Looking...

During the Christmas season, I find myself becoming nostalgic.  Many times, this begins several weeks before and continues until well after Christmas ends.  Remembering times from my childhood, people that have passed on, when my kids were little.  I love seeing old decorations once again, hearing music, looking at photographs.  I know that Christmas is over, but it seemed to go in a blur this year.

Now that things have slowed down a bit and everyone seems to be able to relax(knock on wood), the nostalgia has kicked back in.  There are times I find myself putting my grandparents and great-grandparents names into the Google search bar just to see what I can find.  I feel like I am trying to find them, like they have become lost. To find out things about them that I perhaps did not know.  I was lucky enough to have known my great-grandparents.  My great-grandmother passed away when I was almost twenty-seven.  My oldest daughter was born on her birthday.  She was one of the most beautiful people I have ever known.  I still look for her.

I think in a way, I am looking for pieces of myself.  I have found things about them all on-line.  Very strange.  And wonderful at the same time.  I think, "Why didn't anyone tell me that?"-but in finding them, I find out more about me.  The harder I look, the more I realize that I do not have to look far at all.  They are always with me-guiding me, steering me in the right direction.  Having a good laugh from time to time.  They have never really left at all.

I think about them with fondness, although I wish I could have known them all as an adult-to ask advice, about their lives, their childhoods, what their families were like.  Maybe one day, I will find out all of those answers, until then, I will be looking.

Year Two

This is officially the second year of my little blog, "EscapeHomeDaily".  Pretty cool and I can not believe a year has gone by already.  So much has happened-some good, some not so good, but always interesting.  I made one resolution this year, to get healthy.  I have already started eating better and drinking more water and have seriously cut my coffee intake.  This may be the hardest part of the whole thing.  I know that I will not cut out coffee entirely-I love it too much.

The getting healthy resolution has been one that I have made every year for the past, oh, fifteen years or so, but sometimes something can happen in your life to wake you up and slap you across the face and tell you that you are not getting any younger.  This is that time.  I look forward to the challenge and the results that can only be beneficial to me.

I would like to have my children's book published.  That is a HUGE thing for me.  I love the story and believe in it too much to give up on it.  Have you ever seen sales people that are REALLY good sales people and thought, "I could never do that.  I just don't think I have what it takes to sell like that."  I thought that way too until I wrote my story and spoke with a publisher.  Just that was enough to really make me believe that other people may want to read my story.  And so, I will not give up until it is published.  Period.

I know a new year always makes me want to clean out my house.  I have written about that a lot-so I am pretty sure it is something that will always need to be done.  Goodwill, here I come!  I did some cleaning out today and marking of items that need to go-maybe a yard sale this year?  I think I will be patient this time around and not make a huge pile of stuff in my dining room.  Just mark the items to go to the sale and bring them out when it is time.  We'll see.

My other goals are to work more-yes, I did say that, read more, be outside more, and relax more.  But health is my main goal.  For myself and my wish for everyone.

So here's to Year Two of my little ole' blog.  She has been fun to write.

Cheers and best wishes in 2012-make it the best yet! 

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....