As you may well know, the majority of the country has been just coming out of the grips of a record heat wave. And while most of the time I complain that it's just way too cold in my office, I must admit that the air conditioning felt pretty darn good last week! However, upon walking outside from office to car, the intense sunshine was definately welcomed as it soaked in, clear to my bones. Aaaaaahhhhh! So, so nice.
Right now, though, I am basking in a pleasure on the opposite end of the scale. Okay. Maybe not polar opposite - just a tad way down the scale.
It's a cool 68. My house is calm and cool. No fans are running at full tilt = peace. Even the kids seem more tranquil. Mug of hot Early Grey on my left and a fresh-from-the-oven slice of banana bread on my right.
Comfort food, I missed you.
Belly full... Good sleeping weather.
Nighty-Nite!
7.27.2011
7.23.2011
Saturday Morning
Typically, Saturday mornings at our house are about getting up, having breakfast and getting some chores done. Today, however, we are doing things with a much more casual attitude. Our breakfast was quiet, relaxed. No fighting over who got what and how much. Fresh ground coffee. The hypnotic incense-like aroma of the mosquito coil wafting its smoke into the air under our deck umbrella. The soothing, cool colors of the minty green and soft blue of the hydrangeas in a vase on the table.....After the intense heat wave, this cool morning is feeling really pleasant. And it helps, too, that three out of four of our children have spent the night with other people so it's just us three.
So my post today is short. I'm going to relish this quiet time before they all find their way home again...
7.21.2011
My Bad
So sorry dears. Have not posted in quite some time. I've been a little discouraged and a lot busy.
Summertime, you know. Hot, sticky, sand everywhere. Sunburnt, peeling nose and shoulders. Kids are loving the beach and we are trying to get there whenever we have a spare few moments. Plus, work, work, work.
Also, I've been writing. Writing, writing and more writing. You just wait.... this time, three years from now, you'll be standing in line at my book signing event at your local Borders. Hehehe! Yeah, I know. Don't say it. I can dream can't I? I know that the only four people standing in line at my signing will be my mother, my sister, my oldest daughter and the short, bald man who was just standing in line 'cause these three pretty ladies were in line.
Ummmm. Yeah.
And secondly, I mentioned that I was a tad discouraged.
Okay, a lot discouraged.
Here I've been writing and blogging, blogging and writing and making a few cents a day with the ads I had installed on my site. I have found, however, that for some unbeknownst to me reason, the ads are no longer showing up - just blank space.
I've tried just about everything and you know something? I've tried other host sites to see how they compare to Blogger, and I've always (maybe until now) stuck to my guns, holding that Blogger has the easiest hosting site out of all the others that I have auditioned. Now.... I'm not so sure. The backside of Blogger is a COMPLETELY different story. I cannot get anywhere! Help Forum, Troublshooter, Ad Codes, HTML, XML, Account Verification...... Who knows what all this stuff is. And you can only email the support staff on three specific areas of help - none of which pertain to my issue. I've read some of the Help Forum strands and they aren't exactly helpful. In fact, the support staff seem a little bit flippant in their responses.
And if I wanted flippant, I could get that right here at home.
So, woe is me. Thanks for listening and being so patient in my absence. I will try to be faithful to my viewers and blog regularly - EVEN IF THERE ARE NO ADS!!!!
Summertime, you know. Hot, sticky, sand everywhere. Sunburnt, peeling nose and shoulders. Kids are loving the beach and we are trying to get there whenever we have a spare few moments. Plus, work, work, work.
Also, I've been writing. Writing, writing and more writing. You just wait.... this time, three years from now, you'll be standing in line at my book signing event at your local Borders. Hehehe! Yeah, I know. Don't say it. I can dream can't I? I know that the only four people standing in line at my signing will be my mother, my sister, my oldest daughter and the short, bald man who was just standing in line 'cause these three pretty ladies were in line.
Ummmm. Yeah.
And secondly, I mentioned that I was a tad discouraged.
Okay, a lot discouraged.
Here I've been writing and blogging, blogging and writing and making a few cents a day with the ads I had installed on my site. I have found, however, that for some unbeknownst to me reason, the ads are no longer showing up - just blank space.
I've tried just about everything and you know something? I've tried other host sites to see how they compare to Blogger, and I've always (maybe until now) stuck to my guns, holding that Blogger has the easiest hosting site out of all the others that I have auditioned. Now.... I'm not so sure. The backside of Blogger is a COMPLETELY different story. I cannot get anywhere! Help Forum, Troublshooter, Ad Codes, HTML, XML, Account Verification...... Who knows what all this stuff is. And you can only email the support staff on three specific areas of help - none of which pertain to my issue. I've read some of the Help Forum strands and they aren't exactly helpful. In fact, the support staff seem a little bit flippant in their responses.
And if I wanted flippant, I could get that right here at home.
So, woe is me. Thanks for listening and being so patient in my absence. I will try to be faithful to my viewers and blog regularly - EVEN IF THERE ARE NO ADS!!!!
6.11.2011
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox
Hmmm... What can I say about his book? I definitely recommend that you read it to form your own opinion.
I really, really enjoyed reading this. I found it difficult to put down at night. Maggie O'Farrell did a wonderful job with descriptions. I felt as though I were standing in Cauldstone Hospital, seeing the color of the walls and smelling the disinfectant. I found it very difficult to believe that human nature would allow such atrocities to happen; even though it's clear in many parts of our hidden history that this happened in many cases where a "diagnosis" was simply an excuse to put someone away. I had tears in my eyes. I felt as though a part of me had been ripped away.
Selfish, vain, 'it's okay as long as the world revolves around me'... Kitty is a quietly ferocious creature. And it's obvious to me that Kitty's and Esme's mother was a weakling who wanted her life to be quiet and perfect and when a challenging child was preventing that, it was deemed that the child was mad. When Esme needed more understanding from her own family rather than more time spent on her own or with her ayah, Jamila, they got rid of her because it was too embarrassing for the family.
Now Iris... I longed for a little more description as to how she actually felt about this entire situation. I found I was forming my own opinions, relating how I would feel in the story. Which led to slight disappointment in the end. I didn't feel what should have been an overwhelming rush of emotions on so many different levels. In my opinion, the ending kind of petered out.
The beginning sucked me in and kept my rapt attention. Then throughout, I had to work slightly at understanding how the characters felt and was occasionally surprised at having to re-read different passages because I had guessed wrong at their feelings. Then, what I was hoping for at the ending just didn't come to light. When I am reading a book and I have put part of myself, and that part being a small effort, into this book, the ending really should give me what I need. And I felt that it fell short of my expectations.
Overall, it was a really good read. Even if only because it simply brought to light the inept and insufficient system of diagnosis and hospitalization of so many "patients" that has been rampant in our historical past. Very interesting and heart-breaking.
I really, really enjoyed reading this. I found it difficult to put down at night. Maggie O'Farrell did a wonderful job with descriptions. I felt as though I were standing in Cauldstone Hospital, seeing the color of the walls and smelling the disinfectant. I found it very difficult to believe that human nature would allow such atrocities to happen; even though it's clear in many parts of our hidden history that this happened in many cases where a "diagnosis" was simply an excuse to put someone away. I had tears in my eyes. I felt as though a part of me had been ripped away.
Selfish, vain, 'it's okay as long as the world revolves around me'... Kitty is a quietly ferocious creature. And it's obvious to me that Kitty's and Esme's mother was a weakling who wanted her life to be quiet and perfect and when a challenging child was preventing that, it was deemed that the child was mad. When Esme needed more understanding from her own family rather than more time spent on her own or with her ayah, Jamila, they got rid of her because it was too embarrassing for the family.
Now Iris... I longed for a little more description as to how she actually felt about this entire situation. I found I was forming my own opinions, relating how I would feel in the story. Which led to slight disappointment in the end. I didn't feel what should have been an overwhelming rush of emotions on so many different levels. In my opinion, the ending kind of petered out.
The beginning sucked me in and kept my rapt attention. Then throughout, I had to work slightly at understanding how the characters felt and was occasionally surprised at having to re-read different passages because I had guessed wrong at their feelings. Then, what I was hoping for at the ending just didn't come to light. When I am reading a book and I have put part of myself, and that part being a small effort, into this book, the ending really should give me what I need. And I felt that it fell short of my expectations.
Overall, it was a really good read. Even if only because it simply brought to light the inept and insufficient system of diagnosis and hospitalization of so many "patients" that has been rampant in our historical past. Very interesting and heart-breaking.
6.01.2011
Getting "It" Back
While "it" is not quite here yet. Let me assure you that "it" is coming back. I've been hoping and wishing and telling myself "Just get on with "it" already."
There have been lots of signs pertaining to "it". I've done some Spring Cleaning and came across a magazine that reminded me of "it". I saw another guide in the book store that I just had to pick up that completely pertained to "it". And I sat with my daughter and looked at her new high school year book that had something in it that totally sparked my desire to resume "it".
So now I'm all inspired and I am hoping that I will have a few hours a week to work on "it".
If you know me and love me, than surely you know what "it" is....
??
There have been lots of signs pertaining to "it". I've done some Spring Cleaning and came across a magazine that reminded me of "it". I saw another guide in the book store that I just had to pick up that completely pertained to "it". And I sat with my daughter and looked at her new high school year book that had something in it that totally sparked my desire to resume "it".
So now I'm all inspired and I am hoping that I will have a few hours a week to work on "it".
If you know me and love me, than surely you know what "it" is....
??
5.31.2011
Good Reads
1. A Matter of Class
by Mary Balogh: I am really enjoying this one. While I haven't completed it yet, I am enjoying every page. Balogh has done an excellent job bringing life to these characters. I can picture them perfectly in my mind, as well as the scenery around the river and the homes of the characters. I absolutely cannot wait to find out how the issue between the two main characters will end up.
2. An Afternoon Walk by Dorothy Eden: This was suspenseful enough, even though I had an inkling of the truth at the ending. Eden was superb with the scenery. I could fully envision the house that Kitty and her mother lived in. I was picturing something along the lines of Darren and Sam's house on "Bewitched". I did enjoy how Eden put suspicion everywhere, and on nearly every character. And the ending? I wouldn't have had it any other way.
I will certainly be picking up more of Dorothy Eden's and Mary Balogh's creations. The few that I have found and read are easy reads that quickly pull you in. I also wish to bring home more Daphne DuMaurier from the library. When I discovered her at our local library and brought her home to read, I felt immediately that I had made a life-long friend. And right now, I miss her dearly.
by Mary Balogh: I am really enjoying this one. While I haven't completed it yet, I am enjoying every page. Balogh has done an excellent job bringing life to these characters. I can picture them perfectly in my mind, as well as the scenery around the river and the homes of the characters. I absolutely cannot wait to find out how the issue between the two main characters will end up.2. An Afternoon Walk by Dorothy Eden: This was suspenseful enough, even though I had an inkling of the truth at the ending. Eden was superb with the scenery. I could fully envision the house that Kitty and her mother lived in. I was picturing something along the lines of Darren and Sam's house on "Bewitched". I did enjoy how Eden put suspicion everywhere, and on nearly every character. And the ending? I wouldn't have had it any other way.
I will certainly be picking up more of Dorothy Eden's and Mary Balogh's creations. The few that I have found and read are easy reads that quickly pull you in. I also wish to bring home more Daphne DuMaurier from the library. When I discovered her at our local library and brought her home to read, I felt immediately that I had made a life-long friend. And right now, I miss her dearly.
5.30.2011
The Sensationalization of Teen Pregnancy
I wasn't sure if I really wanted to write about this controversial subject. After all, it could happen to anyone, right?
Wrong!
I am not one of those parents who will let their kids run wild with the laid-back, "cool parent" attitude of "kids will be kids". Key word here is "kids". Second key word being "parents".
Q: Why do "kids" have "parents"?
A: To keep them from harm and help them make moral decisions.
My oldest daughter, at the tender age of 17, has just brought home her new high school yearbook. We sat together on the sofa and looked it over together as she pointed out to me all of her friends and those that she wished would drop off the face of the earth. What's new, right? We saw pages dedicated to NHS and Photo Club, every sport available to the teens, cheerleading, theatre, chorus, etc.
Then I couldn't believe my eyes. They had a page, an entire page, dedicated to a teen who had given birth during the year. I had heard of this particular "child" from my daughter. She apparently was going to school the entire time she was pregnant. And the 'boyfriend' was being good about it. What? I can't believe that this teen pregnancy issue has become so commonplace, so accepted, so hollywood-ized. And now it's forever immortalized in the pages of my daughter's yearbook!
Gee! Now that we know we can get pregnant and we'll make it into the yearbook, let's all do it!
I have this fear that there will be a slew of teen pregnancies through out the school. After all, they've made it look so easy. The girl holding the precious new born. And her boyfriend standing next to them. It's typical in yearbooks to list all the student's names next to their photos and then there are always a few students who didn't show up for picture day and they are listed as "Not pictured:..." So, I suppose what the yearbook crew neglected was that phrase
"Not pictured: room strewn with baby items."
"Not pictured: couple and baby on their way to the health department for free (tax-payer funded) well-child visit and free (tax-payer funded) immunizations."
"Not pictured: boyfriend losing temper with new teen mom/girlfriend when the baby won't sleep through the night."
"Not pictured: mother and father of teen mom extending their retirement plans to help support the new baby."
"Not pictured: teen mother spending grant money on on-line college classes and is unable to complete them or fails them because her "boyfriend/baby daddy" has now left her for some other 16-year-old who doesn't have stretch marks and who isn't crabby from sleep-deprivation and the teen mom now has no help at all except for her mother who can only watch the baby when she isn't working herself...."
Get the picture?
It's not glamorous. It's not easy. Your friends who say "OMG! She's sooo cute!" really have no feelings for this 'cutie' because they have never given birth (at least we hope not), therefore they are really thinking "OMG, it kind of looks like a little martian.... and I think it just pooped. How gross! What just came out of it's mouth?"
I am not going to play the blame game, because like I said, it could happen to (just about) anyone. However, I really don't believe that we (tax-payers) should be sensationalizing this issue. There are a lot of other people to consider when a new baby is brought into the world. And I think that teens are extremely self-centered and selfish when they are having unprotected sex. They need to experience the real truth.
So instead of sending a yearbook crew on an interview of the new baby's parents, maybe they should rather have published the reality of the situation as I stated a very small portion of in the above Not Pictured section.
I am extremely disgusted by the yearbook staff to have permitted this. For many reasons.
I am extremely disappointed in the new mother and father and the parents of both who allowed this to happen.
I am just really overall mad that through the TV shows that are so popular with our youth, through the dysfunctional leaders of our schools, and through the extreme lackadaisical parenting of today's teens we now have a new life in the world that the parents, the grandparents and all of tax-payers are now burdened with. And all babies deserve so much more! I absolutely do not stand for abortion. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I believe that all babies born and unborn, deserve a fighting chance.
So please take what I have posted here and think about it from all aspects. I would really love to hear comments on this issue.
And thanks for being so patient with me in between my posts.... :)
Wrong!
I am not one of those parents who will let their kids run wild with the laid-back, "cool parent" attitude of "kids will be kids". Key word here is "kids". Second key word being "parents".
Q: Why do "kids" have "parents"?
A: To keep them from harm and help them make moral decisions.
My oldest daughter, at the tender age of 17, has just brought home her new high school yearbook. We sat together on the sofa and looked it over together as she pointed out to me all of her friends and those that she wished would drop off the face of the earth. What's new, right? We saw pages dedicated to NHS and Photo Club, every sport available to the teens, cheerleading, theatre, chorus, etc.
Then I couldn't believe my eyes. They had a page, an entire page, dedicated to a teen who had given birth during the year. I had heard of this particular "child" from my daughter. She apparently was going to school the entire time she was pregnant. And the 'boyfriend' was being good about it. What? I can't believe that this teen pregnancy issue has become so commonplace, so accepted, so hollywood-ized. And now it's forever immortalized in the pages of my daughter's yearbook!
Gee! Now that we know we can get pregnant and we'll make it into the yearbook, let's all do it!
I have this fear that there will be a slew of teen pregnancies through out the school. After all, they've made it look so easy. The girl holding the precious new born. And her boyfriend standing next to them. It's typical in yearbooks to list all the student's names next to their photos and then there are always a few students who didn't show up for picture day and they are listed as "Not pictured:..." So, I suppose what the yearbook crew neglected was that phrase
"Not pictured: room strewn with baby items."
"Not pictured: couple and baby on their way to the health department for free (tax-payer funded) well-child visit and free (tax-payer funded) immunizations."
"Not pictured: boyfriend losing temper with new teen mom/girlfriend when the baby won't sleep through the night."
"Not pictured: mother and father of teen mom extending their retirement plans to help support the new baby."
"Not pictured: teen mother spending grant money on on-line college classes and is unable to complete them or fails them because her "boyfriend/baby daddy" has now left her for some other 16-year-old who doesn't have stretch marks and who isn't crabby from sleep-deprivation and the teen mom now has no help at all except for her mother who can only watch the baby when she isn't working herself...."
Get the picture?
It's not glamorous. It's not easy. Your friends who say "OMG! She's sooo cute!" really have no feelings for this 'cutie' because they have never given birth (at least we hope not), therefore they are really thinking "OMG, it kind of looks like a little martian.... and I think it just pooped. How gross! What just came out of it's mouth?"
I am not going to play the blame game, because like I said, it could happen to (just about) anyone. However, I really don't believe that we (tax-payers) should be sensationalizing this issue. There are a lot of other people to consider when a new baby is brought into the world. And I think that teens are extremely self-centered and selfish when they are having unprotected sex. They need to experience the real truth.
So instead of sending a yearbook crew on an interview of the new baby's parents, maybe they should rather have published the reality of the situation as I stated a very small portion of in the above Not Pictured section.
I am extremely disgusted by the yearbook staff to have permitted this. For many reasons.
I am extremely disappointed in the new mother and father and the parents of both who allowed this to happen.
I am just really overall mad that through the TV shows that are so popular with our youth, through the dysfunctional leaders of our schools, and through the extreme lackadaisical parenting of today's teens we now have a new life in the world that the parents, the grandparents and all of tax-payers are now burdened with. And all babies deserve so much more! I absolutely do not stand for abortion. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I believe that all babies born and unborn, deserve a fighting chance.
So please take what I have posted here and think about it from all aspects. I would really love to hear comments on this issue.
And thanks for being so patient with me in between my posts.... :)
5.23.2011
Summer Yummies!
It's time! It's time!
The temperature has finally risen above 50 degrees and the grill is working (nearly) perfectly. Memorial Day weekend is coming up and I have four days of no "work". I do, however, plan on working around the house. On the chore list for my extended weekend is: cleaning out the garage and my car, getting steppers to make a stone path and fire-pit perimeter in the backyard. Maybe I'll be daring and also get some ground cover and/or some flowers for the deck pots.
And, of course, I plan on eating some of my favorites this holiday. Burgers, brats, maybe some more roasted corn, lots of fresh-greens salads, pasta salad. Lemonade, iced tea....
I really shouldn't be dwelling on food, you know.
After all, I have laundry to do....
The temperature has finally risen above 50 degrees and the grill is working (nearly) perfectly. Memorial Day weekend is coming up and I have four days of no "work". I do, however, plan on working around the house. On the chore list for my extended weekend is: cleaning out the garage and my car, getting steppers to make a stone path and fire-pit perimeter in the backyard. Maybe I'll be daring and also get some ground cover and/or some flowers for the deck pots.
And, of course, I plan on eating some of my favorites this holiday. Burgers, brats, maybe some more roasted corn, lots of fresh-greens salads, pasta salad. Lemonade, iced tea....
I really shouldn't be dwelling on food, you know.
After all, I have laundry to do....
4.28.2011
The Mouthwash Is Out
There are lots of little things that I have learned to live with. And there are lots of seemingly "little" things that I am fed up with.
The placement of the mouthwash bottle is one of those things that I am regularly battling. And depending on my mood, this could mean war!
The spousal unit completes his nightly oral hygiene routine and then places the gia-normous liter bottle of mouthwash on the front half of our already very small bathroom counter. I then find myself placing it (where it's supposed to be, since he obviously will not allow it to remain under the sink) into the left rear corner with the label facing out so 1) there is more room on the counter top since the econo-size bottle of mouthwash is now tucked neatly out of the way and 2) nobody using our en-suite bathroom would mistake the near-neon green liquid for a refresing beverage, hence the label is now in clear view.
This re-organization of the bathroom is but one of the 'things' that have fallen upon me, as a spouse and as a female, to continue to do, since the husband believes that the bathroom magically keeps itself organized.
I suppose that means that I have now taken on, along with my already long list of roles played: wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, cousin, grand-daughter, etc., I can now add to my resume that I am the magical bathroom fairy. I pull the shower curtain away from the wet shower wall, hang up the damp bathmat over that extremely convenient silver rod that protudes slightly from the wall (hmmm, imagine that), wipe toothpaste blobs out of the sink and I place mouthwash, toothpaste, shaving cream and lotion containers back into their proper places. Boxers are merely kicked out of the bathroom and left until the owner needs clean ones.
The placement of the mouthwash bottle is one of those things that I am regularly battling. And depending on my mood, this could mean war!
The spousal unit completes his nightly oral hygiene routine and then places the gia-normous liter bottle of mouthwash on the front half of our already very small bathroom counter. I then find myself placing it (where it's supposed to be, since he obviously will not allow it to remain under the sink) into the left rear corner with the label facing out so 1) there is more room on the counter top since the econo-size bottle of mouthwash is now tucked neatly out of the way and 2) nobody using our en-suite bathroom would mistake the near-neon green liquid for a refresing beverage, hence the label is now in clear view.
This re-organization of the bathroom is but one of the 'things' that have fallen upon me, as a spouse and as a female, to continue to do, since the husband believes that the bathroom magically keeps itself organized.
I suppose that means that I have now taken on, along with my already long list of roles played: wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, cousin, grand-daughter, etc., I can now add to my resume that I am the magical bathroom fairy. I pull the shower curtain away from the wet shower wall, hang up the damp bathmat over that extremely convenient silver rod that protudes slightly from the wall (hmmm, imagine that), wipe toothpaste blobs out of the sink and I place mouthwash, toothpaste, shaving cream and lotion containers back into their proper places. Boxers are merely kicked out of the bathroom and left until the owner needs clean ones.
This fairy don't do boxers!
4.27.2011
Plans for Tomorrow?
Wouldn't you think that with having a day off tomorrow, I'd be excited about the opportunity to stay up later than usual? My evening usually "ends" by 9:30 p.m. At that point I begin the routine of showering, blow-drying my hair, helping baby into pj's and helping her brush her teeth. Then I get to read until I fall asleep. (Yippee!)
So, tonight, even though I had, at first, thought about staying up a little later than usual to watch some of the pre-royal wedding TV specials, I find myself feeling drowsy and looking forward to snuggling down into bed with my book. Which, coincidentally, is called Castle Dor
, by Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne du Maurier. If you liked the movie (or any story really) about Tristan and Isolde, then I'm sure you'd find this story intriguing.
Sorry. Just a little off the topic.
I think rather than staying up late, I'll just complete my usual routine so that I will have plenty of time (and energy) tomorrow to do everything on my list. And there is a lot on my list! I really did not want to use any of my vacation time to be able to catch up on 'household' type stuff, but that's exactly what I'm doing. That bugs me. I should be taking Friday off instead, so that I can get up at 3:00 a.m. to watch the BBC channel on all of the royal wedding pomp and pageantry.
Actually, I've got the BBC channel already set to record from 3:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the day of the nuptials. The challenge, then, will be finding the time to watch it afterwards. Yeah, we'll see how that goes. I don't have a whole lot of certitude that my house will be a peaceful place at all this weekend. It usually isn't. Depending on who is home, the TV is usually on all day - even when nobody is watching it. Some of my co-inhabitants will suddenly come up with the "brilliant" idea to immediately clean up something. And I always feel like if I'm not helping (or in control) that it won't get done correctly, or something will be done wrong, or I'll find a certain item ever again. Can anyone relate to that?
That's one of the main reasons I am taking tomorrow as a holiday from work. So I can make some imperative phone calls that I can't trust anyone else to make, and run around executing essential missions. I make it sound like a war that I am arranging. Well, maybe in a sense.....
So, tonight, even though I had, at first, thought about staying up a little later than usual to watch some of the pre-royal wedding TV specials, I find myself feeling drowsy and looking forward to snuggling down into bed with my book. Which, coincidentally, is called Castle Dor
, by Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne du Maurier. If you liked the movie (or any story really) about Tristan and Isolde, then I'm sure you'd find this story intriguing.Sorry. Just a little off the topic.
I think rather than staying up late, I'll just complete my usual routine so that I will have plenty of time (and energy) tomorrow to do everything on my list. And there is a lot on my list! I really did not want to use any of my vacation time to be able to catch up on 'household' type stuff, but that's exactly what I'm doing. That bugs me. I should be taking Friday off instead, so that I can get up at 3:00 a.m. to watch the BBC channel on all of the royal wedding pomp and pageantry.
Actually, I've got the BBC channel already set to record from 3:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the day of the nuptials. The challenge, then, will be finding the time to watch it afterwards. Yeah, we'll see how that goes. I don't have a whole lot of certitude that my house will be a peaceful place at all this weekend. It usually isn't. Depending on who is home, the TV is usually on all day - even when nobody is watching it. Some of my co-inhabitants will suddenly come up with the "brilliant" idea to immediately clean up something. And I always feel like if I'm not helping (or in control) that it won't get done correctly, or something will be done wrong, or I'll find a certain item ever again. Can anyone relate to that?
It's a terrible feeling.
That's one of the main reasons I am taking tomorrow as a holiday from work. So I can make some imperative phone calls that I can't trust anyone else to make, and run around executing essential missions. I make it sound like a war that I am arranging. Well, maybe in a sense.....I suppose it's time I'm off to the barracks, get some shut-eye and up at Revelry. Well, maybe a few minutes later than that.
4.22.2011
What Your Magazine Choices Say About You
Who hasn't felt the excitement a subscription to a new magazine has brought? Really?
I have gone through several phases in my life and have, at times, embellished those phases with magazine subscriptions that seemed to fit in at the time.
Now if I could just win the lotto.....
I have gone through several phases in my life and have, at times, embellished those phases with magazine subscriptions that seemed to fit in at the time.
- The New Parent Phase - Oh yes, I remember this one well. Nearly 18 years ago, when I became a mother for the first time I started with the parenting magazines and the home-maker magazines. I collected recipes and cleaning tips, read other parents quips about parenting do's and don'ts. See that's when I had energy and I was at home pretty much all day. The house was sooo much cleaner back then than you ever see it now. The kids were cleaner too. If you were to see my 4 yr. old right now, you'd see that she has the remnants of breakfast, lunch, toothpaste and and orange on her face, and the left side of her hair is sticking up with a minor rat's nest. Hmmm.... we'll cope.
- The Genealogy Phase - Loved that phase. This began when I had the housekeeping, the kids and their schedules, and helping with our restaurant all under the control umbrella. I was able to take on one more task and that was planning our family reunion. I received the book of secretary's notes that had been kept for over 70 years. One entry for each reunion. Looking back on yellowed pages and seeing the actual handwriting of my ancestors, not to mention the price of what they spent on postage and icecream, made something click inside. So, naturally, I started researching my ancestry and was able to update our lineage quite a bit. I was also able to sucessfully introduce a few new fun things at the reunions.
- The Something Different Phase - Now I know that this phase can be called a lot of different things. But I'll just stick with calling it Something Different. My kids now range from nearly 18 to just over 4. They all help keep up with the house so there is no need for more home-maker mags. I am officially done with changing diapers and breast-feeding, so no more parenting magazines. I don't seem to have the time to spend hours researching lineage anymore. Too much running around with doctor, dentist, orthodontist appointments, track meets, football, baseball and volleyball games, fashion shows and photo shoots; and don't forget my job. I know I'm not the only one to have this much time invested in so many different things. However, having said that, I know I'm not the only one who has woken up one morning and asked, "Who in the world am I?"
Tea Time is very inspiring as far as recipes for cutesy, little epicurean delights, pretty place settings and 'tea sommelier' choices to match with the recipes. Now I really want my own little shop!
I have actually just today received my first copy of The English Home. Beautiful photographs! I believe I will enjoy this magazine in the way of getting ideas and logistics for writing purposes. Lots and lots of very pretty English decorating ideas.
Now if I could just win the lotto.....
4.20.2011
Not What I Had In Mind
Two things......
1. Okay, when I was talking about a "change", snow in the last third of April was not what I had in mind! The words 'Winter Storm Warning....' scrolled repeatedly across the TV screen last night. We got (at my house anyways) about six inches of extremely wet, heavy snow. Schools closed. We lost power for about twelve hours. Branches broke. Bushes bent over.
Since we were without power my coffee didn't brew. So I went through most of my day at work in a sleepy, caffeine-deprived state, leading, of course, to the caffeine-deprived headache. I was able to sit by a window this morning to put my make-up on, but I had to pack my blowdryer in my work bag, with my shoes since I had to wear my boots - again. But there was room for this because I didn't have my usual thermos full of coffee. Doing my hair at the office definately didn't make my bed head any better. Plus, I clocked in 45 minutes late.
2. The second item on the agenda tonight is that I wanted to let you know that i finished the book, Portobello
that had I mentioned in my post Need Stimuli Now... Part II. It didn't have the 'power ending' I was hoping for. I thought that it really just kind of petered out. No big turn of events. No big mystery solved. No surprises. So I suppose I'm not in too big of a hurry to get another of Ruth Rendell's books. Again, not what I had in mind.
I'm on to some light reading now. This promises to be a bit more entertaining and very humorous. A blog that I recently came across, Postcards From Across The Pond, has been surprisingly pleasant to read, and I'll even go out on a limb to recommend this blog.
Well, I'm starting to feel the nightly chill that tells me to get my tea and snuggle down in bed with my book.
Good night!
1. Okay, when I was talking about a "change", snow in the last third of April was not what I had in mind! The words 'Winter Storm Warning....' scrolled repeatedly across the TV screen last night. We got (at my house anyways) about six inches of extremely wet, heavy snow. Schools closed. We lost power for about twelve hours. Branches broke. Bushes bent over.
Since we were without power my coffee didn't brew. So I went through most of my day at work in a sleepy, caffeine-deprived state, leading, of course, to the caffeine-deprived headache. I was able to sit by a window this morning to put my make-up on, but I had to pack my blowdryer in my work bag, with my shoes since I had to wear my boots - again. But there was room for this because I didn't have my usual thermos full of coffee. Doing my hair at the office definately didn't make my bed head any better. Plus, I clocked in 45 minutes late.
2. The second item on the agenda tonight is that I wanted to let you know that i finished the book, Portobello
that had I mentioned in my post Need Stimuli Now... Part II. It didn't have the 'power ending' I was hoping for. I thought that it really just kind of petered out. No big turn of events. No big mystery solved. No surprises. So I suppose I'm not in too big of a hurry to get another of Ruth Rendell's books. Again, not what I had in mind.I'm on to some light reading now. This promises to be a bit more entertaining and very humorous. A blog that I recently came across, Postcards From Across The Pond, has been surprisingly pleasant to read, and I'll even go out on a limb to recommend this blog.
Well, I'm starting to feel the nightly chill that tells me to get my tea and snuggle down in bed with my book.
Good night!
4.19.2011
4.18.2011
4.17.2011
Need Stimuli Now.... part III
I went to my daughter's Trashion show last night. What an awesome time that was. I really had no idea that these kids were so creative. Some of them obviously had parental help, and lots of it. And a few outfits really weren't 'trash'. But overall, there were some very creative and very well put together outfits. I had a really good time watching and voting. I even got a henna tattoo. Just a small on on the back of my hand. I know, I know: I'm just one outrageous mother.
My daughter created a costume for Trashion that was called Woodland Fairy. I thought it was one of the best - and not just because she's my kid. Well sure I got teary-eyed when the model walked up and down the runway, but really, the costume was really, really good. Unfortunately, I do not have a good camera anymore, which, in itself is very aggravating since all of my kids are involved in events that I would really like to take pix of. And what makes it worse, is that I am relying on others to email me pictures of the events.
Now I really can't wait until Trashion 2012! Enjoy the pix1
My daughter created a costume for Trashion that was called Woodland Fairy. I thought it was one of the best - and not just because she's my kid. Well sure I got teary-eyed when the model walked up and down the runway, but really, the costume was really, really good. Unfortunately, I do not have a good camera anymore, which, in itself is very aggravating since all of my kids are involved in events that I would really like to take pix of. And what makes it worse, is that I am relying on others to email me pictures of the events.
Now I really can't wait until Trashion 2012! Enjoy the pix1
 |
| Mocha and "Woodland Fairy" Model - Trashion 2011 |
4.16.2011
Need Stimuli Now....part II
The boys came home from the local warehouse club (so that's where they had gone to), and they had gotten a some angel food cake and strawberries. What? No whipped cream?
So I decided that after I dropped Mo off at the high school so that she can get started getting her model ready for Trashion, I would go to the warehouse club myself and get a few items. I took some hot coffee with me. Freshly brewed. Hopefully this caffeine will kick in so that I will last through the whole Trashion show. I picked up whipped cream for the strawberries and angel food cake. I also got some really big bagels. One package of blueberry and one package of the 'everything' bagels. You know, the ones that smell like YUM!
I don't feel so tired now, so I think the coffee is working. However, I don't really want to use my Saturday evening to sit in a crowded high school and stay up late. Rainy Saturday afternoons and evenings were made for hot tea and good books, good movies like Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen is one of my many favorite authors. I have recently come across Ruth Rendell. I am reading one of her books, Portobello. I am about 2/3 of the way through. So far, so good. It doesn't quite have me on the edge of my seat, but I am anxious to know how all of the characters will tye together in the end. I am really hoping it's not one of those stories that never completely come full circle; you know, to a point? I need good solid closure on a story. Otherwise I get leary of reading that author again.
I'll keep you posted on my opinion of this book that I am reading. I am also anxious to finish this book so that I can start on another one that I picked up at the library. It's called Castle Dor by Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne Du Maurier. Daphne is another favorite of mine that I just discovered over the past six months or so. So when I stumbled upon this book on the library shelf I just had to pick it up.
So I will let you know how these stories are. For now, I am off to the Trashion Show.
Cherrio!
So I decided that after I dropped Mo off at the high school so that she can get started getting her model ready for Trashion, I would go to the warehouse club myself and get a few items. I took some hot coffee with me. Freshly brewed. Hopefully this caffeine will kick in so that I will last through the whole Trashion show. I picked up whipped cream for the strawberries and angel food cake. I also got some really big bagels. One package of blueberry and one package of the 'everything' bagels. You know, the ones that smell like YUM!
I don't feel so tired now, so I think the coffee is working. However, I don't really want to use my Saturday evening to sit in a crowded high school and stay up late. Rainy Saturday afternoons and evenings were made for hot tea and good books, good movies like Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen is one of my many favorite authors. I have recently come across Ruth Rendell. I am reading one of her books, Portobello. I am about 2/3 of the way through. So far, so good. It doesn't quite have me on the edge of my seat, but I am anxious to know how all of the characters will tye together in the end. I am really hoping it's not one of those stories that never completely come full circle; you know, to a point? I need good solid closure on a story. Otherwise I get leary of reading that author again.
I'll keep you posted on my opinion of this book that I am reading. I am also anxious to finish this book so that I can start on another one that I picked up at the library. It's called Castle Dor by Arthur Quiller-Couch and Daphne Du Maurier. Daphne is another favorite of mine that I just discovered over the past six months or so. So when I stumbled upon this book on the library shelf I just had to pick it up.
So I will let you know how these stories are. For now, I am off to the Trashion Show.
Cherrio!
Need Stimuli Now
Wow! What a dull, rainy, gray Saturday it is. We've done some laundry, cleaned the house, dishes, bathroom, vacuuming....
It's been raining all day. The boys are gone - to exactly where I'm not sure, but they are gone and the house is mostly quiet; except for the occasional outburst of giggles coming from Cassy's room as she has a girlfriend over for the afternoon. Mo is getting ready for her Trashion show and Princess is tagging along with whomever is letting her.
I am fighting a war inside myself right now. The brain side is saying: "Make a pot of coffee because you're going to need it tonight sitting through the Trashion show and get your purse ready with snacks." While the body side is saying: "Go sit back on the sofa with your book and start reading. You know you want to fall asleep."
I know what the smart thing is to do..... hmmmmmm.......
It's been raining all day. The boys are gone - to exactly where I'm not sure, but they are gone and the house is mostly quiet; except for the occasional outburst of giggles coming from Cassy's room as she has a girlfriend over for the afternoon. Mo is getting ready for her Trashion show and Princess is tagging along with whomever is letting her.
I am fighting a war inside myself right now. The brain side is saying: "Make a pot of coffee because you're going to need it tonight sitting through the Trashion show and get your purse ready with snacks." While the body side is saying: "Go sit back on the sofa with your book and start reading. You know you want to fall asleep."
I know what the smart thing is to do..... hmmmmmm.......
4.13.2011
Oh, The Madness!!!
So, if you've followed along at all, you know that I'm married to an Italian and have four children. I must say, that my household is becoming one of those typical Italian households. You know the kind: everyone talks at once, and loudly.
In fact, since I've been married to mi sposa for nearly 18 years, my voice has actually grown into a loud, boom-across-the-room voice. Of course, I only need to use that when I am here at home with the famiglia. While I am at work, or on the rare occasion I might be home alone, I can use my quiet, indoor voice. The natural one the God blessed me with.
I don't know if you just caught that. Yes, I did say that when I'm home alone I use my quiet voice.
I do it in my car, too. So there.
Why, The Italian Way, of course. Picture this..... It takes extreme concentration on our part. See, when we all talk at once, that doesn't necessarily mean that we are all talking to everyone else at the same time. No. We are talking to one person at a time, we simply just need to make eye contact and read the lips of the person we are conversing with.
My frustration is that we sound like a bunch of animals, and when the four-year-old has asked for more brussel sprouts, there is a good chance that no one has heard her, which is cause for a tantrum. After all, the princess must be listened to. We aren't perfect, but it gets the job done, some of the time.
Sure, in a perfect world, I could have dinner on the table so as soon as we all walked in the door from whatever, we could sit down and eat. And we could have normal volumed conversation. And of course, in this nonexistant perfect world, we would still have plenty of time to do dishes and shower and throw in a load of laundry and be actually organized for the next morning.
I know that nearly everyone out there faces the same issues. Maybe you've found a good way to deal with this (other than duct-taping their mouths shut). I have learned to just deal with it. However, the patience level wears very thin and yes, I admit, often thoroughly disintegrates at times (typically while I am PMS-ing). It can't be helped. The famiglia has learned over the years that Mom is going to be grumpy and she will say that she's not grumpy and that she wouldn't (in their words) 'be mad all the time' if they just learned how to listen and be quiet and be good. I don't think that my PMS-ing is actually premenstrual syndrome. I believe it's more like 'prevalent mother sensitivity'. Which means, in scientific terms, that I am more sensitive to their mouthiness and crude behavior, which, in turn, means that, since I am noticing it more, I will, of course, be more grumpy.
Yeah. I think that makes perfect sense. Now can someone get me out of this straight-jacket?
In fact, since I've been married to mi sposa for nearly 18 years, my voice has actually grown into a loud, boom-across-the-room voice. Of course, I only need to use that when I am here at home with the famiglia. While I am at work, or on the rare occasion I might be home alone, I can use my quiet, indoor voice. The natural one the God blessed me with.
I don't know if you just caught that. Yes, I did say that when I'm home alone I use my quiet voice.
And you don't?
So anywho.... back to my loud family... The kids are getting older and they all have stuff to talk about. We work. We have school. We have after school sports and activities. How in the world is a family of six people supposed to make dinner, get it on the table, sit down and eat and have pleasant conversation at the same time, then still have time to get the dishes done and the garbage out to the curb and bags packed for work and school and showered and bathed and ready for bed?
Take a deep breath now....
Why, The Italian Way, of course. Picture this..... It takes extreme concentration on our part. See, when we all talk at once, that doesn't necessarily mean that we are all talking to everyone else at the same time. No. We are talking to one person at a time, we simply just need to make eye contact and read the lips of the person we are conversing with.
My frustration is that we sound like a bunch of animals, and when the four-year-old has asked for more brussel sprouts, there is a good chance that no one has heard her, which is cause for a tantrum. After all, the princess must be listened to. We aren't perfect, but it gets the job done, some of the time.
Sure, in a perfect world, I could have dinner on the table so as soon as we all walked in the door from whatever, we could sit down and eat. And we could have normal volumed conversation. And of course, in this nonexistant perfect world, we would still have plenty of time to do dishes and shower and throw in a load of laundry and be actually organized for the next morning.
I know that nearly everyone out there faces the same issues. Maybe you've found a good way to deal with this (other than duct-taping their mouths shut). I have learned to just deal with it. However, the patience level wears very thin and yes, I admit, often thoroughly disintegrates at times (typically while I am PMS-ing). It can't be helped. The famiglia has learned over the years that Mom is going to be grumpy and she will say that she's not grumpy and that she wouldn't (in their words) 'be mad all the time' if they just learned how to listen and be quiet and be good. I don't think that my PMS-ing is actually premenstrual syndrome. I believe it's more like 'prevalent mother sensitivity'. Which means, in scientific terms, that I am more sensitive to their mouthiness and crude behavior, which, in turn, means that, since I am noticing it more, I will, of course, be more grumpy.
Yeah. I think that makes perfect sense. Now can someone get me out of this straight-jacket?
4.12.2011
Aging........
So we've been teasing our 17-year-old daughter because last Saturday evening I drove her and a friend to her high school's Techno dance. We told her "...and no necking..." She replied, "What's that?"
I brought it up to my 14-year-old son just now and he says, "Necking, what's that? Oh wait, is that one of your 'old-fashioned' terms?" He then mimicks his best old lady voice and says, "Well, back in the day..."
Who do these kids think they are? How dare they think that stuff that happened in 'my day' is 'old-fashioned'.
They must think we communicated by drawing on cave walls..... sheesh!
I brought it up to my 14-year-old son just now and he says, "Necking, what's that? Oh wait, is that one of your 'old-fashioned' terms?" He then mimicks his best old lady voice and says, "Well, back in the day..."
Who do these kids think they are? How dare they think that stuff that happened in 'my day' is 'old-fashioned'.
They must think we communicated by drawing on cave walls..... sheesh!
4.11.2011
100 Things
I have recently become a follower of a few blogs that I have come across and have enjoyed reading. One of which had the subject of the 100 Things List, or more commonly known as The Bucket List.
I know this is quite the off-the-wall subject, so just bear with me.
Now, I really don't plan on kicking the bucket any time soon. I believe that I have lots of time left on this earth. However... 100 things? That would take some time to accomplish all of those things. Don't you think?
I think the first item on the agenda would be to actually construct this list. Rather than listing 100 things that I would like to do, I think that I would like to break it down into segments, such as top 5 or 10 places that I would like to visit..... maybe 5-ish things that I would like to create..... complete..... say.....
You know what I mean? Have you given this subject some thought? I would really love to hear feed back on this.
*What would you put on your list?
*Do you think you should generate this list without much thought, just jot down what comes to mind first?
*Would you be completely selfish when creating your list? Should you be?
*Would you involve fixing wrongs from your past?
Please comment, or email me with your thoughts and ideas. I am very curious about where this subject falls in the minds of different people, different cultures.
I know this is quite the off-the-wall subject, so just bear with me.
Now, I really don't plan on kicking the bucket any time soon. I believe that I have lots of time left on this earth. However... 100 things? That would take some time to accomplish all of those things. Don't you think?
I think the first item on the agenda would be to actually construct this list. Rather than listing 100 things that I would like to do, I think that I would like to break it down into segments, such as top 5 or 10 places that I would like to visit..... maybe 5-ish things that I would like to create..... complete..... say.....
You know what I mean? Have you given this subject some thought? I would really love to hear feed back on this.
*What would you put on your list?
*Do you think you should generate this list without much thought, just jot down what comes to mind first?
*Would you be completely selfish when creating your list? Should you be?
*Would you involve fixing wrongs from your past?
Please comment, or email me with your thoughts and ideas. I am very curious about where this subject falls in the minds of different people, different cultures.