On Happiness

"To be a true a true minister to men is always to accept new happiness and new distress...The man who gives himself to others can never be a wholly sad man; but no more can he be a man of unclouded gladness. To him shall come with every deeper consecration a before untasted joy, but in the same cup shall be mixed a sorrow that was beyond his power to feel before."

Don't know where it's from, but I found it and I like it. Sound familiar to anyone else?

Daddy's Girl

Yep, I'm a Daddy's girl.


Deal with it!!


I'm pretty sure I've been a daddy's girl since the start. As long as I can remember, my dad has been someone that I could talk to, hang out with, and depend on; he taught me things nobody else taught me, everything from baseball to using a power drill.


As one such daddy's girl, I am very proud of my dad. I love him to death, and no matter what happens in my life or our relationship, I will never stop being grateful that he's my dad.


I'm here today to share my proudest moment of my dad.


Now, I have lots of reasons to be proud of my dad. He hasn't had an easy time of it; he's dealt with his share of sorrows, troubles, and bad turns.


I am proud of my dad for raising three kids, for building us bunk beds and teaching us how to use our computers.


I am proud of my dad for supporting us through years of homeschooling, for coming from a long day's work to a frustrated child at the kitchen table, and taking the time to sit with us an explain our math (something that still eludes me, despite his best efforts and good teaching!).


I am proud of my dad for teaching us to cook, and to be creative in the kitchen. A recipe is still something my dad doesn't use, and his cooking is delicious.


I am proud of my dad for beating cancer and sticking with us.


I am proud of my dad for dealing with an incredibly difficult decision, for accepting assistance with grace, for caring for four people (and three dogs) through a long, hard transition across the country, and for still taking the time to visit me when he's in the area (and "in the area" to my dad means Pittsburgh--now that's dedication!).


But my proudest moment of my dad has very little to do with all of this. He's clearly an amazing man, and a great father. But my proudest moment came just a few months ago.


This is the first time I've mentioned this on this blog (which is mostly ridiculous, because the only people who read this already know), but my parents are getting divorced. It was not a mutual decision, and it's been a very painful time for all of us, and a time of big transitions.


My proudest moment of my dad came when we were talking through what was happening, and my dad was expressing his great hurt and anger at the situation. After a while, I asked if he was thinking of starting to go back to church, and he answered "I already did start going to church."


Tears filled my eyes.


This littlest comment, this small detail of his life, was the most relieving and hopeful remark I had heard for the entire phone call. My dad was strong enough, not just to deal with this, but to come out a better person on the other side. If my dad was going to cling to his Savior in this time, and connect himself with a loving, supportive, church body, he could do this. He is going to be just fine.


I am so proud of my dad for choosing to rebuild his life in this way. I am proud of my dad for staying true to the beliefs he has taught me since childhood. I am proud of my dad for being strong enough to choose what is right.


For all these reasons, and many more, I will always call myself, with pride, a daddy's girl.

Summer!

Today I found this blog, which is totally awesome. I love that school lunches are getting so much attention these days, because I think we can accomplish some wonderful things with our children, like teaching them moderation, healthy choices, and how to enjoy food.


(Of course, some "wellness policies" take this much too far in the opposite extreme, where we are only allowed to munch on carrot sticks and pretzels to celebrate birthdays in school.)


(And I'm saying this as someone who likes carrots and pretzels.)


Anyways, I think she might have to adapt her blog soon because of some new policies at her school, but it's still very cool. And I love that a 9-year-old is being encouraged to write like that.


Today was also something wonderful....


THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!


*insert wild cheers and large margaritas*


Yes, even though I'll be teaching the summer school program for our multiple disabilities class, I still consider this summer vacation. I always work in the summer. It's what I do.


Since it's summer, I'm hoping to tackle a few projects; simple, fun things that will entertain me and hopefully be useful in making my apartment look nice. I'll be posting pictures of things (we hope) as they happen, but here are a few ideas:

Trace a print onto the glass of a picture frame with a white sharpie, then back with colored paper. 

Liz will have to help me with this one, but the pattern is so simple!

This is like, the easiest craft ever--put some pretty paper in a picture frame and add handles to the front of the frame. Instant decorative tray! You could even use it for breakfast in bed, and the glass would wipe up easily from spills. 

Reusable bags, taken to a whole new level--transform old t-shirts into bags! 

So it'll be a busy summer--these, coupled with what I hope will be plentiful walks in the sunshine with Lily, half-day summer school for four weeks, a trip to California, and a couple cases with my old job.

N.B. - all these pictures and ideas were found on Pinterest. Just sayin'. 

Yay summer!

Green things in the Ground

Gardening is so satisfying.

Bean plant (that I didn't intend to buy, but is doing well anyway)

Four pepper plants, picked by Peter Piper personally. 

Cucumbers that are finally flourishing. 

Pea plants, taller than I am, and yielding the sweetest, crunchiest delights. 

Four tomato plants, two Roma and two cherry. Homemade bruschetta in the making.

Pretty little yellow flower that will become a sweet, juicy tomato. 

One of the most satisfying things about gardening is that it requires so much patience. In March I turned over the soil in my garden, mixed in some mulch, and started seeds in peat pots onto my windowsill. 

In April I hesitantly put my tender little peas and cucumbers in the ground, and seeded some lettuce right into the garden. A couple weeks later I bought the rest of my plants and put them in. 

Now, in the beginning of June, it's starting to look like a real garden, big and green and leafy, and we are immensely enjoying the produce. 

The waiting reminds me that good things do not always happen right away. It takes time, and slow, steady effort. I can't always see the results in real time, but when I stand back and remember how it used to be, I see that I am indeed making progress. 

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! 

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.

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!