. The printing on the outside of the box, tho, referred to something about tea. Now, I LOVE tea. I like regular Lipton's tea. I love herbal tea. I love fruit teas. I love hot tea. I love iced tea. My favorite is Twining's English Breakfast tea, hot, with just a splash of milk or cream.
So seeing 'tea' printed on the box led me to suspect the package was not actually for Darling Husband, but something he had ordered for my birthday! I was so excited! One of the things that means the most to me is a gift. It doesn't have to be big, or even cost any money at all, but there is nothing like the feeling that someone was thinking about me, and wanted me to have something I would like, when I wasn't even around! I still have a tiny little blue bottle I found once at an antique shop that Darling Husband used to call my weed vase, because I would put gifts from my children in it....dandelions, buttercups, clovers....I LOVE presents!
And I loved the excitement and anticipation of wondering what my gift was, yesterday. The joy of knowing he loved me enough to buy me a birthday gift was as sweet as the gift itself.
New Adventures - 4/22
My Peaches and her intended have decided to make a new start and move to another city. Princess and her Beloved invited them to share their home. I remember telling you that Princess and Peaches are the best of friends, and they have missed one another terribly. So we packed up their belongings, and off they went on a new adventure.
As I was helping them pack, I kept thinking to myself that this might be the last time I help one of my kids move. They're all grown up. Even though they weren't living at home, it felt a little like the last baby bird leaving the nest. For a while, the thought made me just a little sad. It's the end of an era, so to speak.
But now a new adventure begins. We will soon have another son-in-law who we are already growing to love. We will soon have another grandbaby, who we know we will love. And we will soon be moving to a new house, as well. This new house will be the one where all our kids come for holidays, and come to visit with their own families. It will be the house our grandkids remember as 'Masa and Babu's' house.
So we are all on our way to new adventures, and there is so much anticipation and joy in where those adventures will take us!
As I was helping them pack, I kept thinking to myself that this might be the last time I help one of my kids move. They're all grown up. Even though they weren't living at home, it felt a little like the last baby bird leaving the nest. For a while, the thought made me just a little sad. It's the end of an era, so to speak.
But now a new adventure begins. We will soon have another son-in-law who we are already growing to love. We will soon have another grandbaby, who we know we will love. And we will soon be moving to a new house, as well. This new house will be the one where all our kids come for holidays, and come to visit with their own families. It will be the house our grandkids remember as 'Masa and Babu's' house.
So we are all on our way to new adventures, and there is so much anticipation and joy in where those adventures will take us!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Thanks for the Memories
We're moving. Did I already tell you that? We have a contract on a beautifully restored Craftsman foursquare in a historic part of our town. I am so excited to move in, welcome the grand old house to our family, and become her caretaker as she begins her next hundred year journey.
But I HATE packing! There are flattened, empty boxes stacked against one wall, intentionally tucked behind a chair so they won't be in the way, but somehow in such a way that they continually fall out where they can be tripped over. There is an ever-increasing amount of boxes stacked along other walls in increasingly inconvenient places, as things get packed. And maybe most frustrating of all, an ever-larger group of items that I pack, only to find that I need AFTER I seal the box with tape. Packing and moving has to be one of the banes of my existence.
Nevertheless, it has to be done, if I ever want to get to move IN to my beautiful new home. So I was packing today. And while I was packing all the fragile, precious things that live in my china cabinet, it was something of a trip down memory lane. There is the porcelain angel which plays Brahm's lullaby which sat on my dresser for as long as I can remember growing up. I think she was a gift from my maternal grandmother.
There is a set of three snow angel candle-holders. The odd one was a Christmas decoration my mother had before she ever had any children, but the matching angel broke. Several years ago, Peaches went on ebay and found the match, as a surprise Christmas gift. She bid on several, hoping to win at least ONE to make my pair complete. She accidentally won two of them. So the lonely angel now has two sisters that sit with her as a reminder of how much my daughter loves me.
There are the two green, depression-glass candlesticks that my mother had on her dining room table for as long as I can remember. I admired them so much that a few years ago, she gave them to me. They are a precious treasure, since art glass is a shared love between my mother and me.
There are several music boxes. One of them came from Germany, from a history tour I took with some of my fellow high-school students and our history teacher when I was in 9th grade. I remembered how excited I was to find such a beautiful, handmade, inlaid wood music box, and how frustrating it was to settle on a price with the shopkeeper who spoke only German, when I spoke only English. He was trying to barter on the price, as is the custom in Europe, I was only trying to explain that I wanted to buy it, being unaware of the bartering custom. It was quite frustrating at the time, but I DID end up getting it for a VERY good price! That still makes me laugh! And that one, beautiful, precious music box started a love and a collection that has continued to this day.
There are so many other things I'm finding as I pack...the china I picked when I got married, which I love just as much today as I did when I found it. Books that I remember as old friends, hiding on tightly loaded bookshelves. A favorite coffee mug that was a souvenir from a sightseeing day with a friend. an old t-shirt that has seen better days, but also seen me through all the best and worst of life.
I AM looking forward to moving into our new-old house. And I AM looking forward to not having to move again for many years to come. But I also can't deny all the joy it has given me preparing for this move and anticipating it. And I know our new house will be full of as much joy and as many memories as the things that will be protected in it.
But I HATE packing! There are flattened, empty boxes stacked against one wall, intentionally tucked behind a chair so they won't be in the way, but somehow in such a way that they continually fall out where they can be tripped over. There is an ever-increasing amount of boxes stacked along other walls in increasingly inconvenient places, as things get packed. And maybe most frustrating of all, an ever-larger group of items that I pack, only to find that I need AFTER I seal the box with tape. Packing and moving has to be one of the banes of my existence.
Nevertheless, it has to be done, if I ever want to get to move IN to my beautiful new home. So I was packing today. And while I was packing all the fragile, precious things that live in my china cabinet, it was something of a trip down memory lane. There is the porcelain angel which plays Brahm's lullaby which sat on my dresser for as long as I can remember growing up. I think she was a gift from my maternal grandmother.
There is a set of three snow angel candle-holders. The odd one was a Christmas decoration my mother had before she ever had any children, but the matching angel broke. Several years ago, Peaches went on ebay and found the match, as a surprise Christmas gift. She bid on several, hoping to win at least ONE to make my pair complete. She accidentally won two of them. So the lonely angel now has two sisters that sit with her as a reminder of how much my daughter loves me.
There are the two green, depression-glass candlesticks that my mother had on her dining room table for as long as I can remember. I admired them so much that a few years ago, she gave them to me. They are a precious treasure, since art glass is a shared love between my mother and me.
There are several music boxes. One of them came from Germany, from a history tour I took with some of my fellow high-school students and our history teacher when I was in 9th grade. I remembered how excited I was to find such a beautiful, handmade, inlaid wood music box, and how frustrating it was to settle on a price with the shopkeeper who spoke only German, when I spoke only English. He was trying to barter on the price, as is the custom in Europe, I was only trying to explain that I wanted to buy it, being unaware of the bartering custom. It was quite frustrating at the time, but I DID end up getting it for a VERY good price! That still makes me laugh! And that one, beautiful, precious music box started a love and a collection that has continued to this day.
There are so many other things I'm finding as I pack...the china I picked when I got married, which I love just as much today as I did when I found it. Books that I remember as old friends, hiding on tightly loaded bookshelves. A favorite coffee mug that was a souvenir from a sightseeing day with a friend. an old t-shirt that has seen better days, but also seen me through all the best and worst of life.
I AM looking forward to moving into our new-old house. And I AM looking forward to not having to move again for many years to come. But I also can't deny all the joy it has given me preparing for this move and anticipating it. And I know our new house will be full of as much joy and as many memories as the things that will be protected in it.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Spiritual Bone Marrow
Today is Easter Sunday. Easter has always had a special place in my heart because it comes in spring, which is my favorite season. But somehow this year was even more special than usual.
For my friends who are not Christian, Easter represents a time of welcoming the new life that is coming up this time of year, after a long, hard winter. We certainly had more than our share of 'long hard winter' this year, and seeing all the flowers on the trees and the leaves bursting out of branches everywhere, the whole world turning slowly from dead and grey back to life and green really does make me want to celebrate. SO much life!! So much color! Warm sunshine! It's just glorious.
But the meaning of Easter goes so much beyond that, to me. It is when we mark the death of Jesus on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection from the grave! After the 'cold and death' of trying to live on our own and find meaning, suddenly LIFE bursts forth from death, and we are saved, ushered into the warmth of His love and forgiveness, into a life of glorious meaning and 'color'!
The example given by our pastor this morning explained it just perfectly, yet in a way I'd never heard before. He told the story of a man who had been diagnosed with leukemia, and was told it was inoperable, and that he would absolutely die unless a marrow donor could be found in time. The man proceeded through chemotherapy to kill off all of his own, diseased blood, and all of his body's ability to make it's own blood. Then, with only a few days left before he would be likely to die, a donor was found. The donor was a 19 year old girl, and within days, he was receiving the precious gift of her bone marrow.
As his body began to accept the new bone marrow, and make new, healthy blood, the man was told that if he ever needed blood work done, that when his DNA was drawn from his blood, doctors would see her DNA. That his body would forever be changed, because his blood was now the same as her healthy blood.
He read these verses shortly after:
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Just as his bone marrow was totally replaced, and that 19 year old girl now lived inside him, because she gave of herself to save him, in the same way, Jesus poured out his own blood so that He could give life to us, and live inside us, a sort of spiritual bone marrow transplant.
All that to say, that as a member of the National Marrow Donor Program, and someone who very MUCH hopes I can someday give that gift to someone, this was an entirely new way to see Easter Sunday, and brought SO MUCH extra joy to the day! Hallelujah, He is risen....and He LIVES....IN ME!
For my friends who are not Christian, Easter represents a time of welcoming the new life that is coming up this time of year, after a long, hard winter. We certainly had more than our share of 'long hard winter' this year, and seeing all the flowers on the trees and the leaves bursting out of branches everywhere, the whole world turning slowly from dead and grey back to life and green really does make me want to celebrate. SO much life!! So much color! Warm sunshine! It's just glorious.
But the meaning of Easter goes so much beyond that, to me. It is when we mark the death of Jesus on the cross, and His subsequent resurrection from the grave! After the 'cold and death' of trying to live on our own and find meaning, suddenly LIFE bursts forth from death, and we are saved, ushered into the warmth of His love and forgiveness, into a life of glorious meaning and 'color'!
The example given by our pastor this morning explained it just perfectly, yet in a way I'd never heard before. He told the story of a man who had been diagnosed with leukemia, and was told it was inoperable, and that he would absolutely die unless a marrow donor could be found in time. The man proceeded through chemotherapy to kill off all of his own, diseased blood, and all of his body's ability to make it's own blood. Then, with only a few days left before he would be likely to die, a donor was found. The donor was a 19 year old girl, and within days, he was receiving the precious gift of her bone marrow.
As his body began to accept the new bone marrow, and make new, healthy blood, the man was told that if he ever needed blood work done, that when his DNA was drawn from his blood, doctors would see her DNA. That his body would forever be changed, because his blood was now the same as her healthy blood.
He read these verses shortly after:
Galatians 2:20
I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Just as his bone marrow was totally replaced, and that 19 year old girl now lived inside him, because she gave of herself to save him, in the same way, Jesus poured out his own blood so that He could give life to us, and live inside us, a sort of spiritual bone marrow transplant.
All that to say, that as a member of the National Marrow Donor Program, and someone who very MUCH hopes I can someday give that gift to someone, this was an entirely new way to see Easter Sunday, and brought SO MUCH extra joy to the day! Hallelujah, He is risen....and He LIVES....IN ME!
Friday, April 18, 2014
And THAT'S Kickin' Your Butt
Early this morning, I got up to go to an appointment I made with a trainer at a gym. Don't get me wrong. I'm no gym rat. I'm not even a gym mouse. For the last few months, I have taken couch potato to an art form. I'm not proud of that, but at least I'm admitting it.
Last week I had the joy and privilege to take my little grandson to the playground. He's only one year old, and not even at the age where he can play with the other kids. He wandered around the playground looking at leaves and studying the older kids playing. He did struggle to climb all the way up to the top of the playset, and I followed. We came down together to meet his mommy, Peaches, at the bottom of a slide. But I realized that day that the older he gets, the harder he will be to keep up with! And I recently found out I have a second grandbaby on the way. So this couch potato thing must come to an end.
I was fairly terrified when I walked into the gym this morning. I am that person who bought the gym membership last summer with all good intentions to improve my life, and did I? Well, if I had, I wouldn't have needed the appointment with the trainer. Now, I know a few people who make their living as personal trainers, but for some reason, I still had an image in my mind of 'huge, buff, mean, drill instructor with a whistle'. So it took me a few tries to get out of bed and get dressed this morning. Then, when I got to the gym, it took me a good ten minutes to go inside.
I feel ridiculously silly admitting that to you now. Because the trainer was very nice. He was not judgemental of the place I'm currently in. He didn't promise I'd make my goals in 6 weeks 'if I did everything he said'. He even said that we would work together to come up with a plan that was manageable in my own mind, knowing that if he expected someone at 'Ground Zero' to jump into going to the gym 6 days a week, it was setting me up for failure.
I was really encouraged by the whole process. I was excited enough by my meeting with him that I stayed to do the 'Day 1' workout he helped me plan! He said I can expect him to kick my butt. He said he will expect me to hate him some days. And I suppose I probably will.
But it was such a joy to do something today that I know is heading me back in the direction I want to go. I kicked butt today!
Last week I had the joy and privilege to take my little grandson to the playground. He's only one year old, and not even at the age where he can play with the other kids. He wandered around the playground looking at leaves and studying the older kids playing. He did struggle to climb all the way up to the top of the playset, and I followed. We came down together to meet his mommy, Peaches, at the bottom of a slide. But I realized that day that the older he gets, the harder he will be to keep up with! And I recently found out I have a second grandbaby on the way. So this couch potato thing must come to an end.
I was fairly terrified when I walked into the gym this morning. I am that person who bought the gym membership last summer with all good intentions to improve my life, and did I? Well, if I had, I wouldn't have needed the appointment with the trainer. Now, I know a few people who make their living as personal trainers, but for some reason, I still had an image in my mind of 'huge, buff, mean, drill instructor with a whistle'. So it took me a few tries to get out of bed and get dressed this morning. Then, when I got to the gym, it took me a good ten minutes to go inside.
I feel ridiculously silly admitting that to you now. Because the trainer was very nice. He was not judgemental of the place I'm currently in. He didn't promise I'd make my goals in 6 weeks 'if I did everything he said'. He even said that we would work together to come up with a plan that was manageable in my own mind, knowing that if he expected someone at 'Ground Zero' to jump into going to the gym 6 days a week, it was setting me up for failure.
I was really encouraged by the whole process. I was excited enough by my meeting with him that I stayed to do the 'Day 1' workout he helped me plan! He said I can expect him to kick my butt. He said he will expect me to hate him some days. And I suppose I probably will.
But it was such a joy to do something today that I know is heading me back in the direction I want to go. I kicked butt today!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Still His Girl
Darling Husband and I met in college. I had been a new freshman for all of 2 or 3 weeks. I had never lived away from home before, and never been on my own. Suddenly, the best friend who had been a penpal for 4 years and I were reunited, roommates in a city we were both unfamiliar with, learning to be independent. During Rush Week for the societies at our college, one of the societies hosted a mixer at the local skating rink, and there he was. The young man whom I would soon be building my world around, and not being able to imagine life without.
Our dates in college were spent doing what most couples in our era did. Wandering around the local mall or hanging out at a video arcade playing Missile Command, Centipede, Tempest, pinball, and air hockey. Occasionally, we'd go see a movie, when we could afford it. We bonded over Joust and Gauntlet, but I think he won my heart playing skeeball. Yes, I'm aware it sounds silly. But all those tickets he won night after night got saved up to win me stuffed animals, toy rings, and icecream cones. How could I resist?
Tonight, we went to see a movie with some friends, and we arrived to the theatre a bit before they did. We bought our tickets, and then, rather than stand in the lobby waiting, he wandered into the arcade. We perused all the new games....He investigated the driving games. I tried to convince him to try the dancing simulator game, to no avail. And then he saw the skeeball game. He went and found a bill changer and got a few dollars worth of quarters before I realized what he was doing. When he came back, put the quarter in, and those 9 balls rolled into place, it was like going back in time to a simple, wonderful time in my life. It was so fun watching him bowl the balls up into the target. And I must say, he's still pretty good, after all these years!
After only a few games, our friends arrived, so he tore off the tickets he'd won. We rarely ever get to an arcade now, so he gave them to a dad who's little girl had quite a collection going, and we went in to see our movie. The whole night had the feel of being in college again, just hanging out with someone I love so dearly, carefree and having fun. I loved 'just being his girl' all those years ago. It was a joy to be that girl again for the night.
Our dates in college were spent doing what most couples in our era did. Wandering around the local mall or hanging out at a video arcade playing Missile Command, Centipede, Tempest, pinball, and air hockey. Occasionally, we'd go see a movie, when we could afford it. We bonded over Joust and Gauntlet, but I think he won my heart playing skeeball. Yes, I'm aware it sounds silly. But all those tickets he won night after night got saved up to win me stuffed animals, toy rings, and icecream cones. How could I resist?
Tonight, we went to see a movie with some friends, and we arrived to the theatre a bit before they did. We bought our tickets, and then, rather than stand in the lobby waiting, he wandered into the arcade. We perused all the new games....He investigated the driving games. I tried to convince him to try the dancing simulator game, to no avail. And then he saw the skeeball game. He went and found a bill changer and got a few dollars worth of quarters before I realized what he was doing. When he came back, put the quarter in, and those 9 balls rolled into place, it was like going back in time to a simple, wonderful time in my life. It was so fun watching him bowl the balls up into the target. And I must say, he's still pretty good, after all these years!
After only a few games, our friends arrived, so he tore off the tickets he'd won. We rarely ever get to an arcade now, so he gave them to a dad who's little girl had quite a collection going, and we went in to see our movie. The whole night had the feel of being in college again, just hanging out with someone I love so dearly, carefree and having fun. I loved 'just being his girl' all those years ago. It was a joy to be that girl again for the night.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Goodnight, Moon
I am a night owl. You don't have to know me very long for this to become very apparent. I always have been. When I was in Junior High and High School, I would practice my piano lesson, watch tv, do chores, whatever I could find until the rest of the family went to bed, and then do my homework late at night, after the house was quiet.
When my kids were little, after their bedtime was 'mommy time', and I would play the piano or read a book after everyone else had gone to bed. My kids still love to listen to me play the piano as they fall asleep, when they're visiting. When My Son went to college, one of the things he asked me to include in his first care package was a CD of my piano playing that he could fall asleep to.
Now that it's just Darling Husband and myself at home, you'd think I'd have plenty of quiet hours during the day. And some days I do. But there are always traffic and neighbors and delivery people and phones and even birds on the balcony outside that all add to the chaos of the daytime, to me. It's all just so much noise. Not to say it's always unwelcome noise, but it is noise, nonetheless.
Somehow, when the moon rises, and the stars have come out, a gentle peace settles over everything, and whole house is quiet. Then I can feel myself calm, and peace settles over me as well. The stress of the day goes away, and with nothing else demanding my time or attention, I can.....well...sometimes I read, sometimes I crochet. Sometimes I write a letter to a friend. Sometimes I even just sit and watch the city lights. They are especially pretty tonight, reflected on the wet streets, since it's been a quite rainy day.
Whatever I take this beautiful peaceful time to do, it is a joy to take in the quiet of the night for a while before I head off to bed.
When my kids were little, after their bedtime was 'mommy time', and I would play the piano or read a book after everyone else had gone to bed. My kids still love to listen to me play the piano as they fall asleep, when they're visiting. When My Son went to college, one of the things he asked me to include in his first care package was a CD of my piano playing that he could fall asleep to.
Now that it's just Darling Husband and myself at home, you'd think I'd have plenty of quiet hours during the day. And some days I do. But there are always traffic and neighbors and delivery people and phones and even birds on the balcony outside that all add to the chaos of the daytime, to me. It's all just so much noise. Not to say it's always unwelcome noise, but it is noise, nonetheless.
Somehow, when the moon rises, and the stars have come out, a gentle peace settles over everything, and whole house is quiet. Then I can feel myself calm, and peace settles over me as well. The stress of the day goes away, and with nothing else demanding my time or attention, I can.....well...sometimes I read, sometimes I crochet. Sometimes I write a letter to a friend. Sometimes I even just sit and watch the city lights. They are especially pretty tonight, reflected on the wet streets, since it's been a quite rainy day.
Whatever I take this beautiful peaceful time to do, it is a joy to take in the quiet of the night for a while before I head off to bed.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Tax Relief
Tomorrow is 'tax day'. The day by which our taxes, here in the United States, must be filed for the previous year. Did I mean to forget that they were not yet done? No. Did I intend to wait until the very last day to do them? Not really. But here I am, surrounded by a pile of tax forms and receipts, slowly clicking my way through the IRS website.
But of course, I'm a multi-tasker, so I can't just do taxes. When I watch TV, I crochet. When I fold laundry, I listen to an audio sermon or book. When I talk on the phone, I check email. There aren't too many times during the day that I'm not doing at least two things at once. So, only minutes after I started working on taxes, I realized I needed to be doing something else, too.
So, I put in a movie. Pride and Prejudice, actually. Mind you, we're talking about the Colin Firth / Jennifer Ehle version done by A&E. I consider all other versions 'knockoffs'. It's one of my favorites. My family actually considers me ever-so-slightly obsessed with Pride & Prejudice, actually....I think. I watch it, the entire 6 hours....several times a year. I used to watch them with my daughters on the VCR. Those well-worn and beloved video tapes were passed down to Peaches when she moved out, recently, in favor of a less space-consuming DVD. But the movie is no less wonderful for the modern technology.
I really am such a huge fan of language like, "I cannot bear that he is somewhere in the world and thinking ill of me." and "For it is a truth universally accepted that a single man in possession of a good fortune MUST be in want of a wife." Jane Austen was a literary genius, in my opinion. She pokes fun of her own society in ways that are at once pointed and humorous, without being snide. Maybe I'll say more about my dear friend Jane some other time. For now, I'll just thank her for a wonderful afternoon spent together with a cup of tea, and for helping me get my taxes done as painlessly as possible.
But of course, I'm a multi-tasker, so I can't just do taxes. When I watch TV, I crochet. When I fold laundry, I listen to an audio sermon or book. When I talk on the phone, I check email. There aren't too many times during the day that I'm not doing at least two things at once. So, only minutes after I started working on taxes, I realized I needed to be doing something else, too.
So, I put in a movie. Pride and Prejudice, actually. Mind you, we're talking about the Colin Firth / Jennifer Ehle version done by A&E. I consider all other versions 'knockoffs'. It's one of my favorites. My family actually considers me ever-so-slightly obsessed with Pride & Prejudice, actually....I think. I watch it, the entire 6 hours....several times a year. I used to watch them with my daughters on the VCR. Those well-worn and beloved video tapes were passed down to Peaches when she moved out, recently, in favor of a less space-consuming DVD. But the movie is no less wonderful for the modern technology.
I really am such a huge fan of language like, "I cannot bear that he is somewhere in the world and thinking ill of me." and "For it is a truth universally accepted that a single man in possession of a good fortune MUST be in want of a wife." Jane Austen was a literary genius, in my opinion. She pokes fun of her own society in ways that are at once pointed and humorous, without being snide. Maybe I'll say more about my dear friend Jane some other time. For now, I'll just thank her for a wonderful afternoon spent together with a cup of tea, and for helping me get my taxes done as painlessly as possible.
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Yesterday was Sunday. Generally, this means getting up for church, and I love our church. It is encouraging, warm, uplifting place to be. And don't we all need more of those?
But yesterday, we both accidentally slept in and missed the service. So when I woke up, Darling husband was already hard at work with weekend homework and projects for school. I spent the day puttering. I read. I made a pot of chili. I read some more. I did a load of laundry. I read some more. I took a nap. I read some more....It was an entire day of 'nothing pressing to do, and nowhere to go'. Those don't really happen often in most cases, so it was a real treat.
And much like putting a cel phone or a laptop on the charger overnight, a day of 'unplugged' was just what I needed to recharge and be ready for my week when I woke up today. It was such a joy to just take a recharging day.
Now, on with the week!!
But yesterday, we both accidentally slept in and missed the service. So when I woke up, Darling husband was already hard at work with weekend homework and projects for school. I spent the day puttering. I read. I made a pot of chili. I read some more. I did a load of laundry. I read some more. I took a nap. I read some more....It was an entire day of 'nothing pressing to do, and nowhere to go'. Those don't really happen often in most cases, so it was a real treat.
And much like putting a cel phone or a laptop on the charger overnight, a day of 'unplugged' was just what I needed to recharge and be ready for my week when I woke up today. It was such a joy to just take a recharging day.
Now, on with the week!!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Purrfectly Content
I am a cat lady. Have I ever told you that? Darling Husband and I share our home with two adorable feline fluffballs. Sometimes, they are an annoyance I contemplate doing without. After all, with a cat comes food, litterbox, and the occasional furrball, which unfortunately, I never see, but always step on. Trust me, in the middle of the night on the way to the bathroom, in the dark, finding a furrball with my bare toes does not endear my furry friends to my heart.
Cats can be demanding...annoying every last bit of patience out of you when they're hungry. Or if you happen to be reading. Or working on a computer. Or folding clothes. Or playing the piano. Or doing any of the other number of things they tend to find irresistibly interesting. Honestly. It sometimes makes me wonder why anyone would keep a cat at all.
But then there are nights like tonight. When there is a warm, purring furrball curled up in my lap, gazing up at me with her innocent, sweet green eyes, as if all the world is perfect because I am rubbing just that right spot behind her ear or on her belly. Her eyes slowly close, the purring gets louder, and a kind of peace just seems to settle over us for a few minutes while I read my book, or enjoy my cup of tea.
And in these quiet, precious moments, I realize why I keep my kitties. Because they give me unconditional love, they accept me for who I am, they bring both humor and calm to the household, and most of all, because they are an everyday joy to love.
Cats can be demanding...annoying every last bit of patience out of you when they're hungry. Or if you happen to be reading. Or working on a computer. Or folding clothes. Or playing the piano. Or doing any of the other number of things they tend to find irresistibly interesting. Honestly. It sometimes makes me wonder why anyone would keep a cat at all.
But then there are nights like tonight. When there is a warm, purring furrball curled up in my lap, gazing up at me with her innocent, sweet green eyes, as if all the world is perfect because I am rubbing just that right spot behind her ear or on her belly. Her eyes slowly close, the purring gets louder, and a kind of peace just seems to settle over us for a few minutes while I read my book, or enjoy my cup of tea.
And in these quiet, precious moments, I realize why I keep my kitties. Because they give me unconditional love, they accept me for who I am, they bring both humor and calm to the household, and most of all, because they are an everyday joy to love.
Girls Day Out
So much of our lives are tied up with routine. Housework, jobs, appointments, errands, all vying to eat up every spare and not so spare moment. So every now and then, it is important to do something that's not routine, but special. A special event that serves as an oasis from the desert of the routine.
One of those things, in my life, is a girl's day out. It might not seem very exciting, I know. Peaches has a very good friend she made in junior high school. They are still the best of friends to this day. As a matter of fact, her friend calls me mom, and Peaches, in turn, calls her friend's mom, mom. Because of the girls friendship, I have gotten to be good friends with 'Mama #2' as Peaches calls her. We have been in each other's corner through the trials of high school, the girls getting along, and not getting along, college, weddings, new houses, new jobs. We don't even talk all that often, but she is one of those people that I mesh so easily with that we just seem to pick up right where we left off, even if it's weeks or months between visits.
Our girl's day out is usually lunch, then shopping, and sometimes a movie. Nothing truly very exciting. Sometimes we're Christmas shopping. It used to sometimes be back-to-school shopping. Once it was wedding dress shopping, when she finally received the proposal from the man who has been part of her and Daughter #3's life since before we met. But almost always, it's wandering around the stores as an excuse and backdrop for catching up on each other's lives. The four of us laughing, eating, sharing, and caring...until we have 'shopped till we dropped'.
I know it might be weeks or months until we do this again, but I also know that the bonds will be there, the same as they always are, strong as ever. And that it will be a joy for all four of us to share for years to come.
One of those things, in my life, is a girl's day out. It might not seem very exciting, I know. Peaches has a very good friend she made in junior high school. They are still the best of friends to this day. As a matter of fact, her friend calls me mom, and Peaches, in turn, calls her friend's mom, mom. Because of the girls friendship, I have gotten to be good friends with 'Mama #2' as Peaches calls her. We have been in each other's corner through the trials of high school, the girls getting along, and not getting along, college, weddings, new houses, new jobs. We don't even talk all that often, but she is one of those people that I mesh so easily with that we just seem to pick up right where we left off, even if it's weeks or months between visits.
Our girl's day out is usually lunch, then shopping, and sometimes a movie. Nothing truly very exciting. Sometimes we're Christmas shopping. It used to sometimes be back-to-school shopping. Once it was wedding dress shopping, when she finally received the proposal from the man who has been part of her and Daughter #3's life since before we met. But almost always, it's wandering around the stores as an excuse and backdrop for catching up on each other's lives. The four of us laughing, eating, sharing, and caring...until we have 'shopped till we dropped'.
I know it might be weeks or months until we do this again, but I also know that the bonds will be there, the same as they always are, strong as ever. And that it will be a joy for all four of us to share for years to come.
New Favorite
For the last few days, I have been away from home. I got to go visit Princess and her husband for a couple days, and spend some quality time with Button.
He has to be just about the happiest baby ever. He doesn't have a personality that ensures he laughs alot, but he is rarely EVER unhappy. He is a curious and inquisitive, tough and determined little explorer.
While I was visiting, we took him to a playground. I have dreamed for years of getting to play with my grandchildren on a playground, and it was a spectacular beginning to the fulfillment of that dream. In contrast to the long, vicious, and bitterly cold winter we were experiencing a couple weeks ago, that day was such a beautiful one. Gloriously warm and sunny, and the only hint of snow were the pink cherry blossom petals tumbling in the breeze turning the playground into a wonderland for my little grandson.
He ran along, at almost the same pace as the gently tumbling petals on the ground, chasing them as Mother Nature teased them away from his little fingers. He bravely climbed to the top of the playset, stopping at each step to look behind and make sure I was still with him. He chased a soccer ball some bigger children were kicking back and forth, and looked up at me, so startled, when it rolled by just a little closer than he was expecting. He wandered through the playground, exploring this toy, studying that leaf, touching the dirt here, or the fallen petals there. But one of my favorite moments was when, after getting knocked down, he looked just about to cry, then looked up at me and raised his arms, somehow knowing that if I would pick him up, he would be just fine.
While we walked around the playground together, doing more exploring than playing, he and I bonded in a way we have not been able to before. I am no longer a recurring visitor in his life, who comes to visit, plays with him or feeds him, and then leaves. I became someone he can share adventures with, who he can trust to help him up when he gets knocked down, who he may forget for moments here and there, but then will always look back, just to be sure I'm still behind him, still urging him on to follow his heart, to make life an adventure. I always will be, little Button. For you, and for all your siblings and cousins to come. It will be my everyday joy.
He has to be just about the happiest baby ever. He doesn't have a personality that ensures he laughs alot, but he is rarely EVER unhappy. He is a curious and inquisitive, tough and determined little explorer.
While I was visiting, we took him to a playground. I have dreamed for years of getting to play with my grandchildren on a playground, and it was a spectacular beginning to the fulfillment of that dream. In contrast to the long, vicious, and bitterly cold winter we were experiencing a couple weeks ago, that day was such a beautiful one. Gloriously warm and sunny, and the only hint of snow were the pink cherry blossom petals tumbling in the breeze turning the playground into a wonderland for my little grandson.
He ran along, at almost the same pace as the gently tumbling petals on the ground, chasing them as Mother Nature teased them away from his little fingers. He bravely climbed to the top of the playset, stopping at each step to look behind and make sure I was still with him. He chased a soccer ball some bigger children were kicking back and forth, and looked up at me, so startled, when it rolled by just a little closer than he was expecting. He wandered through the playground, exploring this toy, studying that leaf, touching the dirt here, or the fallen petals there. But one of my favorite moments was when, after getting knocked down, he looked just about to cry, then looked up at me and raised his arms, somehow knowing that if I would pick him up, he would be just fine.
While we walked around the playground together, doing more exploring than playing, he and I bonded in a way we have not been able to before. I am no longer a recurring visitor in his life, who comes to visit, plays with him or feeds him, and then leaves. I became someone he can share adventures with, who he can trust to help him up when he gets knocked down, who he may forget for moments here and there, but then will always look back, just to be sure I'm still behind him, still urging him on to follow his heart, to make life an adventure. I always will be, little Button. For you, and for all your siblings and cousins to come. It will be my everyday joy.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Takin' Care of Business
Yesterday was Tuesday. One of my favorite days of the week. It always has been.
Years ago, as a child, Tuesday night represented the night my family would all be united on the couch for Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons. Afterward, we would all go to bed, usually echoing the show's closing, 'Good night, Johnboy!' 'Good night Maryellen.' ' 'night, Elizabeth.'. This would continue with increased amounts of snickering, until my dad would say, in a voice that was attempting unsuccessfully to sound stern, 'GOOD NIGHT.' The snickering would continue for a few more minutes, although we all knew, laying there in our separate rooms, that the calling out had better NOT.
Fast forward a decade or two, and Tuesday night meant sitting on the couch with my OWN family, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My kids grew up knowing that even a teenager could save the world, or change it, if they stood up to what they were afraid of. And we had plenty of discussions as to how best to survive the always imminent 'Zombie Apocolypse'. By the way, you want My Son on your zombie survival team. Just a tip.
But several years ago Darling Husband and I started our own business, and now Tuesday nights have become the night we get together with some of our fellow business owners to learn new techniques and success principles. And to have fun. They are some of the most fun people I have ever met. And it occurred to me that Tuesday night has always been about family. My parent's family, as a child, my own family when they were small, and now my extended family-of-choice, the people who have the same dreams and goals in life that I do. Those people who want the best for me, and who I can share the journey with.
What better people to bring joy to a simple Tuesday night?
Years ago, as a child, Tuesday night represented the night my family would all be united on the couch for Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons. Afterward, we would all go to bed, usually echoing the show's closing, 'Good night, Johnboy!' 'Good night Maryellen.' ' 'night, Elizabeth.'. This would continue with increased amounts of snickering, until my dad would say, in a voice that was attempting unsuccessfully to sound stern, 'GOOD NIGHT.' The snickering would continue for a few more minutes, although we all knew, laying there in our separate rooms, that the calling out had better NOT.
Fast forward a decade or two, and Tuesday night meant sitting on the couch with my OWN family, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My kids grew up knowing that even a teenager could save the world, or change it, if they stood up to what they were afraid of. And we had plenty of discussions as to how best to survive the always imminent 'Zombie Apocolypse'. By the way, you want My Son on your zombie survival team. Just a tip.
But several years ago Darling Husband and I started our own business, and now Tuesday nights have become the night we get together with some of our fellow business owners to learn new techniques and success principles. And to have fun. They are some of the most fun people I have ever met. And it occurred to me that Tuesday night has always been about family. My parent's family, as a child, my own family when they were small, and now my extended family-of-choice, the people who have the same dreams and goals in life that I do. Those people who want the best for me, and who I can share the journey with.
What better people to bring joy to a simple Tuesday night?
Monday, April 7, 2014
Time with the Littles.
I have several friends who are little people. I don't mean they are adults afflicted with dwarfism, although I know that dwarfs sometimes refer to themselves as 'little people'. However, in my case, the little people who are my friends are the children of my adult friends. These five little girls and two little boys call me Auntie, and their little hugs are one of the treats of going to one of my friends' homes.
They often help ease the sadness that my adorable little grandson is three hours away. When I need a 'kid fix', I'll go visit a friend and be introduced to one little sweetheart's entire Tinkerbell collection. Or see how fast one little buddy can 'drive' a Hotwheels car. Or watch my two other little friends quote whole scenes from their latest favorite Disney movie, each taking the part of a different princess.
Today, I got to watch three of my little friends for the day. Their daddy had to go to work, and mommy is out of town, so I got some Auntie time with them. Today was rainy, so unfortunately, going to the playground, as I had planned wasn't an option. It ended up being a day full of at-home fun. Curled up on the couch with a little friend on each side, and one on my lap, watching movies, reading books, popcorn for a snack, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk for lunch.
Their energy and chatter and affection has effectively worn me out, and it was a long day. But it was such a joy to spend the day so simply, and with such sweet little friends.
Now I'm going to go take a nap.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
You've Got Mail
When I was 14, I went to summer camp. This was no 'across town, go home every evening' summer camp. This was '4 states away, island in the middle of a lake, stuck there away from home no matter what' summer camp. And I was terrified. My personality is one that is very uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations, and although that's something I'm trying to work on, I was very aware of it as I stepped off the boat onto that island! I found my cabin, staked claim on a bunk, and wondered what to do next. There were no counselors in my cabin, and I didn't see any other campers. However, one saw me. She introduced herself and suggested a plan for 'what to do next'. It sounded reasonable, so I went with her. And from that moment, for the rest of the week at camp we were inseparable.
By the end of the week, we were the best of friends, and exchanged addresses. She lived 5 or 6 states away from me, so our friendship was limited to the occasional phone call, and letters. Oh, how we mastered the art of letter-writing. Two, three, four...sometimes five or six letters a week flew up and down the coast from her house to mine and back. We even started being creative, to keep each other entertained. Long, long lengths of letters on toilet paper, written with magic marker. Huge poster-sized letters written on poster paper, rolled into a tube. Letters written on blown-up balloons which were then deflated to put into an envelope. If you could fit it into a letter-sized envelope, we sent it through the US Postal Service.
We ended up the very best of friends, and we are still friends to this day....still 5 or 6 states away, still keeping in touch by letter or phone, but still the best of friends.
I realized, today, that aside from the occasional 'thank you' for a gift, or for a special thoughtfulness, I don't write letters anymore....and I don't receive them, either. Paper, envelopes and stamps have given way to email, messaging, and texts. And I suppose some people would say that's kind of sad.
But my everyday joy today is letters. Because three times today, I have gotten a message from someone far away...a friend 45 minutes across town, wanting to get together for lunch and shopping. My sister, who is 2 hours away saying hello, and making my day with a very nice compliment. A dear friend who lives half way around the world, but who makes me smile and feel loved everytime I hear from her, just by her sweet way.
They may not be the paper letters I exchanged for so many years, but they certainly mean no less to me. In fact, maybe the fact that they can be sent instantly makes them better? I know right now, whenever I get a message or text that somebody, somewhere is thinking about me and wishing me a good day. That is truly something to be joyful about.
By the end of the week, we were the best of friends, and exchanged addresses. She lived 5 or 6 states away from me, so our friendship was limited to the occasional phone call, and letters. Oh, how we mastered the art of letter-writing. Two, three, four...sometimes five or six letters a week flew up and down the coast from her house to mine and back. We even started being creative, to keep each other entertained. Long, long lengths of letters on toilet paper, written with magic marker. Huge poster-sized letters written on poster paper, rolled into a tube. Letters written on blown-up balloons which were then deflated to put into an envelope. If you could fit it into a letter-sized envelope, we sent it through the US Postal Service.
We ended up the very best of friends, and we are still friends to this day....still 5 or 6 states away, still keeping in touch by letter or phone, but still the best of friends.
I realized, today, that aside from the occasional 'thank you' for a gift, or for a special thoughtfulness, I don't write letters anymore....and I don't receive them, either. Paper, envelopes and stamps have given way to email, messaging, and texts. And I suppose some people would say that's kind of sad.
But my everyday joy today is letters. Because three times today, I have gotten a message from someone far away...a friend 45 minutes across town, wanting to get together for lunch and shopping. My sister, who is 2 hours away saying hello, and making my day with a very nice compliment. A dear friend who lives half way around the world, but who makes me smile and feel loved everytime I hear from her, just by her sweet way.
They may not be the paper letters I exchanged for so many years, but they certainly mean no less to me. In fact, maybe the fact that they can be sent instantly makes them better? I know right now, whenever I get a message or text that somebody, somewhere is thinking about me and wishing me a good day. That is truly something to be joyful about.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Date Night
Sometimes life gets hectic, and days or weeks will go by in which I have barely had a chance to wave hello to Darling Husband in passing, much less spend any time together. I am not ok with this. I married him because he is my best friend, and we enjoy spending time together. So, with him in school full time, and working full time, and me running our business and dealing with all the paperwork and appointments involved in buying a house, it seems like it's been a couple weeks since I've actually done something just for fun.
Sometimes, our fun thing is cooking together. We like to make a menu, make the shopping list, go grocery shopping together, cook together, and then have a nice quiet dinner, with just the two of us. It is companionable, therapeutic, and....well, we have to eat, right?
Sometimes, we will go out, like any other couple on a Saturday night. Dinner and a movie. Or fast food and minature golf. Or more rarely, ice cream cones and a walk on the beach. But with this being exams week, Darling's been wandering around like a brain-fried zombie trying to keep up with projects due at school, tests to study for, and his full time work schedule besides. 'Going out' wasn't really fair to suggest tonight.
So tonight was a stay-at-home date night. Curled up on the couch watching movies. Usually, we take turns picking movies. His favorite genre is 'fast cars and things blowing up'. My favorite genre is 'natural disaster/end of the world' movies. Clearly, the standard movie genres just don't cut it in my family. Tonight, he picked an action/adventure movie. No fast cars, but lots of things blowing up, and the good guys won. Then scrolling through the online movie choices, I saw a movie which I recognized by name, but not description, so we watched it. It turned out to be an older-elementary or junior high fairy tale, but it was still pretty good. He made me watch an episode of Black Adder with him to regain his masculinity, tho.
And I realized, while I was curled up on the couch with Darling Husband's arm around me, listening to him make plot guesses and comments about my fairy tale, that as simple as it is, as ordinary as it seems, I wouldn't trade the joy it gives me to spend time with him for anything in the world.
Sometimes, our fun thing is cooking together. We like to make a menu, make the shopping list, go grocery shopping together, cook together, and then have a nice quiet dinner, with just the two of us. It is companionable, therapeutic, and....well, we have to eat, right?
Sometimes, we will go out, like any other couple on a Saturday night. Dinner and a movie. Or fast food and minature golf. Or more rarely, ice cream cones and a walk on the beach. But with this being exams week, Darling's been wandering around like a brain-fried zombie trying to keep up with projects due at school, tests to study for, and his full time work schedule besides. 'Going out' wasn't really fair to suggest tonight.
So tonight was a stay-at-home date night. Curled up on the couch watching movies. Usually, we take turns picking movies. His favorite genre is 'fast cars and things blowing up'. My favorite genre is 'natural disaster/end of the world' movies. Clearly, the standard movie genres just don't cut it in my family. Tonight, he picked an action/adventure movie. No fast cars, but lots of things blowing up, and the good guys won. Then scrolling through the online movie choices, I saw a movie which I recognized by name, but not description, so we watched it. It turned out to be an older-elementary or junior high fairy tale, but it was still pretty good. He made me watch an episode of Black Adder with him to regain his masculinity, tho.
And I realized, while I was curled up on the couch with Darling Husband's arm around me, listening to him make plot guesses and comments about my fairy tale, that as simple as it is, as ordinary as it seems, I wouldn't trade the joy it gives me to spend time with him for anything in the world.
As Long As I'm Living......
I love technology. In a perfect world, I suppose I could be Amish and live completely without it just fine. Ok, maybe I'd still want electricity. But the computer, the social networks, the constant barrage of information, wanted and unwanted, the inability to ever really have any solitude....it sometimes wears a person down. So, in a perfect world, my kids would live down the street from me. My brother, sister, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, all so beloved would live in the same tiny town somewhere, where I could see them and love them every single day.
But this is not a perfect world, and so the child that lives closest to me is 45 minutes away. Another is three hours away. The last is half way across the continent. So I love the technology that keeps us connected, and allows me to still be a part of their lives, no matter where they are.
I got to talk to My Son via a chat on our favorite social media site. And he asked me to do him a favor that dealt with some of his business still here in our local area. It was a simple enough favor, took very little time, and I was happy to do it, so he wouldn't have to think about it.
And that was my joy for the day...getting to talk to one of my kids for a nice long chat, and do something for him that any mother would do. Because, just like the story book said, when they were little...
I'll love you forever.
I'll like you for always.
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be.
They may not be babies anymore, but being their mom is an everyday joy to me.
But this is not a perfect world, and so the child that lives closest to me is 45 minutes away. Another is three hours away. The last is half way across the continent. So I love the technology that keeps us connected, and allows me to still be a part of their lives, no matter where they are.
I got to talk to My Son via a chat on our favorite social media site. And he asked me to do him a favor that dealt with some of his business still here in our local area. It was a simple enough favor, took very little time, and I was happy to do it, so he wouldn't have to think about it.
And that was my joy for the day...getting to talk to one of my kids for a nice long chat, and do something for him that any mother would do. Because, just like the story book said, when they were little...
I'll love you forever.
I'll like you for always.
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be.
They may not be babies anymore, but being their mom is an everyday joy to me.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Possibilities
One of my best friends gave me a subscription to a magazine for Christmas. I've enjoyed getting them, and flipping idly through them, daydreaming about having rooms as beautiful as those pictured in the magazine, or a home in any of the exotic locations pictured. But these were little more than nebulous, idle musings, since I was surrounded by the dull reality of a tiny rented apartment.
Last week, Darling and I put a contract on a house. She is a graceful, beautiful Craftsman foursquare, located across the street from a gorgeous view of the bay, in a quiet, quaint neighborhood full of Victorians and brownstone boutiques. She has been lovingly restored to maintain all the charm she was built with 100+ years ago, and I can't wait to move in. To spend early mornings on the porch swing with my tea and the bay. To gently introduce myself to her, and get to know her quirks. But also to make her mine, to put my personality and stamp on the house so that, even with more than 100 years of charm, it also looks like MY place in the world.
There are many ways to do that, I suppose. Furniture. Carpet. Decorations. Remodeling. But while meandering through pictures of beautiful coastal homes, I discovered a treasure. A simple, 3 x 5 piece of paper that represented the simplest and easiest of all 'statements'. A coupon for a free sample of paint. Off I went to the home improvement store, to find my perfect shade. After all, I will soon have an entire HOUSE full of rooms that, unlike my apartment, are mine to paint, if I choose.
As I looked through the paint chips, I found this shade of blue that might be nice in a craft room. That shade of green that would be lovely in an office. This shade of tan that would be amazing in a bathroom. Some other shade of rose that was perfect for a bedroom....SO many colors! I did come home with my free sample...a lovely sage-y green I'm hoping will be a subtle, welcoming statement for the foyer...and also a color that Darling Husband has claimed for his office, as well. But I came home with so much more than just a paint sample. I came home with endless possibilities of what could be. A full imagination of how my dream home can slowly, steadily become my 'reality' home.
And that is a joyous thing.
Last week, Darling and I put a contract on a house. She is a graceful, beautiful Craftsman foursquare, located across the street from a gorgeous view of the bay, in a quiet, quaint neighborhood full of Victorians and brownstone boutiques. She has been lovingly restored to maintain all the charm she was built with 100+ years ago, and I can't wait to move in. To spend early mornings on the porch swing with my tea and the bay. To gently introduce myself to her, and get to know her quirks. But also to make her mine, to put my personality and stamp on the house so that, even with more than 100 years of charm, it also looks like MY place in the world.
There are many ways to do that, I suppose. Furniture. Carpet. Decorations. Remodeling. But while meandering through pictures of beautiful coastal homes, I discovered a treasure. A simple, 3 x 5 piece of paper that represented the simplest and easiest of all 'statements'. A coupon for a free sample of paint. Off I went to the home improvement store, to find my perfect shade. After all, I will soon have an entire HOUSE full of rooms that, unlike my apartment, are mine to paint, if I choose.
As I looked through the paint chips, I found this shade of blue that might be nice in a craft room. That shade of green that would be lovely in an office. This shade of tan that would be amazing in a bathroom. Some other shade of rose that was perfect for a bedroom....SO many colors! I did come home with my free sample...a lovely sage-y green I'm hoping will be a subtle, welcoming statement for the foyer...and also a color that Darling Husband has claimed for his office, as well. But I came home with so much more than just a paint sample. I came home with endless possibilities of what could be. A full imagination of how my dream home can slowly, steadily become my 'reality' home.
And that is a joyous thing.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Here Comes the Sun
If you are reading this from anywhere in the United States except California, or possibly other parts of the Southwest, you, along with everyone else in the US, had an incredibly cold and snowy winter. Here in my East Coast town, we usually get a dusting of snow, or maybe even a few inches accumulation once in the year. If the ground has been more white than green or brown even once, we declare that yes, it was a rough winter. After all, we even 'got snow'.
I live in one of those places in the US where a half inch of snow effectively shuts down most every business. As a matter of fact when my kids were in high school, they once got a snow day that was called the day before a storm was scheduled to hit...and then the storm passed us by, and they got their snow day...on a day there was not even a flake. Such is life in a beach town that prides itself in 7 months per year of beach weather.
So 4 snow storms in one winter? More than 2 feet of total accumulation in the SAME winter? Clearly, the East Coat was heading for some 'Day After Tomorrow' type nuclear winter. On February 2, when the Groundhog saw his shadow, that very sad rumble you heard was the entire population of my state collectively groaning for mercy.
But today, finally, it really began to feel like warm spring. Two or three weeks later than usual, the sun was shining, the sky was clear blue, and there was a balmy breeze replacing the bone-chilling wind. It was so gloriously warm and sunny today. Nearly 80 degrees. Everywhere I went today, people were smiling, cheerful, liberated from the indoors, happy to finally be able to come out like the hibernating groundhog, and glance at the sky, unobstructed by storm-clouds. Spring arrived today. And with it, something else to be so very joyful about.
Welcome, Sunshine! We've missed you.
I live in one of those places in the US where a half inch of snow effectively shuts down most every business. As a matter of fact when my kids were in high school, they once got a snow day that was called the day before a storm was scheduled to hit...and then the storm passed us by, and they got their snow day...on a day there was not even a flake. Such is life in a beach town that prides itself in 7 months per year of beach weather.
So 4 snow storms in one winter? More than 2 feet of total accumulation in the SAME winter? Clearly, the East Coat was heading for some 'Day After Tomorrow' type nuclear winter. On February 2, when the Groundhog saw his shadow, that very sad rumble you heard was the entire population of my state collectively groaning for mercy.
But today, finally, it really began to feel like warm spring. Two or three weeks later than usual, the sun was shining, the sky was clear blue, and there was a balmy breeze replacing the bone-chilling wind. It was so gloriously warm and sunny today. Nearly 80 degrees. Everywhere I went today, people were smiling, cheerful, liberated from the indoors, happy to finally be able to come out like the hibernating groundhog, and glance at the sky, unobstructed by storm-clouds. Spring arrived today. And with it, something else to be so very joyful about.
Welcome, Sunshine! We've missed you.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Lost and Found
I am working on writing a book. No, it's not a collection of blog posts. (hee hee) It's a topic that is a personal interest, and so I decided to collect all my thoughts on the subject in a coherent manner, in a single location. Voila. BOOK! Who knows if it will ever be published, and right now, that is very much not the point.
But a few weeks ago, I misplaced my notes. Two whole notebooks full of ideas, brainstorming, half chapters, and random paragraphs....gone. Seemingly disappeared into thin air. If you knew how small my apartment was, you'd wonder how I could ever lose anything, but I seem to do it on an annoyingly frequent basis.
I searched wherever I thought might have been a good place to put them.
I searched wherever I thought wasn't really a good place, but that I might have, at some point, thought was a good place.
Then I resorted to searching places I was fairly certain they couldn't possibly be, but....who knows?
I even ultimately started moving furniture, wondering if somehow, maybe the notebooks had slid under the couch, or under a chair. All without success.
Ultimately, I decided that I would have to wait to find them as we move into the new home on which we recently placed a contract.
I searched wherever I thought might have been a good place to put them.
I searched wherever I thought wasn't really a good place, but that I might have, at some point, thought was a good place.
Then I resorted to searching places I was fairly certain they couldn't possibly be, but....who knows?
I even ultimately started moving furniture, wondering if somehow, maybe the notebooks had slid under the couch, or under a chair. All without success.
Ultimately, I decided that I would have to wait to find them as we move into the new home on which we recently placed a contract.
Then, this morning, I headed into my closet to get a pair of shoes and a purse that matches my outfit. I adore purses and shoes, however, because of the limited space in my apartment, my walk-in-closet usually looks like a tornado has hit a very cute boutique. Finding a purse and shoes usually results in me sitting on the floor, rummaging through the pile for matches. Which is what I was doing this morning, when I happened to pick up a purse that sometimes doubles as a tote bag. It seemed rather heavy, for not being in current use, so I looked inside....and there were my notebooks!!
I was thrilled, relieved, and excited all at once. Not just because the notebooks have been found, although I'm certainly glad all the work they represent is not wasted. I was also glad because finding them has been something of a personal quest for a few weeks, and it felt like a personal triumph. And because I don't have to spend so much mental energy trying to figure out where I still haven't looked. There is so much joy in finally finding whatever it was you were looking for. Whether it's car keys, or a specific DVD you wanted to watch, or that out-of-print book you finally find on Amazon, nothing feels quite as great as 'finally' finding it.
I hope that whatever you have lost today, becomes found. It's a wonderful, everyday joy.
I hope that whatever you have lost today, becomes found. It's a wonderful, everyday joy.
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