Getting Through

I often wonder how effective my parenting is.

To be honest, I still don't feel like I am old enough to be a parent.

I mean, I AM old enough, as far as my age goes....but I certainly don't feel like I am old enough to know what the heck I am doing.

Even though my hair is turning undesirable colors, and my eyeliner no longer goes on flawlessly, because of those damn wrinkles....I still feel like a kid most of the time.

Most of the time.

Until I am in a room filled with teenagers.

Then I know I'm not a kid anymore.

Because I find being in that situation extremely annoying for the most part.

Especially if it happens to be an event where cheering is involved.

Teenagers don't cheer.

They scream.

And their screams are deafening.

~

I was at my kids show choir competition last weekend, and there was a high school girl sitting behind me.

Before the kids even stepped onto the stage, I knew I was in for 25 minutes of hell.

She happened to be sitting next to a friend of mine, so I oh-so-subtely turned to her (after this lovely young lady let out one of her ungodly high pitched screeches) and said "Oh my God....I am going to go deaf!"

I thought that might be a HINT that she was TOO DAMN LOUD.

Nope.

Each time she screamed, I would VERY obviously hunch my shoulders to try to protect my ears (as I was taking pictures) or make other movements to make sure my obvious disdain with her ear blasting vocal stylings was BLATANT.

It didn't help.

You may recall I already have horrible ear issues.  

One of them being tinnitus. (Ringing in the ears.)

Well, thanks to this little gem of a gal, for the next week, it sounded like there was a bell ringing in my ear...on top of the already annoying ringing that was always there.  Imagine the sound of a cat collar with a bell on it...that kind of bell.  Every few seconds...ding-a-ing-a-ling.....all day long.

Thank God it went away.  

Otherwise, I may have collared that kid with her own damn bell.

~

Anyway.  Back to my parenting.

1. I do not allow my kids to be rude, annoying and loud.  At least when I'm around.  I have no idea what kind of hellions they turn into when I'm not present, however.

If you ever observe them being annoying or loud or rude...you have my permission to put them in their place.  I beg of you....put them in their place!

Evidence of their "dark" side.

~

Okay.

On Friday, I met with my daughter's school guidance counselor to discuss her senior year classes, and prepping for college.

(I am so not old enough to have a kid in college.)

As I sat there in this surreal situation, I started thinking: "Is she just nodding politely while he talks to her...or is she really listening and taking this to heart?"

We talked about GPA, and class rank.  We talked about what colleges look for.  We talked about how important these next 5 quarters of her high school career are.

And then, I asked her "Did you talk to that teacher about your bad grade on your mid-quarter report?" (I have been hounding her to meet with this teacher for over a week.)  She replied....quite meekly..."no."

That was it.

Did this kid even realize that this wasn't a joke?  She wasn't going to get into to whatever college she wanted to, just because she is cute, and has a nice voice.

~

UGH.

Later that night, we went to a talent show she was performing in.

It was lovely, she did a fabulous job.

We said she could go to the party for all the participants afterward, and said "just be home at a reasonable time."

We have not been strict with a curfew, because it has not been an issue.

She has been responsible, and so we have trusted her to not push boundaries.

She walked in the door at 3am.

Needless to say, I was livid.

Both Mark and I had early morning events to prepare for, so we went to bed hours before.

But, my mother's intuition kicked in...just as it always does, and woke me up 2 minutes before she walked in the door, so I was ready to greet her as she made her way to her room. (Much to her chagrin.)

I informed her father....and since I would be gone in the morning....told him to read her the riot act.

And now....we are finally to the heart of my post.

~

I married a parenting genius.

Actually....he is a kick-ass teacher, which lends itself SO beautifully to parenting.  

Especially when it comes to teenagers.

~

I am sharing this with you, because you may want to add it to your arsenal.

;)

First of all, I am a firm believer that no good occurs after midnight.

In fact, an old college friend is the one who told me that.

(He found God....and at that point, never allowed himself to be alone with a woman past midnight.) As a parent....I think it's probably pretty good advice.

We were quite certain that the party didn't last until 3....so it was time to get some information.

So, Mark took our daughter for a drive.

As they drove, he asked what she was up to last night.

She told him one version of the evenings events.

He knew it was a bunch of bologna.

So, he said "Great!  So, I can call these kids, as well as their parents, and verify that everything you are telling me is true then."

Pause.

Then came version two of the story.

This one was more believable.

Then she asked where they were going.

At this point, he had turned into an unsavory part of town...where there are lots of row houses, and sadly, lots of poverty.

Little kids running around in clothes not warm enough for the weather.

Parents on the front stoop, smoking cigarettes, looking disheveled.

In other words....this wasn't a place that anyone would choose to end up.

He said to her "I want you to look around.  Every decision you make at this point in your life is crucial.  If you continue to make bad decisions, this could be what your future looks like.  My guess is that this isn't the picture you have in your mind as to what you want your life to be....but that is all up to you.

One big mistake, and your hopes and dreams could all go down the drain...and this could be where you end up....or you are living in our house, in your basement bedroom until you are 30." (If I let her!!)

He let that sink in for awhile....and then took her phone, the car keys, let her know she was grounded for the weekend, and that her room would be spotless by the time her grandparents arrived on Thursday.

He also mentioned that while we don't like to have to take things away from her....we are doing it to save her from herself....because apparently she is currently unable to make mature and responsible decisions.

I asked if she stomped down to her room and slammed the door once they returned home.

Nope.  She has actually been quite pleasant.

Good Lord....I think this just may have gotten through.

Oh...and he makes dinner too. :)

I will hire him out...for a small fee, of course.

Or chocolate.

(P.S.  I will be back to my "regularly scheduled blogging" after Easter.  I have found myself in the middle of lots of projects....and since I haven't been able to stop eating candy or swearing....I seem to have given up writing regularly for Lent.  So, there you have it.  Eh, life is crazy.)

:)

Another Day in the Life

Uff-da.

It's been an interesting several days around here.

You may have noticed my blogging "come-back" lasted what....a whole three days?

~

My son got hit with the latest influenza strain....and it wasn't pretty.  The poor kid was in bed for 5 days with a fever, no appetite, sore throat, headache, cough, you name it.

I should mention this boy has zero body fat to begin with....so he looks even more skeletal now.

We are attempting to fatten him up now that he is getting his appetite back.

~

Funny how I never seem to find myself in a situation where I lose MY appetite.

I wouldn't mind moving a bit toward the "skeletal" side of things...rather than my current status.

Rather, I typically just end up getting stressed over the fact that my skinny son isn't eating, so I nervously munch on a bag of chips while I fret over his health.

Yes.  This works out just wonderfully for me.

~

Anyway...I am looking at my calendar, wondering how on earth we are already in the second week of March...and questioning how all of the things that are happening over the next two weeks are going to happen....without the loss of my sanity.

~

Do you often notice that everything always happens at once.

The craziness never spreads itself conveniently out...leaving you recovery time, or preparation time for the next event.

Oh no.  It just piles crazy on top of even more crazy.

I suppose, in some respects, this is a good thing.

Once you lose your mind, you might as well just go with it.

If you had time to ponder the fact that you were, indeed, absolutely, completely overwhelmed and on the brink of a complete and total melt-down...you might actually be pushed over the edge.

However, if you just keep plowing through the insanity...you don't have time to realize that your life is temporarily ridiculous, and no human would ever actually choose to put themselves through this torture.

~

Perhaps I am exaggerating slightly.

My life was crazier than this when I was teaching full time.

We can thank those 15 years for making me the unbalanced, somewhat disturbed person I am today. ;)

~

In other news.

My dogs.

I have been noticing some changes in them over the past couple of weeks.

Cooper (the shi tzu) has become quite bossy.  

He is very demanding when it comes to when he wants to eat, and when he wants to go outside.  

However, he ONLY wants to do those things right after you have settled comfortably in to whatever it is you are doing.

For instance, if I sit at the computer, and start typing....he will bark.  One sharp bark...either at the door, or the food bowl.

Or, if I start a piano or voice lesson.  A bark.

If I get all comfy on the couch, and start a movie....a bark.

His favorite new trick (because he thinks we are stupid humans) is to bark at the door, step out side, sit for 30 seconds, and come back in.  Then, he looks at the treat jar, and barks for a treat.

Because, obviously, you get a treat for going outside, right?

Sometimes, in the winter, he will eat a little snow while he is out there.

This face is rather hard to say no to.

Then there is Riley (the chihuahua)

He always does what he is told.  And, when he goes outside, he does what he is supposed to.

When he gets his treat, he jumps up to grab it...and RUNS.

He knows his brother is part pig...(he snorts, is very pink under his fur, and never stops eating)and will steal it...so he has to get as far away as possible.

The other day, Riley must not have been feeling well...or just wasn't hungry.

He didn't want his treat...but he certainly didn't want Cooper to have it either.

So, he carried it with him wherever he went.

He eventually hid it in my bathroom.

Cooper, of course, found it.

Just like he found the girl scout cookies we caught him eating under the bed two nights ago.

We heard strange noises....and sure enough, Cooper was finishing off what was left of the thin mints.

He smelled minty fresh...and puked three times the next day.

Last night, they managed to get the cabinet door open, and decided to have some tortilla chips before bed.

This is getting ridiculous.

By the way, we DO feed them.

TOO MUCH!

~

I am starting to wonder if they have been chatting about joining an online doggie dating site....because it would seem that they have been practicing their "do I look sexy?" poses.

Let me show you what I mean.

(I have been capturing these interesting moments.)

Ah yes, the sexy "lounging with my stuffed eagle" pose.

And the "looking off into the distance" pose.

I love the "pretending my pic isn't being taken...but check out my handsome front leg" pose.

And the..."I look smashing on my fluffy pillow" pose.

Ah yes.  The "handsome man on a fur" pose.

This one..."I am a stud...but in touch with my feminine side."

"Look at me, ladies. I'm sexy, and can get comfortable...anywhere."

I'm not quite sure what this was supposed to be.  Submissive pose?

Here we have the subtle attempt at the "eye over the shoulder" look.  

Here is where it starts getting out of hand.

Obviously, Riley is embarrassed by his brother's brazen behavior.

And here we have crossed into "50 Shades of Grey" territory.

So, there you have it.

Obviously, my dogs have been watching the movie channels while we are not at home...or possibly, they have figured out how to use the computer.

Riley does have tiny little feet, so he probably could manipulate the keyboard.

At any rate, I am happy to say that, so far, the dogs are more corrupt than the children in this house.

(I just found this little gem on my phone.)

So far.

(I am knocking on wood.....and praying.)

~

And now, considering the fact that my in-laws will be arriving in 10 days...I have to start cleaning.

Because it will take me about 20 days to deal with this place.

This may require chocolate.

~

It's An Art

I have recently come to the conclusion that I am losing touch with 

my arsty-fartsy side.

This is a travesty.

No, actually I've just been super lazy for about four years.

~

When I was a teenager, my aunt and I used to make fun of my sister because she really enjoyed arts and crafts.  I honestly don't even recall what exactly it was that she did.  I remember some latch hook projects...but other than that, no clue.

We would call her "crafto."

I realize how ludicrous this is now, because I was actually the one who was all crafty and ridiculous.

In middle school...macrame was my passion.

I made so many damn plant holders and wall hangings, I didn't know what to do with them all.

I eventually graduated to fancy patterns, and recall a lovely light blue circular thing with a ceramic teddy bear in the middle.

And my most prized piece: a lovely red fish.

(I am a pisces.  Fish are my thing.)

I rocked the macramé.  I was a true child of the 70's.

I also painted and cross-stitched, and tried my hand at sewing.

In fact, one summer, I decided to skip the family vacation to the lake, and instead, spend the week at my aunt Betty's learning how to make dolls and doll clothes.

My goal was to make "cabbage patch-esque" dolls.

I had the iron on eyes, and had to hand stitch the fingers and toes, belly buttons, as well as the nose and mouth.

Needless to say, all of my dolls looked like they were those unfortunate children featured in ads that asked for your donations so they could be brought to the United States for some life altering plastic surgery.

Sewing the clothing didn't go much better.  I would inevitably end up with one sleeve sewn on inside out, or the seams wouldn't line up.

It was a miracle I didn't sew my finger into any of my attempts at doll fashion.

~

I walked away from the world of arts and crafts for many years.

(I, rather, just made fun of my sister for doing it instead.)

The magic of homeownership was what brought me back to my "creative roots."

Actually...it really forced me back, since we were always too broke to actually purchase nice things, or to hire anyone to do the work for us...so if I wanted anything to look pretty, it was up to me to make it happen.

~

I could spend the entire day writing about my trials and errors with all of my projects in our many homes. (Luckily...most were successes.)

It was unfortunate that we lived through the eras that included some rather hideous trends...like stenciling. (I stenciled our second house like there was no tomorrow.  It was ridiculous.) And wallpaper.  (I am all for some statement wallpaper here and there...but that second house got some serious wallpaper, along with the stenciling.  We are talking apples in the kitchen, and a huge overabundance of fish in one of the bedrooms.  Completely obnoxious.)

Those were the days when more was more.

I cringe at the memories.

~

Luckily, I have now acquired some abilities that are actually somewhat beneficial.

Since I hadn't retained any of those sewing skills I attempted to acquire back in 5th grade, my daughter and I took some classes, and learned the basics.  

I just wanted to be able to make my own pillows and curtains.

That was one of the best things I've ever done.

I still don't really know what I'm doing, but I fake it quite well.

And, ever since my sweet friend Lori stopped over the other day with her handmade goodies, I have been inspired to sew again.

~

Here are a couple of projects I have been working on.

Sewing machine cover. (It looks wonky in the pic...but it is actually nicely shaped.) My first time following written directions.  (I usually just make stuff up as I go along.)

The start of a quilt that I began yesterday.

Shamrock pillow front

And back....b-day gift for a very Irish friend. ;)

We will not even talk about that stupid button on the front.

I had to sew it on THREE times to get it in the PERFECT spot.

And I HATE sewing buttons.

I am not sure what my problem was, but my "lining up" skills were on the fritz today, and that button took almost as long as that darn shamrock!

~

Another wonderful thing about spending the day in the sewing room is that I can't see the disaster that the rest of my house is from there.

I am tempted to just move down there permanently.

There is a mini fridge just down the hall from that room, and a microwave, so there really is no reason why I couldn't live down there.

I may have to spend today plotting my relocation.

Holding on to Hope

If there has been one thing that has changed (quite drastically) in my life over the past year, it would be my heightened awareness and despair over the unbelievable amount of animal abuse and inhumane treatment that occurs in our country and around the world.

(Sorry....I just saw another post about the horrendous dog trade in Asia...which ignites such rage and agony in me, I can hardly function after even seeing so much as a picture of those poor babies being piled on top of each other in the cages they shove them into.)

In other words....I am sitting here in tears....wondering why there is such cruelty in the world.

~

Let me preface this by saying that I certainly don't sit around all day, and search for this information.  Nor do I attempt to make myself miserable by inundating my day with nothing but sad stories of the horrors that occur.

It's actually quite the opposite.

I look for videos of animals being rescued and saved.

I look for stories where unlikely pairs (perhaps, a kitten and a bird) end up being the best of friends.

I intentionally search out everything GOOD that I can find...because we are so surrounded by the NOT good, I feel like it has gotten completely out of control.

~

I grew up on a farm...so there were realities that I was definitely aware of.

I fell madly in love with every kitten that was born...and my heart was broken each time something happened to those cats.

And something ALWAYS happened to our cats. 

The dogs seemed to fare a bit better...but I lost several of my "best friends" through the years, as they got old, or got too close to the highway.

One day, the calf you had been bottle feeding was there...the next day, he wasn't.  It is a pretty rough reality for a sensitive girl like me.

However...I never saw any animal be mistreated.

Accidents happened...but all of our animals were loved, and treated with respect.

Silly me...I assumed that is how it was on every farm.

Of course, we just had a small farm, and we certainly weren't in it for the money.

And that is where the problem lies, right there.

MONEY.

It sickens me how the almighty dollar has become more important and more valuable than anything. 

It certainly is more important than the well-being of any living creature...because apparently they were put on this earth for humans to make a quick buck off of.

It goes beyond the animals as well.  

These mega farms are not only creating horrendous living environments for the animals, but they are also polluting and destroying the land around them.

I was reading about a pig farm that emptied the pig's waste into huge pools outside the giant barns the pigs were housed in.  Then, when the pools were full, they would spray this waste onto the fields, land and HOMES beyond these "farms".

The people living in the near-by homes, of course, were low-income, and this was the only place they could afford to live.  They had to keep their windows and doors shut because of the overwhelming stench...and, because they would get pig urine and feces sprayed INTO THEIR HOMES if they left them open.

And these big ag farmers can get away with this...and think it's OKAY to do this!!!

There is a high rate of lung related illness and disease in this area, and cancer.

Shocking. 

~

ALL IN THE NAME OF MONEY.

~

 What ever happened to farm animals frolicking happily on the grassy hillside?

Instead, they are condemned to a life inside a cage where they can't even turn around, much less breathe any fresh air or see the sun shine.

I would venture a guess that a high percentage of these animals (especially the pigs) have IQ's significantly higher than the people who are "taking care" of them....and in SO many cases, abusing them. 

It is disgusting.  It is wrong.  I lose sleep over it.

I wish I was really smart, because more than anything....I wish I could do something to CHANGE THIS!

Why aren't people harshly punished for abusing animals?

As far as I'm concerned...any monster who has the capacity to inflict harm upon an animal has the capacity to inflict harm upon another human.

In fact, I would go so far as to say, they are even WORSE for harming an animal..because they can not defend themselves.

Animal abuse should have the same punishment as child abuse.

In my eyes...it's equally as vicious.

And what should that punishment be?

An eye for an eye.

No second chances.

Anyone who is that evil doesn't deserve to see the light of day again.

~

Yes....I am standing SO high up on my soap box today.

I spent a lot of time thinking about all of this over the past couple of days...and I think my frustration with the state of our world right now is why I choose to just keep myself wrapped in the safety of my house.

No one is getting hurt here.  The animals are spoiled rotten and loved beyond measure here.  The kids are respectful, and are fun to be around...and they know they have two parents who would die for them.

Money is not important here.

We make sure we have enough to pay the bills...and we hope that we can get our kids through college, and MAYBE someday we will be able to retire...but money will NEVER be our driving force.  We view it as a necessity...like food, I guess....but not as a motivator.  Sure, it would be great to never have to worry about finances...but I would rather live a simpler, less frivolous life, rather than miss out on life because I was too busy trying to get rich.  Or compromising my values, because I didn't think I could be happy until I had a bundle in the bank.

~

When I look around me...I see so many people who are so GOOD.  So many friends and families that give me so much hope for the future.

It's the big picture that is scary.  

Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to just stay in my little bubble of ignorance....better to not be aware of all of the horrible things that are taking place every single day.

However, if I did that....how could I ever change anything?  Even if I can't make a huge impact...maybe just bringing awareness to enough people can start a ripple that will eventually turn into a wave.

Someone has to be the voice for those who can't speak for themselves, right?

So, even though it rips my heart into a million pieces every time I read about it or force myself to look at pictures....I am going to keep educating myself, when it comes to the truth about what is really happening to these animals. They have done nothing to deserve their fate, and can only hope that there are people out there who will find a way to end their suffering.

I know that if the tables were turned, I would sure hope that someone out there was trying to help me.

~

I promise I will watch something funny and happy before I start to write tomorrow's blog!

Time to Dream

I'm baaaack!

This past week felt like a month.

I have no idea why, but it did.  

I am sure you are just dying to know what exciting things I did during my hiatus.

Well, like I said in my previous post, I decided to get in shape.

Phew....that was a lot of work.

I'm so glad that my torso finally stretched out too.

It's amazing what a treadmill can do.

;)

Actually....I figure that no matter how much I exercise or how well I eat, I will never own a set of abs like that.  I could weigh 90 pounds, and still have a tire.  Why?  Because my torso is 5 inches to short.

If you would chop of her ^torso between where her elbows are and just above her belly button...and glue the two pieces back together...that's about what I've got.

I can look okay standing up...but once I sit down, my chest and hips are instantly attached.

One would think that with all of the advances in plastic surgery, that they would have figured out how to make a "torso extender" by now...wouldn't you?

I realize the spine is a tricky thing....but I'm sure mine would be happy to be stretched and straightened!

~

I believe that I mentioned that fact that our heat source was in peril before my hiatus.  Well....we enjoyed an entire week of a perfectly brisk house before the repair could be made.  (Maybe that's why it felt like a month?)

Fortunately, we tried a different company this time, and rather than just charging us a ton to patch the problem, they actually replaced the entire system that had been failing year after year.

I'm not looking forward to that bill...but it will definitely pay for itself, considering what we have been shelling out for the past 4 years to get the stupid things repeatedly worked on.

~

During my week of chilly self-pity (let's face it....I was in the dumps, and that's why I needed a week off.) I was sitting on my couch waiting for the arrival of the heat-fixer-guy.

There was a knock at the door....but to my surprise, it was a woman.

This threw me for a moment, because I didn't expect the heating guy to be an attractive, perfectly put together gal.

(I have a wreath on the door....and it happens to STILL be my Christmas wreath.  Along with all of my Christmas decor that is still gracing my front stoop.  I suppose I should deal with that at some point.) Anyway, the wreath was impeding my ability to clearly see who it was...but when I opened the door, I was very surprised to see a very sweet woman whom I'd only met a year ago, and most of our relationship has been via Facebook and this blog.

Immediately, something very interesting happened.

My chihuahua Riley, ALWAYS barks and goes slightly apeshit whenever someone comes to the door.  Especially someone he has never met before.

He typically goes through a ritual of "I am a ferocious guard dog, and I'm going to attack you...and then, after you pet me, we can be best friends."

However, this time...he quieted, and was docile.

(I ALWAYS pick him up, and "introduce" him that way....or he might try to taste your ankle as way to acquaint himself.)

There was no need to pick him up, because obviously....the dog whisperer had arrived.

The reason for this visit?  To bring me the sweetest care package EVER.

Inside the most beautiful bag (that she had made) were my now two most favorite things.

1. A giant rice pack....that covers my entire lap or shoulders (or lower back, or crampy tummy)....or whatever needs some heating or cooling.

And this book:

First of all....how can you not fall in love with a pig named Christopher Hogwood?

It was the perfect remedy for a girl suffering the winter blues, with a mind altering case of PMS to top it off.

As I finished the last chapter (last night in bed) I literally sobbed....you know, that "I am crying so hard I can't breath, and maybe will never be able to breath freely through my nose again" kind of sobbing...for a good 20 minutes.

Because, as all good animal books go....the star of the show eventually does get old and goes to hog heaven.

If you want to read a wonderful story....the author is quite amazing herself, as she has traveled the world, researching wild animals and their habitats her entire adult life. (She and her husband are both writers) And, if you want to fall madly in love with a 700lb. pig who loves his belly scratched, opens his mouth when visitors stop by and offer him treats, and is picky, as he makes sure to choose the strawberries and other favorites from his "slop" first, and refuses to eat onions and citrus peels, you need to read this book.

~

It was interesting to me, because the author talked a lot about the fact that she always related to animals better than she did to humans.  She never had kids, because she never felt that maternal urge, nor did she know what to do with them.  Her animals were her babies.  (Ironically, Christopher, her pig, is what brought children, and many now close friends into her life.)

I bring this up, because for quite awhile now, I feel most content when I am home with my dogs. 

 I have no desire to go out and be around a lot of people.

It is such a change in me, because I used to thrive on the chaos and excitement of a crowd.  Now, I avoid it at all cost.

I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing.

I am glad that I can feel so content being alone, and being at home.

I used to have a really hard time with that.  I would get really anxious, and feel like I always had to be doing something, or needed to have someone else around.  I would go crazy if Mark was gone too much.

Now, I love being alone.  I love the quiet.

Part of me worries, however, that I have shut myself off from everything.

That I am missing out on life because I have closed down myself socially.

I also worry that I'm not "doing anything with my life."

I have "jobs" but I don't really feel like I have a purpose I guess?

I used to be a lot more excited, more driven, and had lots of ideas when it came to things I wanted to do.

Now....I have no idea.

I feel kind of stuck.

Spring can't come soon enough.

It's time to re-boot....to create some new habits, and to start conjuring up some new dreams.

That is something I haven't done in a long time.

Dream.

Soul Re-Boot

The past few days have been a mix of super busy and super emotional.

I am sure the super busy...which leads to "super tired...super hungry...super headache" could definitely be part of the reason for the "super emotional."

~

On Friday, I decided we were going to go see a movie.  I didn't want something  violent (sorry American Sniper) or depressing (sorry I'm Still Alice) so I watched the trailer for McFarland, USA.  And I started bawling.  (Happy tears.)

That was an excellent choice.  SOOOO good, so uplifting, but it really did a number on my already emotional state.

~

Saturday was a full day of solo/ensemble, followed up by the "Beth and Jaine show" at church.  Good Lord, we can not get through a Mass without something ridiculous happening.  This weekend, it was me...unable to play the intro to the psalm in the correct key.

Then, during our lovely communion meditation, Jaine got a little turned around in her music during the 4th verse. (In her defense, this song was really screwy....and the verses were not lined up logically at all.) So, she sang the entire verse, trying to read my lips in an attempt to sing the correct words, while flipping through her music frantically.)  It was hilarious.

Considering we had just learned the piece 40 minutes earlier, and had only ever sung through it twice, it went pretty well....even with the lip reading. ;)

~

However, I was ready to keel over from an excruciating headache during the entire Mass....and it didn't let up until about 4 hours later.

This did not help with my over tired, over hungry emotional state.

Lexie grabbed up some Chinese take-out...and that DID help.

~

Sunday proved to be an all out crappy day from the start.

It was just an emotionally driven day of misinterpreted "tone of voice" and negative body language between Mark and I.

You know, one of those days where you are feeling tired, a little sad and unappreciated, and he reads it as "She is mad at me for NO reason!" and in turn, gives you the cold shoulder?  Yeah...one of those fun days.

Anyway.  

Earlier this month, I was thinking to myself "wouldn't it be nice to just have a week of NOTHING?"

Well, I have come to the conclusion that it is no longer nice, but necessary.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to have an actual week of nothing, but I have decided to take this last week of February, and pare down my responsibilities and activities as much as possible.

I need to do a little soul searching, a little catching up around the house, a little emotional "tune-up" for myself.  I have been running on fumes lately, and just need to re-fill.

So...I will be taking this week off from writing.

Even though this is an activity I really enjoy...it is also pretty time consuming.

I am going to use the time I typically dedicate to the blog and do something totally selfish, yet good for me.  Maybe hit the treadmill (that is getting VERY dusty.)  Maybe some time at the piano (if I can stand how out of tune it is right now!) Maybe I will finally figure out what I'm giving up/taking on for Lent?!!

Hey...since you won't have this to read for the next few days...maybe you could

find something productive to do as well?!

Of course, it probably only takes you about 3 minutes to read this thing....so I guess you could make some toast?

~

This will be a good experiment.  I always have had this crazy fear that if I didn't write for a day or two...I would lose all my readers, and the blog would die.

Well...I guess we will find out!

See you in March!!