A few things to update on. I caved to the sophmore slump and did not finish my nano novel this year. After ditching my first 15,000 words and starting over I did come up with 15,000 words that I really liked.
My mood picked up after a short cry in the shower. I thought about why I was really feeling bad. It did not take me long to admit that I felt I had handled a situation in which Drama Queen ended up in jail badly. After thinking it over I do feel I made the second best choice and would do it differently if I had a chance, but the the results have been over all positive. She has been really trying to quit drinking, even attending those dreaded (by her) meetings. The bad side is she absolutely refuses to live here near her family. It is amazing how much better it felt to admit to myself that I made a mistake, but had learned a lesson about myself and my family.
That fall to do list is not going to get done. A few closets have been cleaned out as have my kitchen cabinets. I have hung the curtains in my bedroom. The material for the living room curtains has been bought. I could not find any I liked for the price I was willing to pay, but I am going to try and replicate a set of the more expensive ones. To Dh and the kids relief I did buy some of those temporary shades, the paper ones to replace the blankets. My brother in law called me the day I put them up and asked If I had to take down my other curtains because the we were getting cold. Smartass.
I have been following the group of people who pledged to buy nothing new for a whole year. While I know I could never do anything so drastic, I do like the thought behind it. Some days I feel we are being over run by junk we buy. I do compost and recycle and try building most of my outdoor projects with materials on hand, but still I buy way too much. As far as the five kids are concerned I will still support capitalism on a grand scale this year. Over the years I have made a list of things I will not buy, mostly for economic reasons though. Remote control vehicles never last long enough to justify the amount of money I spend on them. Any toys requiring batteries that aren't rechargable. I just never keep that many batteries in the house so they don't get used for their intented purposes for long. Then I find them a year later broke with that white gunk spreading out of the battery case.
For the adults this year I am going to try to make most of the gifts. I had no idea what to do for Dh until I walked into his office at work and noticed the trash bags he had taped over one of his windows to block the sun. Last night the kids and I made him some curtains out of left over material I had. They are nothing grand, but quite a bit better than a trash bag.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Santa days
Every year our school has what we call Santa day. On the last day of school before Christmas break they dismiss at 12:30. If not the whole town then damn near the whole town meets in the gym. We have drawings for free turkeys, hay scrambles, the band plays Christmas songs, and yes Santa shows up. The School takes donations to give all of the senior citizens silver dollars and all of the students a gift. It also a good time for organizations or people raising money to have a raffle. Lee and I decided to raffle off two afgans for his trip. Santa day was last Friday. On Wednesday I bought some yarn. I had one afgan done, but not two. The first one was a Queen size, but I was only going to make the second one a throw. I worked Thursday, and as I was locking up Jason called me and told me he had volunteered me to make cookies for his class party the next day. That was also the night of the christmas program. Lane and Princess were elfs.
Around midnight I sat down to crochet. At five-thirty I was too tired to continue. I had little over a half done and had watched over five hours of BBC. I crawled to bed and slept until the alarm woke me at seven. Amazingly I felt refreshed, and like Madonna, had a newly acquired English accent. By ten thirty that morning I was finished. My long night paid off. Lee earned over two hundred dollars for his trip. As a bonus he had talked to several people who offered to pay him for odd jobs. One of the older ladies in town told him that if he was a bit short when the time drew near to come talk to her. His morale was way up. I was proud of him because that whole day was way out of his comfort zone, both of ours really.
Around midnight I sat down to crochet. At five-thirty I was too tired to continue. I had little over a half done and had watched over five hours of BBC. I crawled to bed and slept until the alarm woke me at seven. Amazingly I felt refreshed, and like Madonna, had a newly acquired English accent. By ten thirty that morning I was finished. My long night paid off. Lee earned over two hundred dollars for his trip. As a bonus he had talked to several people who offered to pay him for odd jobs. One of the older ladies in town told him that if he was a bit short when the time drew near to come talk to her. His morale was way up. I was proud of him because that whole day was way out of his comfort zone, both of ours really.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
A Picture!
Yeah! I finally tried to post a picture. This is Huggy Bear and she is very cuddly. Her mom sent her dressed in the cute pink, the too large black accessories I added. Her yard never seems to look more like a construction site than a yard either. Like most sisters we are so different yet so much alike.I feel like I need to watch a Riding in Cars With Boys again. Who knows why one movie will affect one person dramatically and not another. Two of my friends have watched it and their thoughts were "meh, it was okay." My brother really liked it, brought it to me and I cried all the way through it. Not just tearing up, actual crying. It got so bad my brother apologized for bringing it. I want to watch it again and I hope it still works it's magic.
Like everybody my life has rough patches and I am one of those stoic people who may feel bad when alone, but laugh my way through it in company. Twice though in the last week I have felt myself on the verge of tears in very public places. Lately I have become one large exposed nerve.
Large because I have quit walking my three miles a night and have put on almost twenty pounds since September. That could partly explain my lack of composure too. It is easy to handle almost anything if you know you are going to have some time in the moonlight to think it over. Instead I may have to settle for a good cry.
I had sat down here today and planned to tell the story about why Drama Queen is back in Wichita and why Princess and Curly Top are with me. Every time I try to write it though it comes out as a bunch of melodramatic blah blah blah. So let's just say she is battling her demons and I am trying to help, while constantly feeling guilty because she got more than her fair share of demons while I escaped with so few. It is hard watching someone you love struggle. The hardest part is not knowing how much to help or how much space to give.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
trip
I'm heading to Wichita to drop the Drama Queen off. There is a story behind this trip, but I don't have time to tell it now. Miss Universe is going with me so we are taking Huggy Bear and Curly Top. This should be a fun day. I am thankful for Sirius radio, because the radio stations in this area are sub par.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Thanksgiving is over and Christmas begins. We put our tree up on Friday, but still have not added any decorations to it other than white lights and an angel for the top. Curly top, who is living with her mom and grandma, told them that today that she wanted to come over to my house because it is Christmas here but not at there house yet. (They haven't put up a tree)
Being an opinionated person it is odd when I realize there are some things I haven't made up my mind about yet. I was walking home from work a little after five yesterday afternoon. Looking up I saw a beautiful silver half-moon in the middle of the sky. The sun was a bright orange disk four fingers above the western horizon. Together with the bare trees against the blue sky they made a breath taking picture. I was crunching leaves under my feet as I walked and thought "I love the earth." my mind made an unexpected turn and thought "I wonder if animals ever stop and think that or if that is what sets humans apart? Do fleas ever stop and think I love this dog?" At this point I was reminded of a cartoon I loved as a child. There was a flea holding a sign that said 'the end of the dog is coming' I thought, "how odd it would be to live on a world that really does have an ending point like a dog." Sunday school lessons ran through my head."Oh crap." I thought "I am supposed to believe the world is ending."I know as a christian I should believe the world as we know will end someday. Although the Bible does not say the world will be destroyed it mentions a second heaven coming down to a second earth. So even Bible literalists should not expect the world to be completely destroyed. What do I think though? I do not know. I love Anne Lamott's book Travelling Mercies; Some thoughts of Faith. At one point in it she is sitting by a man on a plane who is reading a book from the Left Behind series. He asks if she is a believer and she answers something to the effect that she is not that type of a christian. I don't know that I buy the whole armageddon theory. My thoughts about God always center on love and acceptance. Who could respect a god who would torture good people for eternity simply because they do not believe in him? My mind is still in a muddle about it. Maybe I don't have to decide, it won't really affect the outcome now will it?
Being an opinionated person it is odd when I realize there are some things I haven't made up my mind about yet. I was walking home from work a little after five yesterday afternoon. Looking up I saw a beautiful silver half-moon in the middle of the sky. The sun was a bright orange disk four fingers above the western horizon. Together with the bare trees against the blue sky they made a breath taking picture. I was crunching leaves under my feet as I walked and thought "I love the earth." my mind made an unexpected turn and thought "I wonder if animals ever stop and think that or if that is what sets humans apart? Do fleas ever stop and think I love this dog?" At this point I was reminded of a cartoon I loved as a child. There was a flea holding a sign that said 'the end of the dog is coming' I thought, "how odd it would be to live on a world that really does have an ending point like a dog." Sunday school lessons ran through my head."Oh crap." I thought "I am supposed to believe the world is ending."I know as a christian I should believe the world as we know will end someday. Although the Bible does not say the world will be destroyed it mentions a second heaven coming down to a second earth. So even Bible literalists should not expect the world to be completely destroyed. What do I think though? I do not know. I love Anne Lamott's book Travelling Mercies; Some thoughts of Faith. At one point in it she is sitting by a man on a plane who is reading a book from the Left Behind series. He asks if she is a believer and she answers something to the effect that she is not that type of a christian. I don't know that I buy the whole armageddon theory. My thoughts about God always center on love and acceptance. Who could respect a god who would torture good people for eternity simply because they do not believe in him? My mind is still in a muddle about it. Maybe I don't have to decide, it won't really affect the outcome now will it?
Fundraisers and stay-at-home mothers.
Where to start...
If I didn't have so many thoughts about myself to post I would a do a what I'm thankful for post. I am reserving the right to do one in the future. I just sent in my Lee's application for a Lead America conference. If everything goes right I am committing to come up with $5,254 to send him to study abroad in Europe for two weeks. That is very scary, especially since he was pre-accepted and sent an invitation.
I made a decision years ago to be a stay-at-home mom. Like most women I knew that this would have it's benefits and it's drawbacks. The major benefits have been that I was able to enjoy watching my children grow everyday. I breastfed without the hassle of a pump. I was one of the few parents in the nearly empty row of seats when the school had an award program in the middle of the day. Not once have I regretted the decision. Even now if I could do it over I would not change that. (There are plenty of things I would change though-that crazy perm in '93 for one)
Today though I am facing one of the drawbacks. Opportunities cost money. Financially things would have been less tight with another full time income. Over the years I have had several part time jobs. For seven years I ran an in home daycare. Now that is a job with a major burn out factor. I do work part time now and am very lucky to be able to commit most of my income to this project. While thinking about this problem tonight I have admitted to myself one thing that I would not have been brave enough to admit three years ago.
I have tried to never critcize a mother for making a different decision than I have. All families are the different, as are all people. I donated free childcare to two of my sisters so they could go to school and become working mothers. They made the right decisions for themselves and their families. I respect that. Even with this respect for working mothers it has only been in the last few years that I have broached the subject that I did not make my decision only because it was what I thought was best for my kids but also because of my inability to be a working mother.
On some dirty diaper changing afternoons I daydreamed about being at the office ready to pick my boys up. They would run out to meet me full of smiles. Making it look easy, I would balance everything beautifully. My pump would be in the car full of healthy breastmilk. Supper would be in the crockpot. Of course I could do it. I just chose not to.
It takes a special kind of person to balance a full time job and children. I know now that I am not one of those special people. I have had two different opportunities to play at working full time lately. Those two times have taught me that I do not have the energy to handle both a career and my family. Either my children or my job would have suffered, maybe both. That is humbling to think about.
Back to Lee's trip. The two of us are brainstorming about ways to raise part of the money. Any creative ideas?
If I didn't have so many thoughts about myself to post I would a do a what I'm thankful for post. I am reserving the right to do one in the future. I just sent in my Lee's application for a Lead America conference. If everything goes right I am committing to come up with $5,254 to send him to study abroad in Europe for two weeks. That is very scary, especially since he was pre-accepted and sent an invitation.
I made a decision years ago to be a stay-at-home mom. Like most women I knew that this would have it's benefits and it's drawbacks. The major benefits have been that I was able to enjoy watching my children grow everyday. I breastfed without the hassle of a pump. I was one of the few parents in the nearly empty row of seats when the school had an award program in the middle of the day. Not once have I regretted the decision. Even now if I could do it over I would not change that. (There are plenty of things I would change though-that crazy perm in '93 for one)
Today though I am facing one of the drawbacks. Opportunities cost money. Financially things would have been less tight with another full time income. Over the years I have had several part time jobs. For seven years I ran an in home daycare. Now that is a job with a major burn out factor. I do work part time now and am very lucky to be able to commit most of my income to this project. While thinking about this problem tonight I have admitted to myself one thing that I would not have been brave enough to admit three years ago.
I have tried to never critcize a mother for making a different decision than I have. All families are the different, as are all people. I donated free childcare to two of my sisters so they could go to school and become working mothers. They made the right decisions for themselves and their families. I respect that. Even with this respect for working mothers it has only been in the last few years that I have broached the subject that I did not make my decision only because it was what I thought was best for my kids but also because of my inability to be a working mother.
On some dirty diaper changing afternoons I daydreamed about being at the office ready to pick my boys up. They would run out to meet me full of smiles. Making it look easy, I would balance everything beautifully. My pump would be in the car full of healthy breastmilk. Supper would be in the crockpot. Of course I could do it. I just chose not to.
It takes a special kind of person to balance a full time job and children. I know now that I am not one of those special people. I have had two different opportunities to play at working full time lately. Those two times have taught me that I do not have the energy to handle both a career and my family. Either my children or my job would have suffered, maybe both. That is humbling to think about.
Back to Lee's trip. The two of us are brainstorming about ways to raise part of the money. Any creative ideas?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Life is hectic
Between Sunday and Thursday of last week I drove 1,005 miles. Never have I been one of those people who loves to drive, not even as a teenager. The pasenger seat is just fine for me. Driving that many miles you would have thought I went somewhere grand. No, everday I was never more than 240 miles away from home. I just made a trip everyday to a different spot in Kansas. On Saturday we went to Woodward, OK. To visit dh's family for the holiday. Thankfully I did not have to drive.
My nano novel is way behind, I have almost resigned to not finishing this year. A small part of me is holding out hope, but that part of me is crazy. I am at 14,368 words and have nine days to get to 50,00. My house is also trashed and needs to be cleaned by Thansgiving. I am going to keep going on it to see how far I get, but I don't think it is going to happen this year.
This year I decided I would not run the Skating Rink. That is one decision I have not been regretting. Every Friday night I smile knowing I don't have to make chili and go supervise a mob of children. One high school boy made me feel good yesterday though. I was talking to a friend who teaches at the high school during her free period and did not make my escape before the next class arrived. He walked in and said he was upset with me. Of course I inquired about why. It was because I had quit and now the current manager was not near as good as I was. Ahhh. Not working though, I love having me weekends back.
I entertained myself with a dilema all week only to find out there was no dilema. A job for city clerk opened up in town. I applied because this was a part time job with insurance, which neither of my current jobs have. The only drawback is that I really like the job I would have to quit to make this one work. I have some issues with my boss, but they aren't that big of a deal. Also the room for advancement is greater at the job I would have to quit. I applied then found out they had changed the job description and now it was less hours and no benifits. I was happy they did not choose me because I would have felt bad telling them thanks, but no thanks.
Has anyone else switched over to the new blog format? I almost did but wanted to find out what kind of results everybody else was getting.
My nano novel is way behind, I have almost resigned to not finishing this year. A small part of me is holding out hope, but that part of me is crazy. I am at 14,368 words and have nine days to get to 50,00. My house is also trashed and needs to be cleaned by Thansgiving. I am going to keep going on it to see how far I get, but I don't think it is going to happen this year.
This year I decided I would not run the Skating Rink. That is one decision I have not been regretting. Every Friday night I smile knowing I don't have to make chili and go supervise a mob of children. One high school boy made me feel good yesterday though. I was talking to a friend who teaches at the high school during her free period and did not make my escape before the next class arrived. He walked in and said he was upset with me. Of course I inquired about why. It was because I had quit and now the current manager was not near as good as I was. Ahhh. Not working though, I love having me weekends back.
I entertained myself with a dilema all week only to find out there was no dilema. A job for city clerk opened up in town. I applied because this was a part time job with insurance, which neither of my current jobs have. The only drawback is that I really like the job I would have to quit to make this one work. I have some issues with my boss, but they aren't that big of a deal. Also the room for advancement is greater at the job I would have to quit. I applied then found out they had changed the job description and now it was less hours and no benifits. I was happy they did not choose me because I would have felt bad telling them thanks, but no thanks.
Has anyone else switched over to the new blog format? I almost did but wanted to find out what kind of results everybody else was getting.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
more randomness
The idea of a cohesive post on one subject is gone for now.
I lost a post again yesterday because of the spell check problem. I knew I shouldn't have tried again, but those little things like the missing t on thought a few posts back drive me crazy. Obviously I suck at proof reading.
Talked to my sister yesterday. I am cofident she has given up pot for the baby. She has been being so good giving up cigarettes and pop for the kid so I was shocked to hear her remark on pot. She has given that up too.
I am starting to get excited about Christmas. Some years it doesn't hit me until the twentieth of
December. Not this year. I aready have my Celtic Carols cd playing.
My nano novel is way behind. I'm at 9,768 words. To be on schedule I need to be at 15,003 by tonight. Yikes, that is 5235 words.
Is randomness a word?
I lost a post again yesterday because of the spell check problem. I knew I shouldn't have tried again, but those little things like the missing t on thought a few posts back drive me crazy. Obviously I suck at proof reading.
Talked to my sister yesterday. I am cofident she has given up pot for the baby. She has been being so good giving up cigarettes and pop for the kid so I was shocked to hear her remark on pot. She has given that up too.
I am starting to get excited about Christmas. Some years it doesn't hit me until the twentieth of
December. Not this year. I aready have my Celtic Carols cd playing.
My nano novel is way behind. I'm at 9,768 words. To be on schedule I need to be at 15,003 by tonight. Yikes, that is 5235 words.
Is randomness a word?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
20 things to get before your 40.
I just picked my jaw up off of the floor. My sister and her boyfriend believe that smoking pot while pregnant does not harm the baby and is actually good for circulation. Now I have not researched this so my uninformed opinion is WTF? Non-pregnant people smoke all of the pot you want, but when you are pregnant take a nine month break.
Shopping for curtains yesterday blew. I wanted roman shades, there were none. Much to family's distress I am waiting to buy any until I visit an urban area with more selection. I did however get a new sofa off of lay-a-way. Never in my life have I been able to buy a new sofa. So when I did finally get to go shopping for one two months ago I went a little crazy. One, a modern looking olive green sectional, was brought straight home. The more victorian cream one with a paisley pattern had to wait. These two do not match at all, but I loved the cream one and the green one was sensible. I am just hoping they learn to play nice in there together.
Msn has a list 20 things to get before your forty. What the heck, I'll be forty in a seven years, so I read it. What crap. Who put this together, high end retailers? A good cause and a mammogram were the only two I agreed with. So what would my list look like? I have not put much thought into this yet so it may get revised, but here we go.
1. Mammogram-breast cancer is not something to play around with.
2. A good cause-At least one, remember we are changing the world.
3. One good feminsist book-you don't have to agree with every word just read it.
4. A nice set of sheets-we spend more time in our beds than in clothes.
5. A sport-Physical fitness is easier to stick to if it is fun.
6. Friends-You can't have too many.
7. Some time alone-Learn to enjoy your own company.
8. Recipes-Have a couple of foolproof recipes to impress your friends.
9. A hobby-find something you love to do just for yourself.
10.A nest egg-Let's not work forever.
11.A foriegn language-Your never too old to learn
12.A sense of humor- Life is just going to get funnier, learn to laugh at it.
13.A healthier eating plan-Fiber anyone?
14.An herb garden-They can be peaceful, playful, or just functional.
15.Comfortable shoes-Don't torture your feet for fashion.
16.A reliable car-By this age we deserve it.
17.Get rid of one fear-Experience the thrill of conquering a fear.
18.A good mixed cd-To cheer you up on the harder days.
19.Better family relationships-It is time to let the past go, work things out.
20.Love-A pet, a child, a friend, a mate, yourself, a houseplant, love something unconditionally
That was harder than I expected. 21-help making lists.
Shopping for curtains yesterday blew. I wanted roman shades, there were none. Much to family's distress I am waiting to buy any until I visit an urban area with more selection. I did however get a new sofa off of lay-a-way. Never in my life have I been able to buy a new sofa. So when I did finally get to go shopping for one two months ago I went a little crazy. One, a modern looking olive green sectional, was brought straight home. The more victorian cream one with a paisley pattern had to wait. These two do not match at all, but I loved the cream one and the green one was sensible. I am just hoping they learn to play nice in there together.
Msn has a list 20 things to get before your forty. What the heck, I'll be forty in a seven years, so I read it. What crap. Who put this together, high end retailers? A good cause and a mammogram were the only two I agreed with. So what would my list look like? I have not put much thought into this yet so it may get revised, but here we go.
1. Mammogram-breast cancer is not something to play around with.
2. A good cause-At least one, remember we are changing the world.
3. One good feminsist book-you don't have to agree with every word just read it.
4. A nice set of sheets-we spend more time in our beds than in clothes.
5. A sport-Physical fitness is easier to stick to if it is fun.
6. Friends-You can't have too many.
7. Some time alone-Learn to enjoy your own company.
8. Recipes-Have a couple of foolproof recipes to impress your friends.
9. A hobby-find something you love to do just for yourself.
10.A nest egg-Let's not work forever.
11.A foriegn language-Your never too old to learn
12.A sense of humor- Life is just going to get funnier, learn to laugh at it.
13.A healthier eating plan-Fiber anyone?
14.An herb garden-They can be peaceful, playful, or just functional.
15.Comfortable shoes-Don't torture your feet for fashion.
16.A reliable car-By this age we deserve it.
17.Get rid of one fear-Experience the thrill of conquering a fear.
18.A good mixed cd-To cheer you up on the harder days.
19.Better family relationships-It is time to let the past go, work things out.
20.Love-A pet, a child, a friend, a mate, yourself, a houseplant, love something unconditionally
That was harder than I expected. 21-help making lists.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Random thoughts
I haven't disappeared, not intentionally anyway. Twice I have tried to post and both times my computer froze up at the spellchecking part. I am not the best speller, but I am not risking it tonight. I think the problem has something to do with my pop up blocker. Well here are some random thoughts.
My two weeks of work turned into the rest of the month, which then turned into until the fourth. I am so glad that is over. Full time working mothers I have the utmost respect for you. Trying to get everything done was killing me.
We had a great Halloween. It is one of my favorite holidays. I am one of those people who love most holidays though so it is really hard to pick a favorite. Of course being morally against Valantines day narrows it down a bit. I made Curly Top an adorable mermaid costume. She has been saying for weeks she is going to be a mermaid when she grows up. Which is great because she has been bummed out every since one of her babysitters in Wichita told her she could not be a princess when she grew up since her mother was not a queen. I guess the old bat has never heard of Monoco. Princess wanted to be a Fairy Princess with a long dress. Here train ended up dragging three feet behind her. She loved it. I did not get to go to the spook parade, stupid job, but they had fun. Drama Queen and I dressed up as bank robbers, black clothes and stockings over our heads, and took them trick-or-treating. We had a blast.
November is Nanowrimo month. Today is the fifth day so to stay on schedule I needed to be at around 8300 words by tonight. I started the day with somewhere around 750 words. I am up to
4487 words now and calling it a night. Last year my story just rolled along. I was getting worried this year because I seemed to be fighting to pull every sentence out. Some time this afternoon the block cleared and now it is going great. My mind keeps jumping ahead to characters who will show up in later chapters.
There was a tragedy with last years story though. I knew I needed to back it up and just never got arond to buying any cd's. The computer did something goofy the other day, and to fix it Lee decided to reboot. He told me about it and I didn't think anything about it for a few days. Then suddenly it hit me, my story. The worst part is that I had not opened it at all from the end of November until the middle of September. I was afraid it would really suck and scare me off this year. Instead I found I was liking it. As soon as I was done editing it I was planning to print it off and let my kids and a couple of friends read it. Is there anyway to get it back or is it gone forever? I am kind of embarrassed to say this but I actually had to fight back tears when I realized it was gone.
My baby sister is pregnant. At first I though no way she is too young. Then I realized she was twenty-four. Six years older than I was when Lee was born.
Jason told me a few months ago that he thought he was falling in love with his girlfriend. Now when a twelve year old says this it is certain there is a lesson in his future. As a mother I was relieved that he broke up with her and did not get his heart broke yet. As a person I felt horrible for this very sweet girl he was breaking up with. She is the sweetest thing, I was falling in love with her too. As a mother I was also glad they broke up before things got outof hand. I also learned a lesson about being the mother of boys. How many wonderful girls are they going to bring home just long enough for me to love, then watch them disappear from my life?
My two weeks of work turned into the rest of the month, which then turned into until the fourth. I am so glad that is over. Full time working mothers I have the utmost respect for you. Trying to get everything done was killing me.
We had a great Halloween. It is one of my favorite holidays. I am one of those people who love most holidays though so it is really hard to pick a favorite. Of course being morally against Valantines day narrows it down a bit. I made Curly Top an adorable mermaid costume. She has been saying for weeks she is going to be a mermaid when she grows up. Which is great because she has been bummed out every since one of her babysitters in Wichita told her she could not be a princess when she grew up since her mother was not a queen. I guess the old bat has never heard of Monoco. Princess wanted to be a Fairy Princess with a long dress. Here train ended up dragging three feet behind her. She loved it. I did not get to go to the spook parade, stupid job, but they had fun. Drama Queen and I dressed up as bank robbers, black clothes and stockings over our heads, and took them trick-or-treating. We had a blast.
November is Nanowrimo month. Today is the fifth day so to stay on schedule I needed to be at around 8300 words by tonight. I started the day with somewhere around 750 words. I am up to
4487 words now and calling it a night. Last year my story just rolled along. I was getting worried this year because I seemed to be fighting to pull every sentence out. Some time this afternoon the block cleared and now it is going great. My mind keeps jumping ahead to characters who will show up in later chapters.
There was a tragedy with last years story though. I knew I needed to back it up and just never got arond to buying any cd's. The computer did something goofy the other day, and to fix it Lee decided to reboot. He told me about it and I didn't think anything about it for a few days. Then suddenly it hit me, my story. The worst part is that I had not opened it at all from the end of November until the middle of September. I was afraid it would really suck and scare me off this year. Instead I found I was liking it. As soon as I was done editing it I was planning to print it off and let my kids and a couple of friends read it. Is there anyway to get it back or is it gone forever? I am kind of embarrassed to say this but I actually had to fight back tears when I realized it was gone.
My baby sister is pregnant. At first I though no way she is too young. Then I realized she was twenty-four. Six years older than I was when Lee was born.
Jason told me a few months ago that he thought he was falling in love with his girlfriend. Now when a twelve year old says this it is certain there is a lesson in his future. As a mother I was relieved that he broke up with her and did not get his heart broke yet. As a person I felt horrible for this very sweet girl he was breaking up with. She is the sweetest thing, I was falling in love with her too. As a mother I was also glad they broke up before things got outof hand. I also learned a lesson about being the mother of boys. How many wonderful girls are they going to bring home just long enough for me to love, then watch them disappear from my life?
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I have to work.
My two weeks of working full time started today. Of course I was late. I forgot to take a sweater and the office was freezing, and I'm living through one of the worst haircuts I have ever got. My hair is growing out, but still looks bad. Lee is probably grumpy because I had to leave today before I could put his contacts in. He is wearing his glasses which he hates. How all of these things can add up to a great dayI don't know, but I am feeling very cheerfull.
There is a bottle of Moscato D'Asti in my fridge. It has been chilling out in there for over a month waiting for me to drink it. I have a freind on call waiting to drink it with me, but we never can coordinate our schedules. If I have time she is working or babysitting her granddaughters. If she has time I am doing goodness knows what, but it's always something.
Last night Princess kept every one up way past their bedtime. She had walked into a room where here little sister was watching a movie. It was a scary movie aimed at children. She was only in there for about five minutes. Lee was sensitive to scary movies as a child, but he would run out of a room if one was on. Princess has to be physically turned away from the television. She would not go to sleep for fear of having a bad dream. Finally whe was calmed down and we all slept and no bad dreams.
There is a bottle of Moscato D'Asti in my fridge. It has been chilling out in there for over a month waiting for me to drink it. I have a freind on call waiting to drink it with me, but we never can coordinate our schedules. If I have time she is working or babysitting her granddaughters. If she has time I am doing goodness knows what, but it's always something.
Last night Princess kept every one up way past their bedtime. She had walked into a room where here little sister was watching a movie. It was a scary movie aimed at children. She was only in there for about five minutes. Lee was sensitive to scary movies as a child, but he would run out of a room if one was on. Princess has to be physically turned away from the television. She would not go to sleep for fear of having a bad dream. Finally whe was calmed down and we all slept and no bad dreams.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Natural building and business
You may have noticed by the amount of times I have mentioned cob that I am in love with cob building. This morning I found it thrilling to see that same love reflected back in the eyes of teenagers. The high school business teacher invited me in to help with a project on natural building. They are on the business ethics chapter and she wanted them to think about ways businesses could help the environment. We built a model size cob house together and had so much fun. Since I have only thought of cob building as it applies to housing the challenging part was trying to think of ways this could apply to business.
One point we think businesses should consider is that many consumers are looking at a companies track record before we spend our money with them. If they considered the environment before they built their buildings consumers would feel more comfortable buying from them. If by putting on a living roof, which could help filter rain water and reduce the heat put off by the building, they could give their employees a better work environment it would be a win/win situation. Natural building is also cheaper, which would help their bottom line. I am an optimist and believe we are moving forward in our treatment of the Earth. Someday we will live a better life because of it.
One point we think businesses should consider is that many consumers are looking at a companies track record before we spend our money with them. If they considered the environment before they built their buildings consumers would feel more comfortable buying from them. If by putting on a living roof, which could help filter rain water and reduce the heat put off by the building, they could give their employees a better work environment it would be a win/win situation. Natural building is also cheaper, which would help their bottom line. I am an optimist and believe we are moving forward in our treatment of the Earth. Someday we will live a better life because of it.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Fall
It has turned cold suddenly. Fall is my favorite season. Okay, I know I say that about every season when it is here, but I mean it this time. This one is special. Really, she's not like the rest. I have heard others say fall is a melancholy season;a time to say goodbye to summer and get ready for winter. For me it is a time to pull out my comfy old sweaters;to make soups;to think about Christmas gifts. Every morning I peek out to see if this was the night all the leaves fell into my yard. This is a precursor to the mornings I will peak out and see if it is snowing. This morning is a hot oatmeal morning.
While loving the act of staying warm I try to remember this shouldn't be a luxury. Every person should be able to protect themselves against the elements. Find someone to give all of your unused coats to. We need more projects like habitat for humanity to conquer one of society's ills, homelessness.
Last Friday I took Lee back to the doctor for his hard cast. We leave a little disappointed. It seems we had drove ninety minutes to have another x-ray taken and be told to bring him back in ten more days. On Monday they called and asked if I can bring him up the next day. They take his half cast off and send him down for x-rays. The minute we see his hand we know something isn't quite right. They put him in a wrist brace and send us home. He will have surgery the next day.
During his surgery I finally started War and Peace. I am still only sixty pages into it, but am enjoying it. I have also cleaned out two closets since I made my list. Not really that much progress on the list, but it's something. Oh, I also hung the curtains in my bedroom. Yea!
While loving the act of staying warm I try to remember this shouldn't be a luxury. Every person should be able to protect themselves against the elements. Find someone to give all of your unused coats to. We need more projects like habitat for humanity to conquer one of society's ills, homelessness.
Last Friday I took Lee back to the doctor for his hard cast. We leave a little disappointed. It seems we had drove ninety minutes to have another x-ray taken and be told to bring him back in ten more days. On Monday they called and asked if I can bring him up the next day. They take his half cast off and send him down for x-rays. The minute we see his hand we know something isn't quite right. They put him in a wrist brace and send us home. He will have surgery the next day.
During his surgery I finally started War and Peace. I am still only sixty pages into it, but am enjoying it. I have also cleaned out two closets since I made my list. Not really that much progress on the list, but it's something. Oh, I also hung the curtains in my bedroom. Yea!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Catching up
My head is full of untyped posts again. What are the chances I get them all out? First let's back up to how Lee broke his wrist. He was at football practice, I was cooking meal for the Rec. Board. The pager goes off. The ambulance is needed at the practice field. Dh is a first responder so he is scrambling to get out the door. We both look at each other and know it is Lee. Throwing myself into the pie crust I am making I try to keep the idea of head injuries off of my mind. It is not working. I call the school. Of course no one is in the office at this time. As soon as I hang up the phone it rings. It is just a broken wrist. Wrists are no big deal. I return to my crust. From the pager the story unfolds. They are taking him by ambulance to the hospital (seventeen miles). This is a quirk of small towns, any excuse to drive that thing is a good reason. We drive him in our van to Garden City for the surgery they think he will need. The doctor thinks a closed reduction will work. Of course Lee had to sit in the waiting room for an hour without any pain medication. That broke his mother's heart. I am ecstatic about them not having to cut him open, but a little surprised. The emergency room doctor at the last hospital was sure they would put a plate in.
Since then I have been told the drill they were doing, bull in a ring, is an illegal drill. I haven't really looked into it and have mixed feelings. Football is a rough sport, practices should be rough too, but he was hit from behind in this drill and hitting in the back isn't encouraged in high school football. I see it as a gray area, but if the drill is illegal the school could be sued if the wrong child is hurt.
We were supposed to go up and bring Drama Queen and all of her stuff home the next day. We weren't released in time and couldn't make it up to get her until Wednesday of the next week. All weekend I kept trying to think of a way to squeeze in the time to go get her early, but it just didn't make sense to make a trip for her and an extra one for her stuff. The phone rings at 3:45 A.M. Tuesday morning. My groping hand finds the phone after dh has already answered the other handset. Drama queen crying. She is telling him she is starving and hasn't ate in three day. I hang up, since he is handling this call. She has no car and quit working the week before, since we were already supposed to have her out of there. I know she may be exaggerating, but I don't know anyone who can not be moved by the sound of their baby sister crying. How can I get her food? I lay in bed and worry for thirty minutes before the answer hits me. How such a simple answer took so long to come to me I don't know. To feel like I'm doing something I get out of bed and get on the computer. I look up the numbers of several restaurants in her area that deliver and write down their numbers, even though I know I can't call any of them until later in the morning. I return to bed.
While I lay there my life circles around me. It seems so fake, a charade. I pretend to have control, but at any moment I'm going to drop it all. Out loud I say "I am a failure." It is one of those moments of clarity. I realize that when I do drop it and my life spins out of control my children will be the ones who are hurt. There stable childhood will evaporate in seconds. What will they think of me then? Who will save them? The sane voice keeps trying. "Look at all the people who love you." "Only because they don't really know me." I respond. I cry uncontrollably until it is almost time to get up. The alarm wakes me fifteen minutes later. My eyes are puffy all day. Fortunately every one chalked it up to my allergies. Curly Top and I do a good job of staying busy doing substantial things all morning. We turn the compost and plant garlic.
That afternoon dh calls. His truck has broke down. There is no way it will be ready to go get Drama Queen in the morning. We decide to try pulling a trailer behind our van.
This trailer hasn't been moved in a year. There is a brace missing in the front, so walking across it I can feel it is very squashy. We aren't even sure if our van can pull it fully loaded. The tags are expired. We are going to do it anyway. We check the mail, the new tags are here. One problem is solved. We don't wait until morning. Four hours later we are in Wichita. The big furniture items are loaded. It becomes very obvious we are going to have to make two trips. We drive home and unload it into a storage unit, eat, dh takes a nap, while I get everything ready to be gone another night. We drive back to Wichita. As we are packing up the last odds and ends we are all three getting a bit silly. It is three in the morning. Dh is throwing the things from the freezer into a garbage bag and comes across a bag of shrimp.
"You hadn't ate in three days and you had shrimp?" He asks her.
"I hate shrimp that is for the girls." She replies. He pulls out a package of hot dogs. "Now I would have ate those if I would have known they were in there." She says. He finishes up the freezer, checks on the pool to make sure it is still draining, moves on to the fridge. He pulls out a bottle.
"Look you have a whole bottle of ketchup."
"You expected me to drink ketchup?" she asks him
I but in with "You could have put it on a fuckin' hot dog."
It is nice to have her home safe and sound. It is really nice to be done with the moving. Although dh and I both agree that the thought of two four hour trips (one-way) is a lot worse than actually doing it.
This blog is nowhere near caught up, but I'm going to take a break for sleep.
Since then I have been told the drill they were doing, bull in a ring, is an illegal drill. I haven't really looked into it and have mixed feelings. Football is a rough sport, practices should be rough too, but he was hit from behind in this drill and hitting in the back isn't encouraged in high school football. I see it as a gray area, but if the drill is illegal the school could be sued if the wrong child is hurt.
We were supposed to go up and bring Drama Queen and all of her stuff home the next day. We weren't released in time and couldn't make it up to get her until Wednesday of the next week. All weekend I kept trying to think of a way to squeeze in the time to go get her early, but it just didn't make sense to make a trip for her and an extra one for her stuff. The phone rings at 3:45 A.M. Tuesday morning. My groping hand finds the phone after dh has already answered the other handset. Drama queen crying. She is telling him she is starving and hasn't ate in three day. I hang up, since he is handling this call. She has no car and quit working the week before, since we were already supposed to have her out of there. I know she may be exaggerating, but I don't know anyone who can not be moved by the sound of their baby sister crying. How can I get her food? I lay in bed and worry for thirty minutes before the answer hits me. How such a simple answer took so long to come to me I don't know. To feel like I'm doing something I get out of bed and get on the computer. I look up the numbers of several restaurants in her area that deliver and write down their numbers, even though I know I can't call any of them until later in the morning. I return to bed.
While I lay there my life circles around me. It seems so fake, a charade. I pretend to have control, but at any moment I'm going to drop it all. Out loud I say "I am a failure." It is one of those moments of clarity. I realize that when I do drop it and my life spins out of control my children will be the ones who are hurt. There stable childhood will evaporate in seconds. What will they think of me then? Who will save them? The sane voice keeps trying. "Look at all the people who love you." "Only because they don't really know me." I respond. I cry uncontrollably until it is almost time to get up. The alarm wakes me fifteen minutes later. My eyes are puffy all day. Fortunately every one chalked it up to my allergies. Curly Top and I do a good job of staying busy doing substantial things all morning. We turn the compost and plant garlic.
That afternoon dh calls. His truck has broke down. There is no way it will be ready to go get Drama Queen in the morning. We decide to try pulling a trailer behind our van.
This trailer hasn't been moved in a year. There is a brace missing in the front, so walking across it I can feel it is very squashy. We aren't even sure if our van can pull it fully loaded. The tags are expired. We are going to do it anyway. We check the mail, the new tags are here. One problem is solved. We don't wait until morning. Four hours later we are in Wichita. The big furniture items are loaded. It becomes very obvious we are going to have to make two trips. We drive home and unload it into a storage unit, eat, dh takes a nap, while I get everything ready to be gone another night. We drive back to Wichita. As we are packing up the last odds and ends we are all three getting a bit silly. It is three in the morning. Dh is throwing the things from the freezer into a garbage bag and comes across a bag of shrimp.
"You hadn't ate in three days and you had shrimp?" He asks her.
"I hate shrimp that is for the girls." She replies. He pulls out a package of hot dogs. "Now I would have ate those if I would have known they were in there." She says. He finishes up the freezer, checks on the pool to make sure it is still draining, moves on to the fridge. He pulls out a bottle.
"Look you have a whole bottle of ketchup."
"You expected me to drink ketchup?" she asks him
I but in with "You could have put it on a fuckin' hot dog."
It is nice to have her home safe and sound. It is really nice to be done with the moving. Although dh and I both agree that the thought of two four hour trips (one-way) is a lot worse than actually doing it.
This blog is nowhere near caught up, but I'm going to take a break for sleep.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Books
I ignored my long list of things to accomplish today and laid in bed reading for the whole three hours Curly Top was in school. I started Bright Sword of Ireland Saturday night. This was another book I judged by the cover. The instant I picked it up I knew it would feed my craving of for Celtic legends. Finn Mac Cool by Morgan Llywelyn is one of my favorite books, so a chance to read more about mythical Ireland was the main reason I bought this one. Like most of the books I buy I found it on the bargain book table and picked it up for a couple of dollars. I then tossed it on the stack beside my bed to pick up when I was in between books.
The writing in Bright Sword of Ireland does not encourage that type of intimacy that makes you fall into a story and struggle to keep your mind on anything else during the day. I don't go rushing for it anytime I have a few spare minutes. Instead I read it in long stretches kept at a slight distance from the characters and their story. When I am reading the land and the magic draw me close. I don't want to put it down and leave the land, but when I do I am free, back in my own life, not constantly thinking about the story I need to get back to.
Since I love history I like my books full of historical details as long as they don't distract me from the story. When I'm reading and stop to think 'wow, this author has done a lot of research' I'm always a little irritated that I was yanked out of the story like that. At least once I wondered if the that was the intent. (Plains of Passage, I'm looking at you.)The glossary and pronunciation guide in the front have been very helpful. I consult it at least every other page, because who would have thought Conchobar would be pronounced Conor.
I mentioned the The Historian the other day and that was a book I had trouble putting down. For the whole three days I was reading it the book was always in the back of my mind, and close at hand so I could pick it up often. Bright Sword of Ireland is one I'll keep beside my bed for when I have long stretches of time to read. Looking over some reviews of The Historian one of the complaints people had was the pacing. My copy of Finn Mac Cool I loaned to a friend who dogeared every page, because she never could read more than one page before she got bored. I read Space by James Michener twice as a teenager and loved it, my brother who reads everything found it too boring to finish. The slow journey to the monastery in The Name of the Rose was a great start for that book. It seems that in a world moving faster every year I am still wandering slowly. I'm so glad there are still writers who write at such a pleasing place.
I have been rambling on about books and haven't mentioned Lee's broken bone. He just called though and needs me to bring him a pain pill.
The writing in Bright Sword of Ireland does not encourage that type of intimacy that makes you fall into a story and struggle to keep your mind on anything else during the day. I don't go rushing for it anytime I have a few spare minutes. Instead I read it in long stretches kept at a slight distance from the characters and their story. When I am reading the land and the magic draw me close. I don't want to put it down and leave the land, but when I do I am free, back in my own life, not constantly thinking about the story I need to get back to.
Since I love history I like my books full of historical details as long as they don't distract me from the story. When I'm reading and stop to think 'wow, this author has done a lot of research' I'm always a little irritated that I was yanked out of the story like that. At least once I wondered if the that was the intent. (Plains of Passage, I'm looking at you.)The glossary and pronunciation guide in the front have been very helpful. I consult it at least every other page, because who would have thought Conchobar would be pronounced Conor.
I mentioned the The Historian the other day and that was a book I had trouble putting down. For the whole three days I was reading it the book was always in the back of my mind, and close at hand so I could pick it up often. Bright Sword of Ireland is one I'll keep beside my bed for when I have long stretches of time to read. Looking over some reviews of The Historian one of the complaints people had was the pacing. My copy of Finn Mac Cool I loaned to a friend who dogeared every page, because she never could read more than one page before she got bored. I read Space by James Michener twice as a teenager and loved it, my brother who reads everything found it too boring to finish. The slow journey to the monastery in The Name of the Rose was a great start for that book. It seems that in a world moving faster every year I am still wandering slowly. I'm so glad there are still writers who write at such a pleasing place.
I have been rambling on about books and haven't mentioned Lee's broken bone. He just called though and needs me to bring him a pain pill.
Where can I read?
There is no room in my house for me. I turned off my computer thinking that I would post in the morning when I am more coherent. I sat down my cup of tea, snuck into the bedroom to grab my book without disturbing the girls, picked my tea back up and wandered around in the dark. Since Lee has to sleep with his arm elevated, (I'll explain that in the next post) I can't sit on my new couch and read. The girls are asleep in my room, which has resembled a bird's nest every since we put two extra beds in it. Jason is sleeping in Lee's room since it is vacant. Lane is in the room he normally shares with Jason. I'm not even putting the bathrooms into the equation, even though as a child I used to get up in the middle of the night and read in the bathroom regularly. While parents will condemn waking up on a school night to read, very few will complain about a child waking up with a stomach ache and spending an hour in the bathroom. That leaves the kitchen and dining room. There has been a furnishing oversight though, and neither of these two rooms has a comfy chair and a lamp. This is one of those open space homes, which I normally love, where the family room, kitchen, and dining room are all really the same space. So the overhead lighting would disturb the couch sleeper, even if I had only the comfy chair. Oh well, I could enjoy my tea while just sitting in the dark thinking. That is, I could if I would have folded the three loads of laundry I washed tonight instead of throwing them in the chair to wait for morning. I guess I should have paid attention to that warning about procrastination. Those grasshoppers and ants know more than I gave them credit for. My cup is empty, that is my signal to climb into bed. Tomorrow is a school day, that means I'll get a few hours to myself in the morning.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Wrecks, Mexican food, and music
On Saturday we invited a family over to eat supper with us. It was to windy to cook the steaks out on the grill so I stuck them in the broiler. I love my broiler and use it a lot, but damn I hate cleaning it. After we ate we were sitting around playing trivial pursuit. The phone rang, Jason wanted a ride home. Without a second thought I asked Lee if he would go get him. Right after he left dh looked out the window. "What is Lee doing, just sitting out on the road?" He explained that he can see headlights out there and they aren't moving. "I hope the cop hasn't got him pulled over."
"Sometimes the cop just parks over there." I wasn't worried. Our friend goes outside to have a look. He comes back in laughing.
"It looks like a high school kid got stuck out there." We were all thinking the same thing. 'it's not wet out.' Dh goes out to have look. He comes in looking a bit frantic. "Where is a phone? He ran straight under the neighbors dump truck."
My heart suddenly felt like a bowling ball, the weight of it made it drop to my feet. "Lee?" I asked as I jumped up. I'm sure I was completely white. In that few seconds my whole world felt like it may fall apart. It was that universal feeling any parent gets when one of there children are in danger. Luckily for me it only lasted until dh answered.
"No, some guy that lives in the trailer park." Dh said while looking puzzled. Relief swept over me. What had happened was a guy had been at the bar and had a few too many beers. When he turned onto the gravel road leading to his house he turned about forty feet to early. His little car hit the back of the truck and pushed it over three feet. The car wedged underneath it and he was trying to get it out. Once we found out no one was hurt it was okay to laugh, and we did.
I started this post this morning, but quit before I was finished to play tennis. After playing tennis with Drama Queen I was hungry but to lazy to cook. Normally I would just grab a bowl of oatmeal, but I wanted real food. I decided to go to the office and work instead. On my way home I met my neighbor walking to the store. She told me to go in and eat. She looked slightly embarrassed when she told me it was just beans and Chili. My brother-in-law (her son) was inside eating so I stopped and ate with him and Huggy Bear. Compared to some of the things she cooks this was a simple meal, but simple should never be confused with inadequate. This was delicious. I filled my bowl with beans then covered the beans with a spicy sauce made up of chilies, potatoes, and meat. I heated up a couple of homemade tortillas and ate until I was stuffed. I love Mexican food and her kitchen is my favorite place to eat it. I have not found a restaurant that can match her yet. People who have only ate American-Mexican food may have to adjust because there is a difference. The biggest one being the covering everything in an overpowering sauce and cheese. She does not cook like that. Every flavor comes through and melds together nicely. I wish I new what kind of wine to pair with it. That would be perfect. She calls me every once in a while and in her quick Spanish asks me if I want to eat [insert Spanish word here I usually can't understand because it is spoken too quickly for my sub par Spanish]. I always say 'Yes, I love that.' and hurry over. I have never been disappointed.
Now for a quick side note on music. I have had Your body is a Wonderland by John Mayer stuck in my head for a few days. This morning one of my other favorite songs played on the radio. It took over as the song my mind will now play over and over through the next few days. Hey Now Now by the Cloud Room is an excellent song. I can listen to it several times a day. If I lived near a decent music store I would by the CD.
"Sometimes the cop just parks over there." I wasn't worried. Our friend goes outside to have a look. He comes back in laughing.
"It looks like a high school kid got stuck out there." We were all thinking the same thing. 'it's not wet out.' Dh goes out to have look. He comes in looking a bit frantic. "Where is a phone? He ran straight under the neighbors dump truck."
My heart suddenly felt like a bowling ball, the weight of it made it drop to my feet. "Lee?" I asked as I jumped up. I'm sure I was completely white. In that few seconds my whole world felt like it may fall apart. It was that universal feeling any parent gets when one of there children are in danger. Luckily for me it only lasted until dh answered.
"No, some guy that lives in the trailer park." Dh said while looking puzzled. Relief swept over me. What had happened was a guy had been at the bar and had a few too many beers. When he turned onto the gravel road leading to his house he turned about forty feet to early. His little car hit the back of the truck and pushed it over three feet. The car wedged underneath it and he was trying to get it out. Once we found out no one was hurt it was okay to laugh, and we did.
I started this post this morning, but quit before I was finished to play tennis. After playing tennis with Drama Queen I was hungry but to lazy to cook. Normally I would just grab a bowl of oatmeal, but I wanted real food. I decided to go to the office and work instead. On my way home I met my neighbor walking to the store. She told me to go in and eat. She looked slightly embarrassed when she told me it was just beans and Chili. My brother-in-law (her son) was inside eating so I stopped and ate with him and Huggy Bear. Compared to some of the things she cooks this was a simple meal, but simple should never be confused with inadequate. This was delicious. I filled my bowl with beans then covered the beans with a spicy sauce made up of chilies, potatoes, and meat. I heated up a couple of homemade tortillas and ate until I was stuffed. I love Mexican food and her kitchen is my favorite place to eat it. I have not found a restaurant that can match her yet. People who have only ate American-Mexican food may have to adjust because there is a difference. The biggest one being the covering everything in an overpowering sauce and cheese. She does not cook like that. Every flavor comes through and melds together nicely. I wish I new what kind of wine to pair with it. That would be perfect. She calls me every once in a while and in her quick Spanish asks me if I want to eat [insert Spanish word here I usually can't understand because it is spoken too quickly for my sub par Spanish]. I always say 'Yes, I love that.' and hurry over. I have never been disappointed.
Now for a quick side note on music. I have had Your body is a Wonderland by John Mayer stuck in my head for a few days. This morning one of my other favorite songs played on the radio. It took over as the song my mind will now play over and over through the next few days. Hey Now Now by the Cloud Room is an excellent song. I can listen to it several times a day. If I lived near a decent music store I would by the CD.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
schools
Tallulah at http://waydowninmayberry.blogspot.com started me thinking about schools yesterday. I was feeling really lucky to live in a town with a great school. The class sizes are small, they encourage parent involvement, and try to help every child get the best education possible. Now I'm not naive enough to think our school is perfect, we have our drawbacks like everyone else, but I am extremely grateful for our school. Last night I went to the monthly school board meeting, so it was a good day to already have education on the brain. Some months these meetings can feel miles away from the students. When we are making decisions on which bus to buy, which bid to go with on the cement work, and how to stay within the budget, it is easy to forget why we are really there. Last night's meeting was one of my favorite ones so far. Our new school counselor came in a gave talk on last years assessment tests and what they mean in context with NCLB and meeting our ayp scores. This is her first year as our counselor and I realized last night I have fallen in love with her. I have liked her as a person and respected her as a teacher for years, but last night listening to her talk about pulling the whole staff together to examine what we have been doing right and how we can improve other areas I was totally smitten. She talked about education with such enthusiasm, her love of teaching and learning shined through. I was excited about our school and secretly wished I could play a bigger role. In fact I'm blaming her and this lingering excitement for my volunteering to help redraw the district lines.
That is going to be a pain. We have to redraw the lines so that the population of registered voters in the districts do not vary more than five percent. What was I thinking?
Then this morning I read about the kabob parties. Do we do this? I can't remember anything like this. We did go to five day kindergarten a few years ago, and I was glad my kids were passed that stage and I had only had to part with my babies for three days a week. Then I remembered the library. For the last two years the librarians have made little vehicles, one with each child's name on it. These little things traveled the path through the hallway powered by accelerated reader points. I remember finding my kids names, and being glad they weren't left behind. I remember having to fight to keep myself from pushing my kids to catch up with the few who were way ahead. I remembered the concerns that this could hurt the confidence of slower readers. I had to go to the library today because it was the first day of story hour. I was so pleased to see that this year the vehicles were trains and instead of hundreds there were just fourteen. One for each class collectively. Now they can get the encouragement and drive that competition can give without the feelings of superiority or shame that can sometimes be a by product of forced competition. Thank you parents for voicing your concerns, mistakes are usually made with good intentions.
That is going to be a pain. We have to redraw the lines so that the population of registered voters in the districts do not vary more than five percent. What was I thinking?
Then this morning I read about the kabob parties. Do we do this? I can't remember anything like this. We did go to five day kindergarten a few years ago, and I was glad my kids were passed that stage and I had only had to part with my babies for three days a week. Then I remembered the library. For the last two years the librarians have made little vehicles, one with each child's name on it. These little things traveled the path through the hallway powered by accelerated reader points. I remember finding my kids names, and being glad they weren't left behind. I remember having to fight to keep myself from pushing my kids to catch up with the few who were way ahead. I remembered the concerns that this could hurt the confidence of slower readers. I had to go to the library today because it was the first day of story hour. I was so pleased to see that this year the vehicles were trains and instead of hundreds there were just fourteen. One for each class collectively. Now they can get the encouragement and drive that competition can give without the feelings of superiority or shame that can sometimes be a by product of forced competition. Thank you parents for voicing your concerns, mistakes are usually made with good intentions.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Fall to do list
I am a list writer. To help myself get organized I have decided to post my fall list. December 21st is going to come way too quickly.
Fill my fish tank. I have a 150 gallon tank that has been sitting empty for over a year. A tank needs fish and water. When my sons oscar, Curly, died we decided to get several smaller fish. I never dreamed it would take me this long to get around to it.
Hang curtains. We moved into this house six years ago, and still no curtains in the family room. I am really pathetic. In protest my family has hung blankets to keep the sun off of the t.v.. I have had curtains for my bedroom for over a year now, but just bought rods on Saturday. No, that doesn't mean I have hung them.
Clean my closets out. I can't describe the jumbled mess they have become. While I'm at it my kitchen cabinets could use some organizing.
Read War and Peace. I bought this last year at the library book sale and still have not started it.
Make jelly. I have peaches and sand hill plums in my freezer that need to have something done with them.
Make an outdoor bathtub. I have the plans drawn out. The actual work just needs to be started. While I'm out there I need to put a roof over my oven. Check out cob hot tubs here http://beckybee.net/.
Rewrite my last year Nanowrimo novel before November. I promised a couple of friends they could read it once I had touched it up a bit.
Paint Jason and Lane's room. It really needs it, especially since Curly Top has decided to grace their walls with her art work. She must be good, her first show has ran for over six months.
I had better get busy.
Fill my fish tank. I have a 150 gallon tank that has been sitting empty for over a year. A tank needs fish and water. When my sons oscar, Curly, died we decided to get several smaller fish. I never dreamed it would take me this long to get around to it.
Hang curtains. We moved into this house six years ago, and still no curtains in the family room. I am really pathetic. In protest my family has hung blankets to keep the sun off of the t.v.. I have had curtains for my bedroom for over a year now, but just bought rods on Saturday. No, that doesn't mean I have hung them.
Clean my closets out. I can't describe the jumbled mess they have become. While I'm at it my kitchen cabinets could use some organizing.
Read War and Peace. I bought this last year at the library book sale and still have not started it.
Make jelly. I have peaches and sand hill plums in my freezer that need to have something done with them.
Make an outdoor bathtub. I have the plans drawn out. The actual work just needs to be started. While I'm out there I need to put a roof over my oven. Check out cob hot tubs here http://beckybee.net/.
Rewrite my last year Nanowrimo novel before November. I promised a couple of friends they could read it once I had touched it up a bit.
Paint Jason and Lane's room. It really needs it, especially since Curly Top has decided to grace their walls with her art work. She must be good, her first show has ran for over six months.
I had better get busy.
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