Go ahead...make my day....

I was working yesterday, making coffee, when the woman I was making coffee for said to me, "You have made my afternoon!".  I knew exactly what she meant.  You run errands, or go to work, or clean at home, promising yourself that at the end of all of that you will reward yourself with something.  Then you look forward to that treat  the entire day.  I know sometimes that is what gets me through my day.  If I have a special coffee drink or something sweet or even treating myself to a nice lunch, it will make all of the work not seem so hard.

It gives you something to look forward to-just for you.  Everyone should treat themselves!

I treated myself today by buying some magazines that I love to read.  It felt good though to have someone else  tell me that I had made their afternoon-that is no small thing.

Lights out...

The power went out today.  I was at work and bam!  Out it went!  I do love the quiet a power outage brings, but it is not good for business.  Which made me wonder-what would happen if all of a sudden we were without power-indefinitely?  People rarely use "real" money to pay for anything-would we barter for things?  It is a pretty scary thought-so I will change the subject to something a little less frightening.  Loosing power and having quiet at home.  This happened a few months back....

It was a weekday, I had gone to run and errand and when I came home, the cul-de-sac looked fairly dark.  It was dusk and so not quiet dark out yet.  I opened the front door and yes, the power was out.  I grabbed my book, lit a few candles, sat at the kitchen table and started to read.  It was nice when my three kiddos joined me.  The outage lasted for around a half an hour and it was lovely.  I must say I was disappointed when the power came back on.  I loved the time though because I could not turn on the T.V., or boot up my computer, or listen to my iPod.  All I could do was sit in the quiet and read.  I could not do laundry, I could not cook, I could not feel guilty about not doing any of these things.  I think I need more time like this.  And I am sure that you do too.

We should not feel guilty about having down time where we sit and relax and do something we love or nothing at all.  It is sad that it takes a power outage to realize this.  Maybe we need more of them.  Although, I am really not up for bartering-yet.

Wrap it up

I have finished Christmas shopping.  I think.  I have just about everything that I have ordered-just waiting on one thing-fingers crossed!  Now, I just have to wrap it.  This really is not my favorite part of the whole Christmas experience.  It means paper cuts, lots of cutting, lots of tape, and the guilt of paper that will be torn and throw away.  I have heard it can not be recycled.  Boo.  Do you feel my pain-let's share!

This is where the Christmas miracle of gift bags comes in.  I always keep the bags I have been given.  I try to make sure not to give those same bags back as wrapping to the person who gave it to me.  But if I do, just think of all the landfill waste we are saving!  Reduce, re-use, recycle!  The green isn't just for mistletoe at Christmas time!

I sometimes think of Candy Spelling, in her bigger than a small country mansion in her gift wrapping room.  Yes, I did just write that-don't adjust your screens or re-read it.  Who wouldn't want to have a room just for gift wrapping at the holidays?  No more sitting on the floor or leaning over a too short table or a bed and breaking your back hoping that you received a massage for a gift to recover from Christmas.  Shew-that was a mouthful.

I have not wrapped one package.  I always say that I will wrap as I go but that has yet to happen.  I will probably do what I always end up doing-wrapping everything on Christmas Eve.  But this year-I may just "bag it".  Literally.

Sister Friends

Growing up, I always wanted sisters.  I have two brothers-they are fine, but there is nothing like having a sister-or so I have heard.  I know there are sisters that do not get along but I am not going to talk about that.  I will focus on the ones that do talk to each other, love each other, support each other.  I always wished for that.  I always was envious of friends who had sisters and were close.  Who did things together, like up at o'dark thirty the morning after Thanksgiving to go shop.  Who went to lunches and movies together.  Who you could call any time of the day with a problem, a success, or nothing at all just to talk.  I thought that would be something I would never find.

And then I had a daughter.  And a few years later, I had another girl.  And along the way many special women have appeared in my life.  It is a glorious thing.  They have blessed my life in so many ways.  I now have more sisters than even I imagined possible.  They bring me joy, make me laugh, listen when I need it.  We support each other and help each other.  Even if it is just by listening and knowing that the support is but a phone call away-or now-a-days an email.

I call these women sister-friends.

Thank you my sister-friends.  You make life that much more beautiful.

The Ghost of Christmas Past...

The other night, I stumbled upon Mickey's Christmas Carol-a classic.  Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchett, Scrooge McDuck as Ebenezer Scrooge and Jiminy Cricket as the Ghost of  Christmas Past.  He holds a special place in my heart.  I too played the Ghost of Christmas Past in my seventh grade play.  It was "A Christmas Carol" of course.  I was twelve years old and thought it was the greatest thing in the world.  The auditioning, the practicing, the evening performance for all of our family members and friends, and then performing it for the entire school.  So. Much. Fun.

I had not thought about that time for quite a while.  I remembered trying out for two parts-the ghosts past and yet to come.  I remember being tremendously excited about landing a part-I was sure it would go to someone else.  But, it didn't, it went to me.  I remember wearing a long, white dress-it was probably a night gown of some sort, but was flow-y and fit the part.  I remember glitter in my hair along with a sprig of holy-the dark green of the leaves and the red of the berries.  I remember the excitement of the class as we took the stage for the play we had worked so hard on for so long.

It is almost thirty years later-I have not seen many of the people I was in that play with in a long time.  Everyone has their own lives and have gone in different directions.  One friend has passed away and I remember her warm smile and days in elementary school when we dressed exactly alike.  I wonder if when my former classmates watch "A Christmas Carol"-any version-they have fond memories of the time when we performed the play together.  Ghosts are not always bad things-they can bring back good memories of the past in the present and for future Christmases to come.

What comes down...

It seems not too long ago that I was writing about packing up Christmas decorations-a little less than eleven months ago.  Then again, it seems like forever, and now I am putting them back up again.  Oh man, do I have a lot to do.  I must say, I am a little bit scared-but, I will just put on my big girl pants and do it!

There are boxes of decorations to get down, furniture to move, and fall decorations to put away.  Yikes-I need to get started!  I can already hear my knees screaming at me.  Hello ibuprofen.  I have gotten a small start though.  The candles went in the windows the week before Thanksgiving.  They are my favorite of the Christmas decor-they are just warm and inviting.  The reindeer and snowman went up this past weekend in the yard.  Thank you to my hubby and youngest for that one!  I do love it all, though there were times when I asked if we could blow up a picture of last year's tree and tape it to the wall.  And, you guessed it, I got a funny look from everyone within earshot.

We will get our tree this weekend.  It is a holiday weekend after all.  Wait, you didn't know it was a holiday?  Which holiday you ask?  Why it is Emma Eve on Saturday of course, followed by Emma's 10th birthday on Sunday.  Yes, my brilliant youngest daughter has figured out how to stretch out her birthday.  I really think Emma Eve is more highly anticipated, sort of like Christmas Eve.  Then on the actually birthday, we are off to see Santa himself.  Legendary Santa-if you are a Richmonder, you will know exactly what I am talking about. Accept no substitutes.

So, as always, there is much going on in our household.  Birthdays, decorating, and holidays.  All rolled into one.

Thank You

Today is Veteran's Day-a day to give thanks to our veterans who have served and are serving.  To say thank you to their families for the sacrifices that they make everyday so that their soldiers can protect us and our freedoms.  I can not thank them all enough.

There have been quite a few members of my family and my husband's family that have served in the military.  There are two who are currently serving in the Army.  We are so proud of all of them.

It is also my mother's birthday.  She had a good day-it is 11-11-11, so it was a lucky day as well!

I am also thankful for a post on my Facebook updates.  Here it is:

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/07/17/75-reminders-for-tough-times/

It came from a friend who is also a blogger.  Here is his site

http://employmentforumblog.com/


It was a great post that put things into perspective-when times are hard and you are having trouble seeing that things will work out, it is funny how things like this are presented to you.  Breathe in, breathe out, move on.  A great line from a Buffett song.

So, there were lots of things to be thankful for today.  Freedom, birthdays, and encouraging words.  Thank you.

That Time of Year

No, I don't mean Christmas.  It is the first weekend in November.  In Virginia, that means one very important thing.  It is time for the Urbanna Oyster Festival.  The festival of all festivals in my opinion.  It is said that close to 200,000 people will attend the festival over the course of two glorious days.  And why not?  It is in a beautiful place with fantastic seafood.  What more does a person need?

When people ask where we are going and I mention oysters, they scrunch up their faces and usually reply, "I really don't like oysters."  More for me!  Although, they have great BBQ, huge turkey legs, soups, crab, and other things that will satisfy those non-oyster eaters.  I go for the oysters.  Raw, on the half-shell with a drop of Tobassco.  Yum.

What is fun is you always run into someone you know.  I have not been to Urbanna and not run into someone that we know, even if it has been since the previous oyster festival that we have seen each other.  Last year, boats from Jamestown were sailed into the marina off the Rappahanock River, with re-enacters on board to answer questions.  There are artists, live music, parades at the end of the day, and endless seafood.  Heavenly.

I love that our kids now love to go.  They never moan and groan about walking around all day-they enjoy the food and the people as much as we do.  Smart kids!

So, the merriment will begin tomorrow morning-and you can be for certain that is where we will be.  Maybe I will run into you there!  If not, please try the oysters.http://www.urbannaoysterfestival.com/

Stuff

The word makes me shudder.   I ascend into my attic and my knees go week.  I go to the attic with the best of intentions.  Clean-up, clean-out, be done!  I would be able to make my attic into an office-a quiet place to write.  If it were not for all of the stuff up there!  UGH.

Where does it come from?  Did we really spend all of our hard earned money on it?  Why did I tell people I would take their stuff?  No more mister nice guy.  I don't want anymore stuff.  Thank you.

Their are things that were mine from my childhood that I do-not-want anymore.  My husband tells me I should keep it just in case one of our children may want it for their children one day.  I give him the look.  I have a lot of those-this one is the "That is not the answer I was looking for" look.  To which he replies "You asked me."  Grrr.

I have started liking the idea-"A cluttered house equals a cluttered mind".  Even when I am doing something else, I am always thinking of the stuff that I need to get rid of.  I got rid of quite a lot earlier this year.  Now, I need to do it again.  Just bite the bullet and dive right into the stuff in the attic instead of turning around and leaving the room.

If you don't hear from me for, oh, let's say a few days, send someone to find me.  The stuff may have gotten the better of me.

Weekend-end

I absolutely love weekends.  Even weekends I have to work aren't so bad.  Like this weekend.  Work was busy on Saturday, we watched our nephew's band, celebrated my sister-in-law's birthday, and saw lots of people we love to bits.  Can a day get much better?

Today was beautiful-we had soccer, played outside, sold some peanuts for scouts, and made chili for dinner.  Those simple days are usually the best.  It is the little things in life that make living worth-while.

Soccer will soon come to an end, so I need to enjoy watching my girl play.  My son will not be in scouts forever.    I find that a great deal of my posts are about the passing of time.  I try to recognize it and enjoy each second.

Now it is evening time and kids are getting ready for bed, lunches are being made, dogs let out, coffee made for the following morning's 6 a.m. wake-up call.  I hear laughter coming from the next room and am thankful for such beautiful days filled with the people I love.  Make it a great week!

Fall-A word with many meanings

Fall.  I just looked this up in the dictionary-I stopped counting at twenty-four different meanings.  I will use just a few here today.

Fall-autumn.  The leaves have begun to change.  They are turning their beautiful colors of reds, golds, oranges, and yellows.  They make all my windows look like stained glass.  It is a beautiful time of year.  I do enjoy the cool weather, the smells of cinnamon, pumpkin pie, and "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"-one of my favorite cartoons of all time.  I love to see Snoopy creeping through the bombed out towns after the Red Baron has shot his WWI Flying Ace airplane down.  Then dancing to Schroeder's piano playing-and then howling with shame.  Too funny.

http://youtu.be/B67w23x2cPM

When I look out the windows of stained glass leaves and hear the wind blowing, I think of another definition of Fall-to tumble down.  This comes to mind as I watch the leaves tumble through the air to the ground.  I am quickly reminded that those leaves will have to be raked and blown out of my driveway, off my grass, out of my plant beds, and not just once, but several times.  Some days I am up for the challenge-the cool temperatures and just being outside rev me up.  Other days, it becomes another chore that one of us that lives in this house has to tackle-when we have time.  This is when another definition of fall comes to mind.

Fall-to fail to keep up the pace;  to lag behind.  Yep-happens all the time, no matter the season.  Things seem to pile up that need to get done.  Whether it be getting up the billion leaves that will fall(there it is again) in my yard, the laundry, cleaning out the attic(a perfect Fall activity since it is not so hot), emails, you name it.  Sometimes I feel like a pro at falling behind-Elizabeth Burke, Ph(all behind) Doctorate.  Somehow I have the comforting feeling that I am not the only one with this degree!

So, with all of the definitions of "Fall", I think today I will enjoy the first one mentioned-Fall: Autumn.  It is much more appealing.  

A "Wicked" Week!

It is Friday the fourteenth.  It is my sixteenth wedding anniversary.  It has been a "Wicked" week.  In a good way!

I worked a few days and made a few bucks, wrote to a publisher about a children's book that I have written and have a meeting with him on Monday, and my hubby surprised me with an early anniversary gift of tickets to, you guessed it, the Broadway show-Wicked.  I was thrilled to say the least and the show was fantastic.  It is nice to have surprises and even better that my husband likes to provide me with them.  It makes me smile and love him even more!

The children's book manuscript has been fun to write.  I will tell you more about it later but to have a meeting with a publisher is pretty mind blowing!  I have sent it to one publishing company already and am waiting to hear back-fingers crossed!  Who knows where this will all lead, but I am hoping for the best and that one day I can walk into a bookstore and see my book up on the shelf.

My oldest daughter wants to see "Wicked"-I am sure it will come back to our town so that we can go together.  We watched some performances on YouTube and she loved it-I told her I would be happy to sing for her whenever she wanted-I just got one of those "Please don't" teenager looks.  Which made me start singing "Popular" almost immediately!

http://youtu.be/CsKH2tqoFJ8

Kristen Chenoweth does sing so much better than I-but I have just as much fun!


I have always wanted to sing on Broadway-it is on my bucket list.  We shall see-never say never!  I got a meeting with a publisher-anything is possible.  Singing on Broadway would be "Wicked" indeed!

Dear Father Time...

Dear Father Time,
Would you be so kind as to extend my days by a few hours?  Thank you.
Your faithful watcher(pun intended),
Liz

Oh, a few extra hours in a day.  Wouldn't that be nice?  Some would agree-yes more time to talk, to sleep, to shop, etc. Others would not-more time at work, more time doing homework, more time doing chores.  I have written before of wanting more time with my kids-I will always want that, but lately, I have been wanting-or should I say needing-more time for other things.  Some are fun, some are not.

I need more time for laundry-definitely not fun, to paint my bedroom-sort-of fun, and to read and write-way fun!

This week, it has eluded me.  Sometimes I wonder if Father Time is doing this on purpose.  Grrr.

As stressed and frustrated as I can get about doing these things, I have to remind myself of what I have done that day.  I have risen at o'dark thirty and gotten three children off to school, fed dogs, cats, let out said animals, and a list of other things.  This does include reading.  From 7-7:30a.m. I sit and read and watch the news.  My interest level in the news will determine how much I read.  I may also check emails and Facebook.   I try to have laundry going during all of this as well.  So, I am fairly productive between 6a.m. and 8:45 a.m.  If I am working in the morning, then I am working in the morning.  It is when I get home that my gears grind to a swift halt.  This is where my frustration comes in.

I want to lie down for a few minutes before the bus comes, but I know that if I do that, any hope of doing anything else might as well get thrown out the window.  I just have to keep pushing myself and keep going through my list of things to get done.  If I have to go back out anywhere, well Hello Crabby!  Once I get home I want to stay there.  Please?

Believe me, even if I do not lie down to grab a wink or two, that does not mean that I get stuff done.  I am good, but Wonder Woman I sadly am not.  It would be cool to be able to fit into the outfit though.  The kids' stuff comes first and everything else is after that.  As it should be.

But another hour or two to finish up a few things would really come in handy.  Did you get my letter Father Time?  I guess he will respond whenever he wants-he has all the time in the world.

Salt Water Girl

I was looking for beach houses today.  Not to purchase(yet), but to rent next summer.  I am only four weeks out from our last beach vacation that was cut short by a pesky hurricane.  Again.  I need to re-think the week we go to the Outer Banks.  Although,  I would not change a thing about our recent  vacation week, except the leaving-early thing.  You see, I am a salt water girl.

There is a reason tears are salty.  It runs in my veins.  I can always hear the sound of the ocean.  It is the rythum of my heart and soul.  Just the thought of the ocean and the beach can bring a tear to my eye.  A tear of fond remembrance, a tear of longing, of times to come.  They are not tears of sadness though-times spent down by the sea have always been good.  Even when I am saying "See you next time" I try not to be sad.  I try to look forward to the next time I will see the ocean again.  I will confess that can be difficult at times.

My friend and I were talking today about cottages we are looking at for next summer.  We are both done with school and ready for summer vacation.  I try not to think about how much time is in between now and then.  I do not want to wish time away. I will enjoy the time until the hot days of summer roll around again, and I am floating in the ocean again, it holding me in its mighty embrace.  Today is just one of those days when I wish that beach time was just a little bit closer.

So, until that time, I will surround myself with my beach finds-sea shells in all shapes and sizes, pictures of sandy children, my husband body surfing with our kids, and memories of digging sand castles.  Thoughts of the sun burning my skin until I can not stand it any longer and I must sit under the umbrella or drench myself in suntan lotion.  Reading in my beach chair until the sound of the surf lulls me to sleep.  Brushing the dried salt off of my skin.  I will always be a salt water girl.

Catching up

I did a lot of catching up today.  I talked over coffee and breakfast to a friend I had not seen in a while.  I talked with my brother who I had been playing phone tag with for months.  I did two loads of laundry that were screaming at me from the upstairs laundry hamper.  I went to the grocery store so people would stop giving me funny looks when they opened the pantry-the "Do you plan on feeding us?" look.  The bank, the Post Office, a hair cut that I usually get twice a year.  Finally meeting another friend to return the bag she had let me borrow.  Monday was catching up day all around.

Sometimes I feel like that all I am doing is "catching up".  I tend to look at it in a good way.  I think I will always be catching up one way or another.  There will always be laundry to do.  Once there is not, that will mean that there will be no one to do laundry for.  Funny looks from three children over lack of snacks will mean that they have much more interesting things to do, people to see, or places to go.

I will always be catching up with friends.  We all lead very fast paced, busy lives.  Having some time to sit and focus on what we have been doing is such a joy.  To talk about movies we have seen, books we have read, our vacations over the summer break, to be proud of what our kids are up too.  To talk about our favorite book/film-Harry Potter.  It is good to have friends to catch up with.  I will never be finished doing that.

My brother-my link to my childhood, who I practically raised.  To remember him as the baby I would rock to sleep and now he is almost thirty, singing, writing, playing guitar in a quasi-rock band.  To talk, and laugh, and shake our heads.  To wonder out loud, to question many things, to support and help each other-I will always be catching up with him and he with me.

I never want to finish catching up on anything.  Even the laundry.

Stay Summer-Just a While Longer!

August-the Lariope are starting to bloom.  Never a good sign for those of us that love summer.  It is a sign that summer is winding down.  Yes, the lilac shaded blooms are beautiful, but I would rather that they stay green and that it stay summer, all year-round.  Some days I feel as wilted as my poor plants do-but it's summer and I won't complain about the heat.

The kids and I bought school supplies yesterday.  When I could not bear to pick up another glue stick packet, we left the bowels of hell-I mean the school supply section-and headed for the beach chairs and sunscreen.  There are parents out there that think the school year starting is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as it is sung in the office supply store commercial, but I am not one of them.  I am not wanting my children to leave for another school year simply because I know that it is one year closer to them leaving home and me.

Yes, this is the natural order of the world, but that does not make it any easier to deal with.  I love being with my kids.  Are there days that they drive me crazy?  Of course!  I know there are just as many days that I drive them batty.  In five short years, my oldest will be starting college, my middle graduating from high school, and my youngest starting high school.  They will by then be working during the summers, spending loads of time with friends, and I will(hopefully) be working outside the home again.  I have taken every opportunity to enjoy this summer with them because I know that it might be the last one that I spend at home with them.  Another reason for my wilting-reality bites sometimes.

We have gone to museums, water parks, amusement parks, the movies, the library, on bike rides, to tennis courts, and other fun places.  We have also spent a fair amount of time doing nothing-watching T.V. and playing video games, or in our quiet moments reading alone.  I woke up a few mornings ago to Captain Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean and promptly fixed my coffee and cozied into the couch to watch the movie with my son.  My other two sleepy eyed kids filed in over the next half-hour and we ended up watching all three movies-not bothering to get dressed until well after noon.  I love days like that-you have quite literally a laundry list of things to do and the most important thing you do that day is nothing with the most important people in your life.

I hope everyone has days like this.  Enjoy your life one day at a time.  Realize what you have-embrace it, acknowledge it, knowing that it will not always be.  But also embrace the change that will inevitably come.  There are good things waiting there too.  Hopefully lots of hot summer days.

Summer Reading

Ahhh-the days of summer.  Are there any days that are better?  Even Henry James said:

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language”

I whole heartedly agree!  I have a stack of books on my bedside table, the floor, all around my house that I have on my summer reading list.  I am one of those people who read several books at once.  It depends on what kind of mood I am in.  Maybe this constitutes a split personality, but I love to read and they are like my children-they all need my attention!

Right now I am finishing "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson, "The Last Time I Saw You" by Elizabeth Berg, "Bed of Roses" by Nora Roberts, "Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin, and "The Wildwater Walking Club" by Claire Cook.  Quite a diverse grouping but that's what I've got.  I really need to talk with Father Time about adding a few more hours to the day so that I can squeeze in a few more hours of reading time.  My children get out of school tomorrow, so I think I am going to have to set some mandatory reading time during the day-just to keep my sanity.  They are not interested in the pool any longer but there is no way they will be sitting around all summer!  Year round school?  Anyone, anyone?

What are you reading?  Do you have anything you could recommend?  I would love to know what you are reading this summer! 

As they say in the brilliant Barnes and Noble add, "Read Forever"!!

As time goes by...

Where does the time go?  Into a black hole?  Into the deep blue sea?  Down the drain?  I don't know, but I would sure like to find some more of it!  It seems like yesterday that the kids were starting a new school year and now it is close to the end.  My oldest will have one year until high school, my son will be a pro at middle school with a year under his belt, and my youngest will have two years left of elementary school.  When did that happen?!

Some days, the time seems to drag, whether from boredom, exhaustion, life, I am not quite sure.  Other days seem to end before like they have started, if that makes any sense.  But I still want more time!!!

As I am getting older, I find that I am in a stage of transition.  That is a good and necessary thing-I just wish I knew what I was transitioning to!  I think and think and think and feel like someone who had better hurry up and decide what she wants to do when she grows up!  Part of me knows, part of me is unsure if that part of me know what the heck she is doing! 

I know I don't want to sit and look at my four walls any longer-it is slightly maddening to me.  There are days when my home feels like a warm blanket that wraps me in its embrace and protects me and shelters me from the world outside.  Other days, it feels like a straight jacket and I am a magician trying to wiggle my way out. 

I do not think I am alone in this feeling-and that makes me feel good.  But I know that the only person who can do anything about my transition is me.  So what time does that make it?  It makes it get up and go time kids!  Its now or never!  Time to kick the tires and light the fires!  But I will be sure to make it a good time....

Oh no! It snowed!!

Run for your lives!  It's the snowpocalypse!!  Only kidding.

It did snow this morning though.  I have had enough quite frankly.  I don't live where we have snow from October through March, but I have enough.  Yes-it is Complain Day.  I decided.   Join in the fun!

I used to love snow.  When I was twelve.  And we had days off from school.  But now, they are not so much fun.  If we had places to go and ski and snowboard it would be one thing.  It is the cooped up inside part that I don't particularly like.

I love to be outside.  In the sun.  Where it is warm.  Preferably near water.  With a cool drink in my hand and someone to fan me when I am hot and...Sorry, I got a little distracted.

It is officially spring.  We had eighty degree weather two weeks ago and now it is 38 degrees outside.  Summer, I need you like never before.    My bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen are ready to go.  Now only if it would stop snowing....

It's in the stacks....

For those book lovers out there, you know that librarians and book sellers refer to shelves of books as "stacks".  I have my own stacks in my house, as I am sure many of you do.  It is comforting and makes me happy.  I have spent many years adding to my collection.  Some books find a place deep in my heart and stay, some are donated to my local library, and others I take to the local used book store.  I love my books.  They are like friends, old and new ready to be discovered or reunited with.

I will admit that some of the books take me longer to read than others.  Some I have had literally for years before I open their covers to read them.  Some books, I read the first paragraph or chapter and put down, never to open again.  I used to make myself feel guilty about that-"finish what you start!" my brain would say to me.  As I have gotten older and I like to think a little bit wiser, I feel like it is a waste of time to read something that I do not enjoy.  There is so much out there too be enjoyed!  So, I put the unfinished book down and walk away-no guilt to speak of.  There are very few books that I read more than once, but I have a few that have made the cut.

I am lucky that my kids love to read too.  I loved reading to them when they were little and am more than pleased that they continue on with reading as they get older.  Books are the greatest escape-taking you out of your life and throwing you into someone else's for a while.  Teaching you things, making you laugh, making you cry.  Making you sit on edge while you impatiently wait for a follow-up book to be released.  I love it when the book is so good you are kind of let down when it ends-so you slow your reading to enjoy it a bit longer. 

I got my husband an e-reader for Christmas.  I have very mixed feelings on this one.  They are great for those technophiles out there, but I like having the book in my hand.  I like going into a bookstore or library and looking.  Sometimes I know exactly the book I want.  Other times, I have no idea what I am in the mood for until it jumps out at me-it is the thrill of the hunt, so to speak.

Yes, I may sound nerdy, but I don't care.  Reading keeps your mind fresh, expands your vocabulary, and adds joy to your life.  If that is the definition of nerdy, then I crown myself Queen of the nerds.  You can find me in the stacks...

Grey, grey-go away

This year, I turn forty.  Forty!  I can't quite believe it.  Don't get me wrong-I will not be sinking into a mid-life crisis or do something crazy like dress like my thirteen year old, but I may make some changes.   I have to concede that, yes, I do have a few grey hairs.  Hard to believe right?!  Last month, when I found my first grey(that's my story and I'm sticking to it), I decided that it had to go.  So I pulled it out.  I thought my hair stylist would throttle me when I told her.

"We are trying to KEEP hair Liz, not loose it!"  Alright, alright, I hear that!  Cue the Clairol bottle.

BAM!!  Instant highlights at a fraction of the price.  I use my Dad's reasoning "It's blonde, not grey."  I had thought about having my stylist color my hair, since some of those pesky greys I could not seem to cover.  Thankfully, they were hidden underneath my "highlights" so they were only visable to me.  But, at over 100 smackers just for the coloring alone, I had to but the brakes on that idea.  I could color my hair myself at least ten times!  Even more with a coupon!!  It does not really even matter which brand-if it is on sale or I have a coupon, I am all over it!!  Or, it will be all over my hair, in under 25 minutes.

The real kicker came when I found a grey eyebrow hair.  Dun, dun, duhh.   I was mortified.  I am not as attached to those hairs, even though I really don't want to have to draw them on one day, but it was closest to the inside of my brow line, so it had to go.  And wouldn't you know, it grew back, as grey as ever.

Thank goodness for Edline!

Thank you Lord, for Edline.

I know that 2 of my children do not share in this prayer.  For those that don't know what Edline is, it posts your children's grades online.  Fabulous huh?!  I love it-it helps us to keep up with what is being done-and what is not-at school.  Here is a bit of my son's grades in Social Studies:
                                    Score Information
                     Name     Date     Category  Score Max  %   Grd

                     HWRveP.  02/19/11 homework     90  100  90 B+
                     HWRevQ.  02/19/11 homework     85  100  85 B
                     HWSignP. 02/19/11 homework    100  100 100 A+
                     QRev.    02/19/11 quiz         98  100  98 A
                     QAmRev   02/26/11 quiz        100  100 100 A+
                     HWPeople 02/26/11 homework    100  100 100 A+
                     TAmRev   03/03/11 test         98  100  98 A
                     QRev.    03/13/11 quiz         96  100  96 A

Remember when we would get graded papers home? And if they were bad, they didn't always make it home.  Until you got your interim or report card and your parents would look at you with the "What the H*&%# happened to your grades?"  look.  Then the shouting would come, followed by you're grounded for 3,500 years, and don't come out of your room except to eat.  We find out grades almost immediatley and have a list of assignments and tests dates laid out before us, so we don't even believe the line-"I didn't know we were having a test!  They never told us!  We were blinsided Mom! "  Yeah, okay.
                                   
Love it!  Winning!!(I can't believe I just wrote that)

No more excuses kids.  We know A LOT more than you think we do.  Just stick with me on this one.

Edline-this is one time I am thankful for the internet where my kids are concerned.

Thankful

I am so thankful.  For my husband, my kids, my friends and family.  For my health.  For all of the things that I have been blessed with.

Watching the news footage today of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan, I realize how small and helpless I am and how powerful nature can be.  It was heartbreaking and terrifying and unbelievable to watch. 

I am thankful that the people of Hawaii are safe and more damage was not done there.  I will pray for the man who was swept out to see on the West Coast and I will pray for those in Japan who have lost loved ones and those who have to find a way to pick up the pieces and go on. 

I will go to bed thankful for another day-of health, happiness, and seeing the faces of those that I love the most.  And pray that tomorrow will bring more of the same.

Nine lives

I have a cat.

His name is Jack.

He is a lucky son-of-a-gun.

This is what he did to my vacuum cleaner cord...

My Dyson vacuum cleaner.  That's an expensive cord!!  One life shaved off the nine he was born with-so they say.

He is lucky I found it before he could do any more damage to it.  One life saved.

I guess now he is back up to nine.  He is lucky he is cute.

If only I could teach him how to put the vacuum cleaner away...

Never say never

I used to say never.  I really try not to say it anymore.  Anything can happen-usually when you least expect it.  And when it is something wonderful, even better!

For example, I never thought I would make it to Hawaii.  Too expensive.  Until, you guessed it-I went.  Not once, but twice!!  Ain't life great?!

The first time was to the Big Island of Hawaii.  My husband was selected as part of an employee recognition for excellence-I always knew he was excellent!  They sent us to Hawaii for a week-all expenses paid!  WOOHOO!  It was amazing-we hiked the Waipio Valley, watched Humpback whales, and just soaked it all in!

The second time, my husband went on a business trip to the island of O'ahu.  I went there too!  His trip was for two weeks, so I paid for my airfare and followed him out for the last few days of his trip.  It too was amazing.  The air there is alive and the beauty of the islands can not be accurately described in words.

So just when you think "I will never(insert your thought)...." just remember anything can happen.  And the results can be life changing and beautiful.

Not sorry for you Charlie

I really did not intend to mention Charlie Sheen in my posts-EVER-but after seeing his rant, I felt, will to put it lightly-PO'd.

Okay, so let me get this straight.  You are special, so you say, a genius, again according to you, a friggin' rock star and are tired of people not knowing how special you are.  Hmmm.  And you don't make enough money.  Please tell me how making $2 million+ a week is not enough.  You should really check with your accountant.

Let me tell you who is special-the men and women who have been deployed to keep YOUR sorry ass safe.  Some more than once.  Many did not come home.  They had to leave their families for long periods of time.  The teachers who have received paycuts because there is no money in the budget to pay them.  The firefighters and policemen-some who have lost their pensions-to help you when you need it.  My friends who go to work everyday, who travel away from their families and will probably never see $3 million in their lifetimes.  And they don't complain.  My husband who works so hard for us, so that I can stay home to care for our home and children.  They are all special.

Somebody please slap this guy for me.  I take that back-your energy is better used elsewhere. 

Done, enough said.  I will never write about him again.  Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I will go on with my day, even though I don't make $2 million a week.  I'm pretty sure I can do it.

I want it done, yesterday!

I have heard that patience is a virtue.  I keep telling myself this is a virtue worth having.  It would cut down on stress, stress, and, well, stress.  Just when I think I have it, my impatient self seems to win the battle.  Like now.

I have made it my goal this year to clean out every drawer, closet, cubby, basket, cabinet, and shelf in our house.  This is no small task I know, but I have given myself a year to do it.  I even thought I would have a yard sale and make some money on the stuff that needed to go.  My patient self apparently did not get the memo-impatient self won that one.  I could not stand the pile of yard sale stuff in my dining room and off it went to Goodwill. 

This week, I tackled my son's room.  Not too bad.  I got his closet done, his dresser cleaned out, and his night stand done.  His desk, however, was another story.  Half of the drawers I opened and promptly closed-I just could not deal with the contents.  I didn't have the patience.  I know, it is a process.

Next is my youngest daughter's room.  Yikes-I may need a day or two to mentally prepare.  To pray for the patience it will take to clean it all out and get it livable.  With organizing, it always gets worse before it gets better.  Patience!

Meanwhile, my bedroom has become the dumping ground for clothes that don't fit, kid's old artwork and papers to go through, and I am getting a new dresser so I have to clean out my old one.  I think I am a glutton for punishment.  And I want it all to be done!! Ohm-patience Lizzy, patience.

It will all eventually get done-I gave myself a year.  But yesterday would have been better.

Magazines....

Hi.

My name is Elizabeth.

I have a magazine problem.

It is serious.

It all started about thirty years ago when I picked up my first People magazine.  I was hooked.  I think I have spent around $985,643.52 on magazines in my lifetime.  I just can't seem to get enough.

I mostly read decorating magazines now-and they are the pricey ones.  Here's my hand-you can smack it.

I still need my rag-mags.  You know, the gossipy ones, the ones everyone says they wouldn't be caught dead reading.  They are lying.  I know-I used to be one of those people.  I can freely and openly say that yes, I do read the rag-mags that talk about who's wearing what, who's going out with whom, who just dumped who, and who just had plastic surgery-in Hollywood, I would hazard a guess and say that that list would be too long to name.  I know, I'm mean.

But back to the decorating magazines.  I. LOVE. THEM.  more than my luggage.(Guess what movie that is from!)

I think I love them because they are pretty, they are informative, and they give me hope that one day, my house will look like that.  *Sigh*

I have entered a twelve step magazine program.  I will let you know how it goes.  But I have a feeling, it just won't work for me.

Thankful for quiet

There are some days that I am thankful to have an open schedule-a day where I can do what I please.  For a few hours anyway.  I need it so I will not lose my mind or unleash my wrath on those I love the most.  Please know that I say this in the most loving way possible! 

This has been a week of work, sick children, and a long must-do list.  By must-do list I mean "I must make my way through these two hampers of laundry before I give up and just buy new clothes" or "I must pay these bills so we can cook our food and I can wash those clothes" or "I must vacuum upstairs and down because I have not done it in-well, a while."  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So when blessed Friday rolled around, I still did have a small must-do list, but I tacked on a few fun things to do when I had finished.  I went to the library-one of my favorite things to do.  Please support your local libraries-use them, donate books to them-we need them!  I then made my way to one of my favorite local shops and did my best to support the local economy.  After that trip, I made my way to a local antique shop and made my way up and down the aisles, checking out what great bargins they had that day.  I bought myself lunch from Jimmy Johns and enjoyed a movie.  In case you are wondering, it was "The Queen" with Helen Mirren.  Fantastic movie, one of my favorites.

I had a great day-just me, myself, and I.  I adore my sweet husband and my kiddos, but I do love my time to myself.  I need it, I must have it, or I can get terribly cranky.  Just ask them-they are all for me having my "me" time.  If it sounds selfish, like there are a lot of references to "me" in this entry-yes there are, but I think everyone should have time like this.


You have to have time for yourself, in whatever way you choose to spend it.  You can not be all things to all people if you leave nothing for you-including time for quiet.

Smell the roses

My daughter is sick today.  Thankfully, she is not flu or strep-throat sick, but a nasty cold and cough.  She has soccer team try-outs coming up, so I thought I had better find out for sure.  We did, and she is fine, but oh how fun the trip to the doctor's office was.  I had forgotten!

Since my kids are all over the age of five, gone are the days of sometimes weekly trips to the doctor's office.  I know we have all been there that have kids-the ear infections, the flu, strep-throat, and all of the other interesting things that children pick up that we have never even heard of.  Foot and mouth disease?  I thought that was something that cows got-how did my two year old get it?!  Fifths Disease-what the heck is that anyway?  When that went through the house, the doctor who checked my oldest said she wished she had had a camera, because it was one of the worst she had seen!  Eeks!!  But again, I have gotten a little off topic.

My trips to the doctor for the kids now are mostly just well check-ups, and believe me I am very thankful for the fact that they are healthy.  But today, I was reminded of the times when they were toddlers and we would sit for at least an hour in the petrie dish of the sick waiting area.  Yuck-you need a hose down from the haz-mat team when you leave.  As I sat with my quiet fourteen year-old, my heart went out to the parents who sat with fussy toddlers who seemed to want to climb all over me instead of their parents.  It was annoying at first I will admit, but I quickly remembered that it was not so long ago that that had been me.  I gave my quiet daughter a big kiss and a thank you for behaving-to which she looked at me like I had two heads.

Yes, time with teenagers is scary and difficult, but today, I was thankful for that quiet child sitting next to me-instead of having one climbing all over me, fussing because they wanted to run all over the office, or were hungry, tired, etc, etc, etc.  Even at the doctor's office, you have to take time to smell the roses.

Happy Love Day!

Howdy all and a Happy Valentine's Day to ya!  It has been a quiet day around the house-everyone at school or work, but love is in the air and soon there will be Valentine's passed around to my four Valentines.  I do love them all like crazy!!

Here they are:

I am the one with the green sweatshirt.  We were at the beach...ahh, I wish I was there now...Okay, back to reality.

All I needed today was four smiles from my four favorite people.  I got them in spades.  Happy Valentine's Day to one and all.  I hope you got a smile today-or two.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!

No, this post is not about Gomer Pyle, but feel free to channel him as you read the title!  No, today I received an early Valentine's Day surprise from my sweet husband.  Since the kiddos have school, he has to go to work, and Valentine's Day is not a federal holiday, it has turned into just another busy Monday.  Enter Valentine's Eve and a surprise lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, P.F.Changs!

It was lovely, and delicious, and the company was(of course) top knotch!  It was great to have some adult conversation without having someone ask for more milk or if I can cut up their meat or to ask children  please not to talk with their mouths full of food!  This is not a barn!!  But, I digress.

My hubby and I don't get the chance to go out just the two of us all that often and Valentine's Day is a special day for us-we were engaged on February 14th don't-cha-know!  So I was a wee bit disappointed when the stars did not line up on the national day of love.  Enter, my surprise lunch.  I love my hubby-he puts up with a lot(wink wink).  Most days I am angelic, but there are times when the halo slips just a little bit.  Okay, sometimes I can't seem to find it.  And he loves me anyway.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Spend it with someone you love. <3

Up the stairs and back down again

A while back, I had a wild hair to pull the carpeting off of my stairs, since I had discovered that there were nice hard woods underneath.  Brilliant idea! It wasn't until after taking off the carpet and ripping out about a million carpet tacks that I realized how hard a job it would be to actually stain them myself.  I know-whoa.  It would be quite an undertaking.  And I have three kids, two dogs, and two cats.  How in the name of all that is holy would I be able to keep them off of those steps for days on end?(Cue the nail biting.)

So, my clever idea was put on the back burner until one week I found my husband out-of-town and my children at their grandparent's for a week, along with the larger of my two dogs.  So, with just myself,my cats, and my 20-pound pooch here, I decided that enough was enough.  I was finishing those steps.  And voila-

The finished product!! Ain't it a thing of beauty?!  And the best part is, it only took me six hours!  Well, two years and six hours if you count the time in-between.  Even better, it was only $68!  That's right folks!  Just carpet off the bolt from Lowe's and all of the paint and primer I already had handy.  Oh, and some heavy-duty staples, so add another $2.50.  If I can do it, so can you kids!

But today is such a gloriously beautiful day, I will be spending it outside-and so should you.  Inhale that fresh air and warmer weather in early February.  It does the mind good!

A Mighty smart Mind

I have a nine-year old daughter.  She is sweet, sassy, and well, way smarter than I am.  She is a complete and total carnivore-and I love her to the moon and back.  I make her scrambled eggs and sausage for breakefast.  Every morning.  Cereal?  No way.  Bagels and cream cheese?  Bleck.  She wants her protein-and the spicier the better.

She loves her eggs with Old Bay, garlic, onions, salt and pepper.  She calls it "Emma Stuff".  She wants to be a chef one day and own a restaurant.  She wants to name the restaurant, you guessed it, "Emma Stuff".  She also wants to live on a farm and own about a hundred horses.  She also suggested this morning that we invent a ham dispenser, so we would always have Smithfield ham in the fridge.  I love that girl.  She is brilliant.

Her school play is today.  It's called "Mighty Minds"  and all about standardized tests.  Interesting.  I never would have thought that would be a fun topic for a school play, but what do I know?  I can't wait to see it.  She has a line in it and I know she will do great.  She is the leader of the pack and I already got her off to a good start with her protein-laden breakfast.  Time to go see me some "Emma Stuff".

Happy Friday and go do something fun and smart to boost your "Mighty Mind".

Trying to be anything but sluggish

It's February.  It's cold.  Spring is thirty-eight days away.  I am trying not to be a slug.  I am trying not to cozy up on the couch every second and read.  My get-up and go self is yelling at my sit-down and veg self.  "Come on you!  Paint the living room!  Clean out the attic before it is a million and one degrees up there!  De-clutter everything!" 

Some times my veg-self is very compliant and does what it is told.  Other days, it is quite cranky and just tells get-up and go to shut-it!

Ugh-dilemmas.

Most of the time, a happy medium is reached.  Things that absolutely need to get done are done, along with an adequate dose of sluggishness.

I still feel guilty.  And I am not even catholic.

I was up at 6 a.m., fixed coffee, two breakfasts, packed three lunches, gave a lecture on study habits, sent two kiddos off to middle school, woke up a nine year old from a deep, warm slumber, kissed a husband as he went off to work and let out and fed two dogs.  All before 7:30 a.m.

I think I will go read.

Baby, it's cold-inside?

Living in Virginia, our winters can vary.  This year, winter is off to a pretty cold start.  There have been years when it was close to eighty degrees in early December.  Not this winter!  So I have decided to go around the house, looking for places where insulation could be better.  Starting with the front door.  This is one place where you can loose a great deal of heat that you want to keep in your house.  You pay good money for that heat!  It was as simple as putting my hand at the bottom and around the edges of the door.  Yikes!  It was like an Arctic blast!

Solution?  Off to Lowes to look for a good insulating fix.  It was not hard to find.  I found a door bottom with vinyl fins that attaches with screws to the bottom of the door.  It is also trim to fit, so the installation was fairly easy-not easy on my knees from kneeling on the floor, but worth it! I like to keep all of my screws in a small bowl so that they don't roll away from me-or my cat Jack doesn't steal them(he is quite the little thief!).  I did have to remove the kick plate from the front of the door as it was keeping the insulator from fitting properly.  Even something that thin(approximately 1/16 of an inch)can mess up the correct fit.  The door bottom was a bit snug, so I would recommend using a rubber mallet to make it a little bit easier to slide under the door.  It comes with screws, so with those attached, it is not going anywhere and it keeps my warm air exactly where it needs to be-inside!

Stay warm my friends!

Let's get it started!!

Day one-Welcome!  This is to new beginnings, and this certainly is one for me!  I hope you will come along for the ride-I hope it will be fun, informative, and you can laugh a little!  I have thought that with all the stuff going on in the world, home is where I like to be the most.  I plan on sharing home projects, decorating projects, and anything and everything in between.  So let's get it started!

With the end of the holiday season comes the inevitable clean up.  Yes, I feel your pain.  I am in the midst of it, but have decided to take the opportunity to pair down and put away only what we want to keep here in our household.  Anything that is broken, holds no real sentimental meaning, or is just tired and needs to go bye-bye is going, well, bye-bye.  I always say that there is someone who will love it more!

I have quite a few ornaments that my sweet husband and I collected when we started out our adventures together, but over the years, as we have added three children to our brood, we have added ornaments that are more sentimental.  Many of the ornaments have our children's names and the year on them, so when the kiddos have their own homes and Christmas trees, the ornaments will go with them.  So, maybe I should keep the original ornaments of ours?  Nah-we have not used them in several years, so they need to go.  Collectors will love them, which makes me happy.  The added bonus being more storage space!  They will find a good home to collectors on ebay. More on that at a later date-stay tuned!

Putting decorations away requires a lot of leg work-literally!  I usually do it when the kids are at school and the hubby is at work, so I am running up and down several flights of stairs several times during the day.  It most definitely counts as my workout for the day!  I like to keep the decor in plastic tubs, making sure they are clearly labeled with the contents inside or color coded for the season.  My Christmas tubs are green and red-very jolly!  This greatly helps me in my attic storage since just about everything is stored this way.  It helps to keep everything clean and moth-hole free.  And yes, it does keep out the odd squirrel that decides to chew its way through the wooden vents at the ends of the house.  But that is another story.

So up I went and down came the tubs.  The first trip, not so bad-I made it in one trip with the tubs stored inside of each other.  Next came the sorting through, boxing up, and putting away of it all.  All in all, it took about two hours, which includes taking all the decorations down and putting them in one central location, namely the dining room.  I did have to make a trip to purchase a tub big enough to house my poinsettias-the squirrels decided they were a good hiding place for acorns-yep that's right.  There were about a hundred stored in the eight fake pots-ugh.  I do not have photos of that drama-I was way too keen to get the acorns outside where they belonged.  Did you hear that squirrels? 

And voila!  It was clean!!  And now we can eat in our dining room once more...

Are you in the process of cleaning up and putting away after this holiday season?  Do you have any storage/organizing tips to share?  I'd love to hear your comments!