Memory Making Awaits

Tomorrow is officially the start of our vacation.  We’re looking forward to it and could use a break after the month we’ve had.  A great month by the way, but a little on the busy side for my liking. 

We’re headed to the East Coast to visit family for a week and spend time on the river for the other week.  I’m really looking forward to just getting away for a little bit and enjoying some quiet time on the shore watching the boys fish and all take a spin in the canoes.  I know it will be a great time and may ride a roller coaster or two along the way as well. 

So for the next few weeks, I’ll be stopping to smell the roses.  I’ll be back soon, but for now, memory making awaits.

Tally Makes Five

Today is one of my favorite days.  It’s book club night and I get to host.  I’m really looking forward to it.  I’ve been doing this for almost five years and truly enjoy it and the company of some of the most wonderful women (and mothers) around.   We usually spend about 10 minutes (sometimes more, but not usually) talking about the actual book and whether or not we liked it and the rest of the time is spent just chatting away about life, kids, diapers, teens, vacations and the like.  It’s always enjoyable and I always walk away feeling wonderful and energized from the conversations.

I think in the five years we’ve been doing this, I’ve only not read the book of the month perhaps four times. (One, because I just couldn’t get into it and another because I put it on my ipod to listen to while working out, only to find I had it on shuffle for the first two days. I know. Pretty stupid.) Well, tonight I have to put another hash mark on that tally and make it five.  The worst part is that I picked the book for this month.   I guess with packing and moving and unpacking, I just didn’t have time for it.   I know that’s an excuse, but I still feel bad for not reading my own choice.  I love to share thoughts with everyone and participate in the conversation.  I guess this time I’ll just have to sit and smile and hope everyone else read it and enjoyed it.  I plan on reading it, and actually am on page 23 right now.  Honest.

Maybe I’m not the only one this time.  Summer and kids don’t always make for much free “sit and read in peace and quiet” time.  My kids are too little for naps and I’m too old to stay up late and read.  I guess I’ll find out soon enough.   The book is Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos.  Let me know if you finish it before me.  Happy reading.

Project Flower

I have lilies in my yard.  Lilies are my favorite flower.  When I woke up this morning and came down to make breakfast, I saw this orange flower sticking out from behind the pine tree.  I didn’t remember there being flowers there when I mowed last week.  Then I looked again and sure enough, there were several lilies in bloom.  I was thrilled.  I don’t know why I love this flower really, I just do.  Roses are a bit predictable, irises don’t smell nice, and daisies are just too simple.  Lilies have a mix of simplicity and elegance wrapped into one beautiful bloom. 

I also have new purple flowers blooming on a vine that I’ve never seen before.  I might just have to do some research today and find out what they are.   The previous owner was quite the gardener, so have surprises all around the yard.  I even found a birdhouse behind the corner of the lilacs as well and it has a nest in it.  Don’t know what type of bird, but I’m certain there’s been a family there by all the feathers and nesting supplies.

Around our deck, we have planters complete with a drip system ready for use as well.  I bought some pots to put into the holders but don’t know what type of flower to put into them.  I’ll have to check out some of the different types at Home Depot today.  I really shouldn’t let the drips of water go to waste. I’m thinking red or white.  We’ll see what grabs my attention when I get there. 

For now, I’ll share the lilies and purple blooms with you.  Maybe you know what type of flower it is.  It’s such a deep shade of purple too.  Gorgeous.  Just gorgeous.

Tupperware and Unsent Birthday Cards

Life isn’t perfect.  Why then do we do our best to present ourselves in this way, when we all know that our lives are filled with ups and downs, clean and dirty, left and right?  I actually took twenty minutes today to catch up on some of the blogs I follow and found this to be a theme in their posts.  It was very refreshing to read and perhaps that’s why I follow some of them. Their authenticity is what I find appealing.  They are like me.  They try hard at their various jobs/roles but some days are just better than others.  My life is wonderful, interesting, but in no way perfect.  So, I’m letting you take a sneak peak into my real reality.  Just this once of course.

I have food in Tupperware containers in my fridge that should have been thrown out a few days ago, but just haven’t done it.  Lazy I guess.

There are some days that I feel that I should be doing more with my boys. Yes, I try to teach lessons (more than they would like) and make sure they are fed and busy, but now that they are so independent, I feel like I lack in the “just hang out with them” department and chat.

There are dishes in my sink almost every day.  I have yet to figure out, after 20+ years, when to unload/load and time it right so that the dishwasher is empty when meals are done.

I have a junk basket filled with everything from receipts, lost buttons, straws, hard candy and old pictures that needs to be cleaned out and sorted, but I never do it.  (I could tell you what’s in it though.)

The stuff under my bed is all mine.   A lap-type book rest, and two small work out weights.

Some days I feel like I just don’t fit in.   I know lots of people and have many friends, but there are days that I feel like the girl on the playground that no one asks to join in the hopscotch game. 

I miss our good friends in Minnesota and think of them very often and should call them more than I do.

At least once a month, I just want to stay in bed and not get up for whatever reason; lack of sleep, sadness, procrastination of the inevitable or what have you. 

I used to send birthday cards to all my nieces and nephews and have slacked on that over the years. 

I’m not good at water conservation, AT ALL.   I take a bath almost every night and shower in the morning, keep the water on when I brush my teeth and run the kitchen faucet to rinse a glass and forget to shut it off.

I am a sucker for a cute book cover and will buy a book whether I need it or not.

So there you have it,  my reality and all its imperfections.  I’m sure you can relate and have something under your bed as well.  As I get older, I realize that it’s ok to be honest about yourself.  That’s the first thing I’m attracted to in any friend I’ve ever had.  They are who they are, good and bad and accept it 100%.  I don’t think I’ve ever really been like that, but have always wanted to be more like that.  This is a small attempt to try and embrace all in myself that is not polished and tidy.  Here’s to reality and all that it REALly is.

Pawl and Ratchet

I don’t give up easily, but gosh darn it, today I had to give up and throw in the towel.  It’s supposed to be 92 degrees today, so thought I’d get the breeze flowing through the house before the sweat beads began to appear on my forehead.  (Yes, I know I was so excited about having air conditioning, but want to hold out as long as I can. I need at least one month to see where that utility bill is going to be hovering.)

Our master bedroom has custom roller shades in a heavy blue linen fabric that really make it dark at night, but keep the warm air in we’ve discovered.  (Item #16 on the list of things to replace.)  I tried to lift the shade this morning to let the breeze in and sure enough it gave out.  The entire roll of fabric came tumbling down upon me.  I grabbed the step ladder and thought a simple “roll it back up by hand” and reinsert it into the slots would be all it would take and I’d be good.  No siree!  Didn’t happen.

The spring got too loose when I pulled the shade and somehow the spring sprung.  I saw this as a personal challenge and got on my laptop and googled “how to fix roller shade” and had several good sites offer their 1-2-3 steps to fixing my now defunct roller shade. All of which didn't work.

After using the pliers on the pawl and ratchet (those are roller shade terms for you unhandy types) I attempted it again and again and again and finally decided to give up.  I do not have the patience for this task today.  So, until we get to Item #16 on our replace it list, we will have to be careful when walking between the closet and bathroom.  Guess I’ll have to get out my robe even if it is 92 degrees out.  Gosh darn that pawl and ratchet!

Be

Everyday I am thankful for the life that I have been given and try to live up to my potential that I know I have.  Some days I am present in that thought and when I am, my day is more productive, more enjoyable and peaceful.  Since we moved into our new home, one of my goals has been to slow down and just “be” and experience all that life has to offer. 

Time goes by so quickly and before I know it, my boys will be independent young men.  I need to enjoy their sense of humor, their socks on the floor and their special requests for egg rolls just after the dinner dishes are all cleaned up.   I tend to be so caught up in my own little agenda for the day, that I miss out on some of those little things.  I get “annoyed” that their socks are on the floor, only a foot away from their laundry basket. Why?   Perhaps my constant need for order blurs my vision?  I don’t like that I do that.  I need to try and be more tolerant of the bends and turns in the day and just let them come when they come.  

Think about it.  If you take the back roads somewhere instead of the interstate, you see things you might not normally see.  The cute little farm with the white cows or the picnic table that sits near a little pond or the lemonade stand run by six-year olds on a summer day.   This path is almost always more enjoyable.  The pace is slower and people wave at you as you pass them by.  The interstate is filled with fast paced trucks and noise and no one smiles at you, that’s for sure.

In a world of hurry, hurry, hurry, we are expected to never stop.  When what we really should be doing is slowing ourselves down, being present in each moment, and enjoying what is ours for the taking.   So, instead of hurrying to paint the three bedrooms, I need to sit on a blanket under the tree and watch the boys practice hitting baseballs and sip my sun tea.  The rooms aren’t going anywhere, but the boys are growing by the minute.  Be.  Today, I'm just going to “be”. 

Today I Saw...

Observations of the day…

Watched a woman stand smack in the middle of a breezeway (the only entrance and exit) into a school atrium and was completely oblivious of everyone trying to squeeze around her to get in or out.  Clueless.

Saw a father sneak up behind his 5 year old and scoop him up and kiss him 20 times on his cheek.

Watched a red fox sniff at every bush in our back yard and then wander out into the street.

Smiled as our new neighbor went out of her way to roll down her window and wave at me as I pulled up behind her at the stop sign this morning.

Listened to a kind man reduce my labor bill because they didn’t have the part they told me they did making my car repair take longer.

Observed my sons play outside together and just “be”.

Watched the tops of the trees blow and make the wind whistle through my wind chimes.

Saw a mother help her child tie her shoe three times until the bunny ears were just the right size.

Observed a teenage girl texting on her pink sparkly phone while pulling her little sister in a wagon across the street.

Laughed as the street sweeper went down the street, making more of a mess behind him than he was cleaning up.

Noticed three large moving trucks pull into our neighborhood.

Buy Me! Buy Me!

Craig’s List is an amazing little site.  I just posted our moving boxes and within ten minutes had three phone calls and one text about them.  They should be gone by tonight.  I think that’s just amazing.  Ok, so they were listed as FREE, so that helped I’m sure.  But still, there was a need out there and our boxes filled that need and they’ll have a new home in less than 10 hours and be on their way to Alaska next week. Nothin’ like helping out the environment and recycling! 

Now let’s see if we get the same response on the couch that wouldn’t fit down the stairwell and turn a corner, and our old washing machine and dryer. (Both are missing start buttons - but hey, that adds a little whimsy to the daily chore.  Doesn’t everybody need a pair of needle nose pliers to do their laundry?)  Maybe I should add the pliers as “included” with the washer.  They both still work, so we’ll see what kind of luck we have with them.

I think pricing has everything to do with it though.   People want a bargain and feel like they are walking away with a real steal.   I know I wouldn’t pay $300 for a used lawn mower, but I would pay $50.   I can see how people become e-bay addicts.  It’s the trill of the hunt and celebrating your “lost treasure” find when you scroll down and find “it” staring at you in the face.  You’ve gotta have it.

Let’s just hope that someone is scrolling through the appliance section and the furniture section today and can’t take their eyes off of our green couch and washer and dryer.

Maybe it will call to them…….”Buy Me! Buy Me!”

Keep your fingers crossed.  

Life Is So Very Good

The sun is setting on this beautiful day.  I can feel the pressure rolling off my back and the air filling my lungs.  I can smell the grill of our neighbors and can hear the crickets chirping themselves to sleep. The sun is fading to a light yellow behind the mountains and haven’t been bitten by a single bug.  Yes, that’s right, I’ve been sitting out on our deck typing away on my computer while my three boys (one man and two boys to be specific) are lounging in the hot tub.   Life is so very good. 

I spent the day relaxing and unpacking the last room; my craft room.  I more or less just emptied the boxes out into the storage closet and will take my time organizing them over the next few weeks.   I need to be in the space for a bit to see how I use it, then will hang some pictures and set out my seashells.  I can hardly wait to have room to make cards, wrap presents and read quietly during the day.   Life is so very good.

We’ve been in the house for a week now and it feels like forever to me.  We’re using every space just like we thought we would and have spent some great quality time together as a family.  I never thought I’d love a space so much, but when the shoe fits……hey, it just fits.

Good night to this wonderful day.

Home

Home.  We are home.  I don’t really have the words to explain how I’m feeling right now.  Joy, elation, exhaustion, drained, motivated, comforted.  It’s all those emotions rolled up into one amazing week.  It’s gone by so quickly and without a hitch.  That’s the incredible part of this whole process.   Everything and I mean everything went smoother than I ever could have hoped for.  We are now living in this beautiful space surrounded by a gorgeous view of the mountains, flowers in the yard and our children running circles around our fenceless yard.  Truly blessings are flowing.

This house now feels like home and everything (except the office downstairs and the craft room upstairs) is in its place.  I know where the macaroni goes in the cupboard, and where to add bleach in my new front load washing machine, as well as where the traumatized cats go when someone rings the doorbell. 

There is a bit of a learning curve when you move into a new home though, and I’m hoping it will be a short one.  Light switches are still a mystery and aren’t where we expect them to be.  The gas stove takes FOREVER to boil water and takes 20 minutes to cook a 12-minute pizza.  Ceiling fans are dangerous in loft beds, and blind dogs don’t know which yard they’re in when they’re doing their business (so barefoot tag in the backyard might require a scout before play begins).

Overall, this move was painless and problem free.  With the market the way it is and with all the things that could have gone wrong, we somehow avoided them all (except for the one couch that wouldn’t fit around a corner, and is soon to be on Craig’s list).  We even had the nicest sellers, who left us every manual for every item in the home (from door knobs and garage door manuals to receipts for furnace updates and lawn maintenance).  They even left us a photo album of the home being built and photos of every stage of the process.  Pretty cool, huh?

Tonight I will go to bed with a sense of accomplishment, and a complete feeling of exhaustion.  Starting tomorrow, I am cranking down my speed to a mere troll and will leave the speedboat racing for the professionals.  I need to breathe and enjoy the view, the deck, my flowers, my husband, my children and having the most wonderful home to start creating new memories in.   We are home.  Home.

I Will Smile

Tonight is the last night we’ll be together as a family in this home.   Tomorrow we will embark upon new memories in our new home.  We’re all very excited and more than ready and know that all the preparations we’ve made for this day will make it a smooth transition for us all.

I’ve set aside all the necessary manuals, keys, garage door openers (had to buy two new ones because the ones we’ve used for the last 10 years were taped together and missing buttons) and a little note to the new family explaining the chips in the kitchen counter tile  (sonic boom from a low fly by - china fell onto the countertop), telling them about the weekend we planted the bushes in the backyard, and to watch out for the wasp that lives in the hole by the front door. 

I know it’s just a house and that a home is where your family is.  I get that.  But this home is where our children grew up and will probably be the home they will recall when they think of their childhood home.  It’s where we had cowboy, Elmo, Olympics, Winter Wonderland, and Book Donation birthday parties.  It’s where our oldest broke his collarbone and where our youngest recovered from surgery.  It’s where Nerf gun wars were played in the dark and Christmas cards were made at the dining room table.  It’s where homemade Halloween costumes were made and where my husband and I challenged each other at Solitaire each evening in bed.  And, it’s where our cats rotated naptime according to the positioning of the sunbeams on the floor.

I’ve taken at least 6000 photos in this house and will always have those memories.  It is tonight that I will remember all those times as I fall asleep and look forward to new memories that have yet to be made. Tomorrow we will trade in our old keys for new keys and as we turn the key in the lock of our new front door, I will smile.

Dry Goods Await

The excitement is beginning to build.  I know moving has been in every sentence I’ve uttered since April 9th, but you have to understand, we’ve been waiting for this for three years and the week is finally approaching.   I know I’ll probably have a moment next week when the house is completely empty and I do one last walk through each room to remember all the wonderful times in this home.   That part is still a week away, but the exciting part is only 4 days away, which is thrilling for me to even say.

I know it’s just a new house, and people move all the time, but this house has pretty much all that we’ll need and so am looking forward to utilizing all the space that we’ll have.  I’m most looking forward to sitting on the deck of an evening looking at the peak and listening to the quiet.   I’m sure it’s going to become one of my favorite spaces quickly. 

I drove by the house yesterday (yes, I know it’s a bit obsessive to pass it every three days) and saw that the entire west side of the house is lined with purple iris in full bloom.   It’s been quite some time since I’ve had flowers in my yard.   Remember, I have difficulty keeping anything alive and have managed to kill an evergreen bush in our current front yard.  Yes, an evergreen.   How is that even possible?  

My “dry goods” (at least that’s what the box will say) are awaiting their box and so better get down there and pack my strawberry frosting and cake mix before I lose my momentum.   The house is starting to echo and the walls of boxes are creating wonderful hiding spots for the cats.  Until my next break, enjoy the day that awaits you. 

p.s.

It’s 97 here today and we don’t have air conditioning, but we do in our  new house!!!!

The Big Apple

Last week my husband and I traveled to New York City as an award trip he earned by being number one in his region last year.  I’m so proud of him and his hard work.  He put in so many hours over last year, that it’s nice he’s recognized for his efforts. 

The trip was incredible and the organization of the entire event was flawless.  Can you imagine coordinating flights and transportation for 3500 people?  That alone was impressive, but when I tell you what they actually planned for us and the week’s events, you’re gonna have to sit down. 

We actually left a few days before the conference started to spend some time with my husband’s brother and his family who live in Manhattan.  It was great to see them and enjoy their company and see all the work they’ve done on their new apartment.  We were able to celebrate our nephew’s 10th birthday while we were there as well as tour around the East Village, SoHo and discovered the best yogurt/ice cream concoction ever invented, Pink Berry.  (They were all over the city and quickly became familiar with their locations as we made many visits for their green tea with blackberries flavor!)

The next Monday, we checked into our hotel, The New York Palace, and the whirlwind began.  We saw it all, walked it all, did it all and ate it all to top it off.  We were a bit spoiled to say the least. 

Over the course of the week, we had a private tour of Yankee Stadium, where the NYPD Scottish pipers entertained us, and Cracker Jacks were tossed to us as if there was an actual game going on.  We were entertained by an amazing band in Rockefeller Center and were given the “Top of the Rock” tour of the skyline atop the Rockefeller Center building. We had the most incredible dinner at the Waldorf Astoria; where we listened to Boomer Esiason speak. Another night we ate at the famous restaurant, Sardi’s, then crossed the street to see the Broadway hit, Memphis.  And to top things off, they closed down Liberty Island and Ellis Island for the evening as we strolled the paths to chamber music (in the scorching heat I might add) and sipped on champagne (ok, so we didn’t have champagne, but had water instead) then had dinner on Ellis Island and ended the evening under the stars with a private concert by Keith Urban.   (I know.  How cool is that?)  I was impressed and I’m not normally impressed by fancy shmancy type of stuff, but was more impressed by the fact that they kept it a secret for the entire week and impressed by the amount of planning that went into the entire weeks events.  Incredible.

 

The schedule of events was quite the whirlwind, but they did include three days of free time to take in the sights and sounds which allowed us to visit MOMA (another blog for another day) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (where I stood in front of Picasso after Picasso).  We walked the shops of SoHo again and sat in the main public library in awe at the massiveness of the rooms and took a stroll through Central Park where we saw people jogging, a Jewish pre-school group dancing to fiddle music, nanny after nanny, dog walkers and so much more.  My senses were on overload the entire week.

The conference came to a close with a wonderful send-off brunch, then a final bus ride to the airport.  It was a week we’ll never forget and gave us a chance to enjoy each other and relax as a couple.   We can’t thank Grandma and Grandpa enough for stepping in and taking care of the boys.  It allowed us to completely enjoy ourselves knowing they were taken care of.   Such a wonderful week.

Let the Countdown Begin

I know its been a bit since I’ve written a new blog, and I told myself when I started this that I wouldn’t put it off, but as most of you know, life happens.   For the last few weeks, life has been happening in full force here.  No leisurely walks in the evening, no sitting in bed reading, and no pausing for a breather (ok, so maybe we did take a trip to NYC and that should count as a breather).  Life has been moving at a pace I’ve had difficulty keeping up with, until today, when I started to feel as if I may have my head around what bits and pieces are left to finish.

There’s so much that’s been going on, I thought I’d just do one of my lists to catch you up from where my blogging stopped and then hopefully by the time next week rolls around, I’ll have a few more minutes in the day to really write.  Here’s a taste of what’s been happening in my world for the last few weeks.

Completed a successful garage sale

Oldest son inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at school

Attended Little League day at the local baseball park and watched a baseball game

Youngest son crossed over to be a Webelo in cub scouts

Packed up 85% of the house in preparation for our big move

Generated 25-½ lawn and leaf sized bags of trash in one week of packing (scary - I know)

Sold old oak table on Craig’s List

Took a trip to NYC and had the most amazing time (more to come on this in a later blog)

Both boys finished school yesterday

Cub Scout hike in the mountains

Little League baseball games

Celebrated my nephew’s birthday

Attended son’s band concert

Dinner with friends

Boys attended sleepovers and birthday parties

Shopped for new furniture for the house

Hired a moving company

Book club meeting

Celebrated 20th wedding anniversary

I know it might not seem like a lot, but its filled most of my days and nights for many weeks and today feel the thunder fading and the sun starting to shine.   Just 8 days and counting until the big move and we’ll be enjoying our new home and unpacking all the boxes I’ve been so diligent in packing. (Thanks mom for helping with the office today!) I just hope the new Webelos neckerchief and clip show up.  They are currently the only items that have gone astray amongst the boxes and packing.  (Keep your fingers crossed it didn’t get tossed out by accident.)  Let the countdown begin.