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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Productive Day

Dan's away in St Louis visiting his dad's family for the weekend, so I'm keeping busy in the old homestead.







Today I completed the following:


  • Purchased new storage drawers for my craft supplies
  • Sorted through all my craft supplies 
  • Put craft supplies in drawers
  • Went through the Christmas stuff in the attic and put all of it in the box that previously held my craft supplies
  • Rescued a baby bird from the attic (seriously, how do they get in there?) 
  • Posted a dartboard and dog crate from the attic on Craigslist
  • Swept and vacuumed all the floors
  • Washed two loads of laundry and folded a third

I still have to wash the dishes from last night (whoopsie), get a shower and get dressed for my friend's birthday dinner. We're going downtown to Monk's, which is a really great pub and restaurant. Poor Danny, missing out on Monk's Belgian beers. 


(I tried to link this back to the restaurant website, since it's not my picture, but it didn't work. Check out www.monkscafe.com)

Tomorrow afternoon I'm hoping to assemble another shelving unit for the Christmas (and other seasonal) stuff in the attic and get everything on the shelves. I'm also hoping to give an old dresser over to a happy new owner. 


Busy weekend! 

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Currently...

I have seen a number of blogs participate in the "currently" series, and I am jumping on that bandwagon.


Because I can.


Also because I don't have anything major to say.



Currently....


Watching: Season 2 of The Office. Yep, I'm awesome like that. I think Season 2 might be my favorite, there are just so many good episodes. Also, the show got really weird after season 4 or so.


Anticipating: My half-day tomorrow. I'm having a psoriasis flare up, so I'm going to the dermatologist and that means I'm taking a half-day. Believe me when I say I'm ready for a break from the kiddos at school. They are adorable. And exhausting.


Waiting: Dan went to NYC with a friend today to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman (!) in Death of a Salesman. Sosososo jealous. They got a snack before they got on the ferry to come home, but they decided to eat dinner downtown and they're gonna pick me up on the way. Normally I wouldn't be party to such extravagant excitement on a school night, but again, half-day tomorrow.


Loving: this blog. She is so funny and clever and honest. Also her son is adorable.


Trying: I have two main goals right now: one, stay on track with my eating and exercise plan (I'm not calling it a diet because I still eat mostly whatever I want, but I try to fill myself up on nutrient-heavy foods and I'm monitoring my portions closely) and two, find some new books to read. My love in Louisiana gave me a couple titles last night, but if you have others, let me know.


Annnd that's really about it. I've been really tired lately, but I'm hoping that getting back into some exercise and sleeping more (duh) will help.


Yeah, I'm clearly a rocket scientist.


Sunday, May 13, 2012

To the Mothers in My Life

Mother's Day is upon us.


That momentous day when mothers everywhere are showered with love, gifts, flowers, meals, etc, etc.


And they more than deserve it.





Who else showers me with love every single day of my life?


Who has given me more gifts than I could ever ask for--from my curly hair, to my library, to my sense of humor, to my very life?


Who taught me not only to appreciate flowers (and the men who give them!), but to actually grow them in my garden and share them with the world?


Who invited me into the kitchen, even when my chicken nuggets and chocolate chip cookies left an enormous mess for her to clean up?





It's true, Mother's Day is something of a Hallmark holiday. Kids and husbands worry about finding that perfect gift to repay their moms (and wives...an irony that still amazes me!). The books we read in my class about Mother's Day were all about the children freaking out because they didn't have the money/resources/creativity to come up with the perfect present for Mother's Day.


But to me, Mother's Day is more about (should be about?) reflecting on all the things my mother has done for me, and attempting, in some small way, to demonstrate that appreciation.


Our limitations in that arena are, I suppose, the reason we resort to diamonds and fancy restaurants.





I, however, cannot handle diamonds and fancy restaurants. So here's my shot.


To my mom:
I love you. You are the single most influential person in my life. You have taught me who to be, and who not to be. You have stood by and gently hoped, never pushed or shoved, me into who I should be.  You loved me through all my ups and downs, encouraged me when I found a man I loved, and never gave up on me. You are one person I can tell pretty much anything. No matter what happens, what circumstances we stumble through, I will always love you and want you to be a part of my life. And it will always amaze me how many times a day I realize that I look/sound/think like you.


To my mother-in-law:
I love you too! You have shown me so many ways to be a gentle and loving wife; you have raised this wonderful boy into a man for me to love. You welcomed me into your home when I most needed it, and cared for me without a thought. I will always wonder at and appreciate your willingness to serve without glory or recompense. Thank you for being my mother-in-law.


There are other women out there who have served as mothers in some capacity to me (Nancy, Sue, Tricia, Ginny) and I will cherish the lessons I learned from you. Patience, communication, laughter, diplomacy, friendship. So much more.



To moms everywhere. We love you!