I am a Simple Woman

I am a simple woman. I wear clear lip-gloss and flats 99% of the time and yes, own a pair of white Keds.  I own 25 blank journals and love new pencils and super sweetened iced tea on a hot day.  I love peace and quite and have solid colored everything, very few printed anything.  I could spend the day watching my children splash in the ocean, holding my husband’s hand and never be bored.  I love the smell of country roads and farmland in the summer and enjoy reading all hours of the day and am loved by my family. My soul is simple and want only to be a facilitator of good will and that warm fuzzy feeling and feel joy when I am appreciated.   I have a few very good friends, and know that I can ask them for anything as can they ask of me. I want to be what God intended me to be and pray I am on that path.  I have one glass pitcher, three spatulas and eat string cheese and apples for a snack.  I drive the speed limit, wear clear nail polish and say my prayers faithfully everyday. I have hopes and dreams of being a writer one day and seeing my first book on a store shelf.  I can feel that day to be real in my heart as I type it.  I love cats, being on a lake in a boat and plain cheese pizza.  I am not a fancy girl, but love all things clean and simple in life. White sheets are my favorite and having the windows open on a spring day makes my heart spin.  I love my family in the ways only a simple woman can. Deeply. Honestly. Simply.  I am a simple woman.

1318 Miles

There was a major snowstorm the night before we left, and had already delayed our trip by one day, so decided to brave the roads and set off on our adventure.  My parents picked us up and surprised the boys with a “camping” trip instead of our car journey to Nebraska and Iowa.  They were thrilled!   We arrived at the RV rental, got our “how to” spiel on camping in the winter, taking a shower, using the generator (in the event there was an emergency popcorn need), draining the you know what, working the gas burners AND the DVD player.  Yes, we camp in style!  No tents here, no siree.  We were giddy as we hit the open road with the wind blowing IN our face.  (Does not make for good gas mileage when driving into the wind.) Driving a 25 foot Class C motor home for Grandpa was a piece of cake with all his bus driving experience, but a little more challenging for me as I’ve never even driven a Suburban sized vehicle or a minivan, but was able to do it surprisingly enough.

We had a successful first leg with no problems hooking up the electrical, but water wasn’t quite ready for us.  We had to fill the holding tank instead of connecting to city water, which wasn’t a problem for the boys at all.  Any opportunity to skip brushing teeth or showering is always a good day at our house!  (They advised us to not drink any water we put into the holding tank as it was just flushed with antifreeze to avoid any freezing of the tank.   Remember, we’re winter camping!)  We managed very well and were at least able to use the facilities without braving the winter wind to the bathhouse (I think that’s camping talk for restroom and showers.)  Day one was a success complete with a visit from a possum.

The next day of our trip is a moment that I will always remember and cherish for my dad. It was really quite unbelievable if I do say so.  We used to live in Shenandoah, Iowa, when I was in elementary school and is the one place that I remember living with vivid recollection.  I knew the streets, the stores, which way to turn to get to the school and surprisingly enough after 30+ years, not much had changed. I had wanted to show the boys where I lived as a little girl and show them the church, the houses we lived in and the big hill we rode our bikes down.  Their excitement did not match mine however, but were very gracious to us during our tour (even though we did bribe them a bit with a promise to see “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” later that evening).  After touring the sites, including a tour of the high school gym and Grandpa’s choir room (yes, I walked right in the back door and into the school on a Sunday afternoon - baseball practice in the gym - remember, it’s winter), I wanted to show them one last thing, the HUGE swimming pool.  We drove right to the park and sure enough, the pool was gone.   They had filled it in and moved it 100 yards to the right with a much less impressive sized pool. (Although, it was probably bigger than the one I remember as a little girl.) 

Here comes the unbelievable part.  By the entrance to the park was the community center where I quickly told the boys about my experience of winning a blue ribbon at the 4th of July festival for having the “smallest pet”; a four day old kitten my mom allowed me to bring in a shoebox to the event.  (I think I still have the ribbon in a box somewhere.)  I then went on to tell them that Grandpa had been in the musical, “Carnival” many years ago in the same building.  We continued to drive through the parking lot and wondered what was going on as there were lots of cars parked by the theater.  I decided to walk in and see what was going on.  When I got to the doors, they were blacked out, but could see that there was an event of some sort going on and cherry punch was being served.  I returned to the camper (it’s also our car) and told them I was unsuccessful in my investigation and that we should move on to the next part of the tour.   As we circled back, we saw a sign that said “Use Main Doors to Theater for Tonight’s Performance”.   We stopped in front of the building once again when an “actor” appeared for his smoke break.  I rolled down my window and asked what time the performance began that evening and he informed me they were currently having intermission of the last performance and there wouldn’t be one in the evening.  He then told us they were doing the musical “Carnival”.   Our mouths dropped open.  We couldn’t believe it. When Dad told him that he had starred in the same musical in the same theater 30+ years ago, he just smiled and told us to come on in.

When we walked into the lobby, the director of the musical recognized Dad and had actually starred in the same performance with him in 1977 and was now directing this year’s performance. He went on to tell us, that right before the musical started, he introduced himself and told the audience that he had starred in this musical in 1977 along with Keith, (Dad).  We couldn’t believe it.  We couldn’t stop smiling and shaking our heads in disbelief.   Stan invited us to watch the second half of the show, which we did, (I’ll save that for another blog another day.) and when it was over had an opportunity to meet the cast and take pictures.   It was truly a moment, an unbelievable moment.  We couldn’t have planned it had we tried.  I was so happy we were there at that very minute in time and believe it to be a God wink.

That night we slept great and knew the routine of hooking and unhooking the camper and reminisced about the day’s events and the funny parts of the movie.  A good day was had by all.

The rest of our journey went well and finished with a visit to the zoo, a chat with relatives, a trip to the museum and clear roads to get home.  Overall, I would say it was an experience my boys will never forget, nor will I, but for different reasons. I could probably write four more pages of our trip and include more details like Grandma wearing her grandson’s pajamas and hearing the music to “Jaws” at midnight, but I’ll close here. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it, all 1318 miles of it (minus the noise inside the camper) and know the boys did too.

I Believe In...

I came across a writing prompt the other day that I thought I’d try.  The suggestion was to write a list of twenty things that you truly believe in.  When I first read it, I thought to myself that it would be easy, but as I made my list, I found the task to be a little tougher than I anticipated. My list is a mixture of tones, and thought it important not to take the task too seriously.  Maybe later today, you too can sit and jot down a list of what you believe in.  I’d love you to share your favorites with me.   Here goes.

I believe in God with my whole being and that everything happens for a reason. We may not always understand the reason here and now, but a reason exists.

I believe my family is a precious gift given to me to enjoy and share this life with.

I believe I have the determination to do anything, if I want it badly enough, but sometimes have such contentment with “the norm” that I don’t push myself to reach my full potential.

I believe you should have a hobby that stimulates your mind, body and soul and faithfully participate in that hobby.  It may be the key to a long life.

I believe my children will grow into the most amazing adults and will continue to surprise me with their abilities and passion for life.

I believe in treating yourself to something you love every once in a while, be it a new scarf, a massage or thirty minutes alone in the bathtub.

I believe having a pet makes children more loving.

I believe dropping a babies’ pacifier on the ground and then cleaning it by licking it, will not give your child the “cooties” or make them deathly ill.

I believe our world’s difficulties could be resolved by simply making kindness a priority and selflessness a must.

I believe there can be more than one “right” answer.

I believe making mistakes and learning from them is a vital part of life.

I believe $100 face cream is just as effective as $3 face cream.

I believe trust makes life less complicated.

I believe children learn more from their parents than parents think they do.

I believe in being on time.

I believe everyone should have a best friend they can completely be themselves with and laugh about life.

I believe you really do feel physically better after a good cry.

I believe we take ourselves too seriously most of the time.

I believe Home Ec should be taught in every middle school and high school and be a requirement for graduation.

I believe the world has changed in both positive and negative ways since I was a little girl.

Spring Better Get a Move On It!

I am ready to open my windows in the morning, but I can’t do that yet, because my heater insists on clicking on at 5:45 AM, which tells me that it’s too cold in the house and if it’s too cold in the house, then it for sure is too cold outside to open the windows, and is evidenced by the frost on the rooftops, which leads me to believe it’s not quite springtime yet; however, it is closing in on us and within six days, come hell or high water, I will be opening my windows to let the winter blow out of the curtains and invite the warm, (yes I’m hopeful) weather settle itself into the nooks and crannies of our home so Mr. Winter, you are wearing out your welcome and need to move on to higher ground!

Ohm, Ohm, Ohm

The other day I caught a few minutes of Dr. Oz.  One of his guests was Deepak Chopra and was discussing meditation techniques and the benefits of this process.  I’ve never meditated before, but feel it’s worth a try, if nothing else, but for the experience alone and a personal challenge to see if I can really block out the outside world and just “be”.  (I know my boys probably think I meditate all the time, since I block out their squabbles and their pleas for resolution frequently.)

So hold on…I’m going to try it for ten minutes.  I’ll come back and tell you what the experience was like…just wait, ok?

TEN MINUTES LATER

Okay, I was really gone for almost 30 minutes.  The dryer buzzer went off and didn’t want to be interrupted by the sound (which I am supposed to just block out, but didn’t want to take any chances on my first try), so unloaded it and put the basket of towels on the bed, then realized I had to go to the bathroom, so did that before I started.  And, since it was lunchtime, I made myself a sandwich before I sat back down with you here, now.

I would say that it was a pleasant experience and found the first few minutes to be difficult.  I closed my eyes and kept saying to myself, “Relax. Relax.” Only to find myself completely aware that I was indeed not relaxing, but focusing on my eyes moving around underneath my eyelids.  I tried to switch my focus to my breathing and that did the trick.  As I listened to my breath, my shoulders softened and could feel my spine settle into my spot on the floor and I no longer could feel my individual fingers resting on my lap, but rather felt a solid blob of hand on my lap.  

The hard part was staying aware and not crossing over into the land of nod, but after 11 minutes, I did feel calmer than when I started and could feel that my heart rate had slowed down.  Overall, it was a good thing.   I may try it again another day and go for 15 minutes.   All that was missing was someone ringing the gong to let me know I was done. May need to search for that on e-bay.  (The gong, not the person ringing the gong!)

A Slice of Tomato on my Sandwich

Peace is something you feel in your bones.  It’s an emotional response to the world around you and is felt in the deepest part of your heart, your soul and your toes.  You have to work at feeling and finding that peace in your life.  It doesn’t just show up on your porch and knock and ask to be let in for tea. It has to be invited into your life by you.  

Each morning when I wake up, I say to myself, “This day is a choice to experience all that is good or all that is wrong with the world today.”  I decide.  Now, sometimes I get up a little quicker than other days and forget this thought until later in the morning and have to catch myself teetering on the fence of which way I will go.   I always aim for the greener side of that fence.  It has the prettiest tulips and tomatoes growing in it and the most picturesque maple tree I have ever seen in the center of the yard.

On the days that I am conscious of this decision, I enjoy my day and my family much more than if I forget and wobble on the fence too long and end up falling into the “other” side.  Mr. Cantankerous’ yard is lined with prickly holly bushes and empty terra cotta containers with cracks down the sides.  Not a pretty sight.

How do we stay on that peaceful side of the fence all day?   It’s hard, it really is.  I know, because I found the gate that goes in between the two yards and many days visit both without realizing I’m wandering about.  I need to find a lock and just close that gate for good.  I guess what I’m trying to share is that we have control over our mood and attitude each morning as our feet hit the floor.  We decide, not the weatherman or our co-workers or the slowpoke in front of us in line.  Finding that peace which lies within us takes effort and I continue to work daily to enjoy the scent of the purple tulips, a slice of tomato on my sandwich and the shade of the gorgeous maple tree.

And Am Thankful Today

I lead an extraordinary life.  I have been given gift after gift after gift in my life and am so grateful for each of them.   I have a husband who loves me and does everything for his wife and children and even has time left over to play field hockey every once in a while.  He is my biggest cheerleader and can’t imagine my life without him.   I am the mother of two miracles from God.  They fill my life with so much happiness and couldn’t be prouder of the gentlemen they are quickly becoming. They are funny as all get out and have brought me to tears from laughing so hard at their shenanigans. They have minds that are interested in life and the world around them.  I am honored to be part of this family and feel blessed that these gifts have been entrusted to me. 

I am not a doctor who created a cure for a disease, nor am I an actress sharing my skill with the world.  I am not a chemist finding solutions for global warming, nor am I a college professor enlightening students with my educational wares. 

I am a mother and wife who’s thankful for the opportunity to be home and take care of my children and husband when they are home sick.  I am a mother who enjoys acting out a great game of charades on a snow day, complete with a triple axel in my portrayal of an ice skater.  I am a person who picks up other people’s litter if I see it on the ground and puts it into the trashcan and I am a mother and wife who does my best to share what I know to be true and live that truth each day for them.

I lead an extraordinary life and am thankful today.

My Music

Music is part of my life everyday.  I can’t think of a day that I haven’t listened to something on the radio, my computer or on my ipod.  It has a way of boosting my spirit or calming me down from a busy day.  I think I would always choose to have music on over the TV any day.  It’s peaceful or joyous or just loud and rowdy, whatever my heart is in the mood for.

I’ve even been that “one” at the stop light who has the music on too loud as we all come to the intersection.  Which is probably a sight to my stopped neighbors, a mother with her baseball cap on, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, shaking her head to the beat in her little black VW.  Sometimes I turn it down, but usually not.  I can get into a music zone and everything else around me is just filler. And, it’s not really that loud, or at least I don’t think it is.

I’m pretty open to what I listen to and will try listening to just about anything, that is except Jazz.  I can’t tap my toes to it and is just too, uh, I don’t know, free roaming.   Just don’t care for it.   I listen to The Weepies, Rosi Golan, Lifehouse, Prince, The Judds, Snow Patrol, Nora Jones and Sting to name a few. 

I would have to say my favorite type of music is Alternative/Folk music and three of my six CDs in the car are filled with unusual singers and styles.  The other three belong to the boys and often listen to CD #4, song 18, “One of Us” by Joan Osborne.  They love this song and especially like the way it starts with the little old lady singing…..”oh one of these nights at about twelve o’clock….”  They always laugh at her voice!   It’s created some good conversations in the car though.   What would you do if God was one of us, just a stranger on the bus?  (Thirteen and nine year old boys have some thoughts on the subject.)

I find that I go through phases with the music I listen to at home though.   I’ll listen to the same album over and over for weeks and then won’t listen to it for months.  My favorite artist right now is Carrie Newcomer and her album Geography of Light.  Her voice is a little raspy which keeps your attention.  My favorite song is “Geodes”.  It’s wonderful and I love the lyrics.  My record is 11 times in a row.  It’s on right now as I type this. I hope you listen to your favorite music today and find just the right song that fits your mood, the song with all the notes played just in the right order for you.

….....God walks around in muddy boots, sometimes rags and that's the truth. You can't always tell, but sometimes you just know. Some say geodes are made from pockets of tears…....

I Don't Like to be Low on Windshield Wiper Fluid

I guess you could say I’m a neat freak. I like order and tidiness.   I like having a place for the scissors and knowing that they are always in the same spot when I need them.  I like using the notebook that hasn’t been drawn in to jot my grocery list down.  When everything is neat and orderly, I feel good.   I think I’ve always been like this, but as I get older, I find I’m much less tolerant of “messy”.  I can’t think straight or clearly when the blankets aren’t put away or there are breakfast dishes in the sink.  I don’t have a nervous breakdown when the house is in disarray, but definitely feel much happier when the house is picked up and closet doors are closed. 

There is a real switch that “clicks” in my brain when things are organized. I can feel it go from off to on instantly.  I’m not obsessive compulsive about it (really I’m not), but there is a definite difference in how I feel.  I am a classic visual learner, so maybe that has something to do with it.   The learning path to my brain is directly connected to the visual path of my eyes.  If there’s clutter on the highway, I feel like I’m driving the day after a snowstorm without windshield wiper fluid.  I just can’t see clearly and everything slows down. 

I’ve found this to be true in my writing as well. I can’t write when the house is alive and filled with “Mommy” and the sounds of the TV.  I need quiet to process my thoughts and put them down onto my keyboard.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the “Mommy” and the sounds of the TV too, but for the time I want to be creative, I’ve found that I’m more inspired when things are tucked away in their designated spots and the highway is clear for miles and my wiper fluid it topped off to the brim.  I appreciate and enjoy a clean windshield.

The Morning Sky

I am up earlier than normal today and have decided to take advantage of the solitude before the morning routine swings into action.  I’ve made myself a cup of tea with coconut creamer (my new favorite flavor) and toast to go with it for breakfast and have crawled back in under the covers.

As I sit here, I have a perfect view from two of our bedroom windows of the morning sky. Over twenty minutes, it’s changed ever so slowly.  What is a vast sheet of colorless darkness has quickly given way to a deep shade of cadet blue, but only slightly visible through the smoky grey clouds.  It’s not quite spring time, so am not able to hear the morning calls of our feathered neighbors.  That distinct sound is one that defines the morning for me. 

Only minutes have passed since I started writing and the sky is opening its wings and the clouds are now finding their way back to their resting spots until they are needed again. The color is now walking that fine line between white and robin’s egg blue. It’s as if it can’t decide which color to be for the moment and waffles back and forth between the two.  Its tranquility is impressive.

My time of serenity is coming to an end as the digits on the clock continue to climb.  I wish I could let them both sleep in but their days await them as does mine.  It’s a day filled with activities and friends. As I finish typing, I will stare out my windows for a few more moments and try to remember this quietness of the morning sky as the goldenness now begins to dominate the canvas.

RAKs

I recently joined the Random Acts of Kindness group on Facebook and got to thinking about this subject as I was viewing their page and information.  I love the thought of making someone’s day without them knowing who was responsible for their moment of surprise. It’s very satisfying to do good and really think we ought to participate in this act much more frequently than we probably do.

The boys and I have a favorite act that we do and I’ll share it with you even though the acts are more enjoyable to perform when they’re anonymous.  Our RAK (as the term is referred to) is to pay for the car’s meal behind us when we’re in line at our McDonalds.  We used to ask how much it was, but stopped doing that because it seemed to take away from the generosity behind the act. Now we just decide to do it and pay regardless.   For lack of better words, it’s a lot of fun.    We have to maneuver slowly through the line so that our getaway can be quick and can drive off around the corner before the cashier has time to tell them what good fortune has just come their way.

We always hope that the car in front of us just orders a drink so that their transaction will be short and sweet, leaving the space in front of us clear of delays in sneaking out of the parking lot.   We don’t want to be stuck behind “one of those” cars that order a strawberry shake (the milkshake machine is always down for this item - we know) and a double cheeseburger with no pickles.  This means delay for sure.   If we get delayed and our RAK recipient is going to hear the news before we’re gone, then we have to make sure the windows are rolled up and keep our heads forward so as not to make eye contact with them or have them shout out a “thank you”.   It takes away from our fun.

I have others that I do regularly as well, like finding the perfect parking spot in front of a store only to drive past it and allow the car behind me to enjoy the find.  I’m young. I can walk easily from the next row back.  When I’ve done this, I often wonder if they just think I’m blind or stupid to give up such a prime spot. Regardless of their opinion of me, I still do it and enjoy the ping of kindness that fills me heart.  To me, it’s definitely worth being thought of as blind or stupid.

So, today as you’re out and about, think of all the RAKs you can do.   It just might make someone’s day more than you’ll ever know.  And, if you need ideas, please visit their website as well for inspiration.  I’d love to know if you have RAKs that you do on a regular basis or if you wish to remain completely anonymous and not share, that’s fine too.  I understand if you want to be thought of as blind or stupid.  That’s part of the fun.  

http://www.actsofkindness.org

What Does Love Sound Like

Love sounds like a bird flapping its wings as it takes flight into the morning air.  You can hear the flutter as the air passes over the feathers. It tweets a melody into the blue sky for the world to hear.

Love sounds like a gentle rain on a tin roof in the middle of the night.  You can hear the pattern of the droplets through the rumble of thunder.  It tings and pings for the world to hear.

Love sounds like a circus of laughing clowns and elephants marching into the Big Tent as the sun sets in the west.  You can hear the announcer introduce each act and routine with his booming rhythmic voice.  It excitedly cheers and roars in amazement for the world to hear.

Love sounds like a flower bud opening for the first time with dewdrops on its yellow petals.  You can hear the bee buzzing in the open field.  It sings quietly, a song of grace and understanding for the world to hear.

Love sounds like an orchestra playing its showpiece to a full house of willing listeners.  You can hear the timpani’s warmth and the cello’s rich tone flow over the red crushed velvet seats.  It shouts and whispers its glorious story for the world to hear.

Love sounds like the hand of God touching your face in the moonlight.  You can hear the beating of his heart on your cool skin.  It ever so quietly taps life into your being for the world to hear.

My Alphabet Day

Awoke three minutes before the alarm went off

Breakfast - toast and a diet pepsi (yes, that’s what I had.)

Car was driven 12 miles

Decided to do the laundry - again

Elated at the thought of moving to a new house

Filled up my windshield wiper fluid

Gathered documents for pre-approval process

Hugged my children

Ice cream for dessert - not today

Jalapeno peppers went bad in the back of the fridge

Kissed my husband

Letter submitted for son’s award nomination

Made breakfast for dinner - eggs & bacon & all the fixin’s

Norwegian Cruise Line goes to St. Lucia

Order of Kiehl’s lotion didn’t arrive today

Picked up son from school and chatted about his day

Quoted a loan rate that seemed too good to be true

Rice made for lunch - Basmati

Searched the homes for sale on the MLS site

Talked to my mom and dad on the phone

Unloaded the dishwasher twice (how is that possible?)

Vacation is on the brain

Watched my son’s basketball game

checked eXpedia for airfare (nothing starts with X)

Yawned as I typed this

Zapped both boys in blackjack (that’s a technical term for “won”)