Best Parade Plan. Ever.

Our community has a big Independence Day parade, and our family is usually connected with at least one group that's marching. I took this picture from the route with my phone:

a soundtrack for life

The youngest and I were in the car talking, and she said, "Wouldn't it be cool if there could be a soundtrack for epic moments. Like as the player starts driving to the hoop with the ball, the theme song comes on."

I gotta admit - that would be awesome.

Time for a little trim

and your little dog too

Tonight I came home from the grocery store to find middle and youngest daughter watching The Wizard of Oz on tv, dubbed the "Wizzer da Boz" by the youngest when she was little. The kids used to watch that movie all the time. The middle one said, "This movie is messed up. I don't remember it being this dark. I just remember her shoes. I loved those shoes."

So I had to share this picture of the three of them from one Halloween.... 

Wow, what a bucket list!

Our middle daughter's summer bucket list showed up on the laundry room door this morning. I hope some of these include me!

That's a wrap.

My husband is retiring from teaching after 30 years and tomorrow is his last day. This is what his students had made as a retirement gift.

Let me just set this here....

Middle daughter cleaned her room today. Can you tell?

Today on my drive into work

About the only thing we agree on in Wisconsin right now is the need to vote.

Now that's flocked...

I'd like to thank the high school kids who helped with our yard last night.

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for....

While my daughter was waiting for her travel arrangements to be finalized she had lots of time. So she found herself a Barnes and Noble and picked this up, because we want to see the movie... and everyone knows you have to read the book first because the book is always better than the movie.

Today in the garden...

I've got mail... and good mail, not the bill kind!

My oldest is doing a study abroad trip this month, but before she left she sent me this. I already know what it is, and I was hoping it would get here soon! Ah the suspense.

This week in the garden

This week in the garden we have Maltese with my new teal bistro table in the background.

I missed a whole season...

Just like that track season is over. Maybe because the weather was so nice, it seemed to go so fast. Welcome to softball season.

Put that in the win column!

To you that might sound like a dryer running, but it's really the sweet sound of victory.

Mom vs the dryer

God loves pole vault, I guess.

on guard

The thing about Border Collies is they like their herd all together where they are supposed to be, and get anxious when one is missing, like still not back from the track meet. :)

Both, I think.

I stopped for coffee in the afternoon during a pouring rain, and as I got to the counter I got a text from my daughter.

"Oh sorry," I said to the barista, "my daughter was supposed to have a track meet in this rain but it's canceled."

Without looking up she wishfully said, "The meet or the rain?"

Maybe proofreading is a 400 level class....

My daughter sent this to me today. They are posted all over her dorms at school.

Just pick a station... Haha!

Earlier this week I used my husband's car for an errand. When I got in the car all the radio presets were set to the same country station. In our family, there could be a perfectly logical explanation. I figured that our middle daughter, who often uses that car, got tired of the top 40 stations playing the same three songs and set them all to country. Or that she was getting revenge on a sibling for something.

Not so.

Last night the oldest and I had his car again, and she commented on the limited listening options. "Yeah, I know, I think your sisters were messing with it." "No, it's Dad doing that."

Turns out when the kids ask him to change the station, Mr. Technology holds the button down too long it it resets to the station they are already on. "Doesn't he notice it's the same station? Or don't you say something?" "Yeah, we tried to tell him and then he did it again so another one was set the the same station."

Ok, country it is...

Floppy sock

This morning I woke up early and was trying to be so quiet so everyone else could sleep in for the first Sunday in ages. I made coffee and didn't even disturb the dogs. As I turned to get the cream I stepped in a giant puddle of cold water leaking from the fridge - my sister's family calls this floppy sock, and I hate floppy sock.

The fridge had been leaking for a while, like for-a-year while. A friend said it was probably a clogged drain tube, so we just wiped up the water in the bottom of the fridge once a week until we had time to deal with it, which was today because I HATE FLOPPY SOCK!

So I got on google. That brings the list of things fixed through the magic of google to: the dryer belt, the dryer blower wheel, the car stereo, and the fridge.

And because that wasn't enough fun for one day, later in the afternoon the washer overflowed the wash sink in the laundry room, to the point that we were using quilts to mop it up and the basement is scattered with plastic bins while the storage area dries out. Floppy sock again, for the second time in one day.

So glad we don't have a dishwasher....

and in this corner....

Two of the kids had friends sleep over last night. I'm not sure how they decided who would get which room, but this is what I found when I woke up this morning:

In the living room

In the family room

Brrrr.

Today the oldest participated in a polar plunge for charity. 42 degrees. Couldn't pay me enough.

All sugared up!

Today one of my coworkers organized a cupcake extravaganza, and I ate cupcakes ALL day, and I mean ALL day. Before I fall over into a cupcake coma, here are the recipes for my two contributions:

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes from Joylicious

1 package graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
4 large egg whites
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix graham cracker crumbs with butter using a food processor. The mixture should hold together when pressed with fingers, add more butter if needed. Press about 1 tablespoon of the crushed graham cracker into the bottom of each prepared muffin tin and bake for 3-5 minutes or until slightly browned.

In a medium bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks appear, about 3-4 minutes, be careful not to overbeat. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the vanilla and beat on a low-speed. Add half the flour mixture, then mix in the sour cream or yogurt. Add remaining flour and mix until just blended.

Gently fold 1/3 of the egg into the batter until combined. Do not over-mix the egg whites or the cake will fall flat. Add remaining egg and fold in the chopped strawberries. Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Top with cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries.


Chocolate Hazelnutella

Make chocolate cupcakes using a box mix or your own recipe and let them cool completely.

Filling:
4 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup of Nutella
1 cup of rice krispies crushed in food processor
2 to 3 tablespoon of heavy cream
1 cup of powdered sugar

Use a spoon to scoop out the inside of the cupcakes (save the pieces for later).Mix butter and Nutella together until well blended. Add powdered sugar, rice krispies, and nuts. And heavy cream  a little at a time until the filling is spoon-able, but thick. Use a spoon to fill the cupcakes. Replace the little pieces you cut out (like a jack-o-lantern).

Frosting (white butter cream):
1 stick butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
up to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Soften the butter, but don't melt it. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. It should be really thick still. SLOWLY, as in a teaspoon at a time, add cream until the frosting is the texture you want. I replaced the vanilla and most of the cream with Hazelnut flavored Torani syrup (like the Starbucks coffee syrups). Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

Yum, yum, yum.

 A preview of things to come....Tomorrow more pics and recipes!

Strawberry Cheesecake with Cream Cheese Butter Cream

Overheard at Starbucks today...

Dad: (to teenage son dancing around) What's up buddy? Have to go the bathroom?

Teenage son: Daaad (roll eyes).

Dad: Are you nervous? Got a crush on a girl here? Having a baby?

Teenage daughter: (look at Dad with raised eyebrows and OMG expression).

Teenage son: Dad, seriously?

Dad: (with dude, I'm a cool dad face) Whoa, good thing you're not having a baby because when your mom and I---

Teenage daughter: DAD. STOP. TALKING.

sleep-shopping

This morning I went in to wake up middle girl and after the third time she snoozed me I said, "Honey, you have get up right now."
"But everything's on sale."
"Huh?"
"Oh, haha. I was dreaming that I was shopping and everything in the store was on sale."

headed North

This guest post, from my youngest daughter....


Welllllllll.................... so here's the story! My mother, being the crazy adventurous child at heart she still is, decides, HEY. Let's go see the Northern lights! So we all packed up and got ready to head out with a box of cereal and iced tea in hand. We headed North, picking up my sister on the way, and set out to find the Northern lights. However, me just being done with my softball practice, and my sister just finishing her exams, dropped off fairly early. We both woke up, briefly, to look when we had gotten as far North as our time would allow us to go in order to get back in time. We didn't end up seeing any more than a red haze out in the sky; the northern lights were actually, as we would find out later, best visible on the other side of the planet! So we turned around and headed home, stopping only at a little truck stop with bakery treats, some of which were larger than myself! We got home around 4 in the morning and didn't make it far into the house before we dropped off fell into a practical hibernation. Although we did not get to see the Northern lights as expected, I realized that it isn't the destination that is the most important, but rather the events that occur on the trip there. yep, i run deep. :)

Just a little?

Seeing the Northern lights is on my bucket list. I added it last fall, and it's the only concrete thing on there so far. So when the news started forecasting one of the best displays yet, I jumped on the chance to see them. The kids had off school the next day, and I had just cleared my work schedule earlier in the day - it seemed as though the stars, or at least the super-charged electrons hurtling toward Earth, were lining up for me.

We hopped in the car at 10pm and drove North, as far as we could. No sign of the Northern lights, this time. This was still one of the better all-nighters I've spent.

Maybe next time....

at least it's something...

Snow. Finally. It's just an inch or two, but it's still snow.

time to share the gifts!

Not all of these have been given yet, but the ones that are left are going to people who won't see this, so now I can share. It appears as though my quilting tutor is doing a good job!

My first quilt - for the oldest's BF who has never had one.

I-spy - for my grandson with fabric I've collected over years.

Stars - started for my granddaughter when she was a baby.

Tag blankie - for the newest little family member.

over the river...

My other sister and her husband moved into a beautiful new home, and so it was her turn to host Christmas. They made ham and potatoes, and we opened gifts that we exchanged names for. This was the view on the drive out to her house:

Jesus would have a smart phone, I know it....

The kids and I went to midnight service at the church where I grew up, and where my sister and her family still goes - it's a very relaxed format. As I was taking this picture, the middle daughter leaned over and said, "I think taking pictures in church is frowned upon."

Because it was Christmas, I didn't point out that we were all wearing jeans and hoodies, and that the people in front of us were dancing....

all aboard!

The oldest planned a surprise for the rest of us today. She took us to dinner and then to the Polar Express at the IMAX theater. We saw the movie in the theater as a family when it was released, and we have watched it on dvd hundreds of times since, and there were still things we caught this time that we never heard or saw before. The two funniest memories of the night:

1) The middle daughter walked into the IMAX and her brain went into math mode. All she could think of was how fast the sound waves would travel across the dome, and the formulas to calculate things. She could not clear her brain until the movie started. And she was pissed that she couldn't turn it off. Hilarious!

2) As we are wrapping up dinner hubby pulls out his phone and announces that he has "this cool calculator" on his phone that can figure out what the tip should be. No one had the heart to tell him that we all have a tip calculator on our phones - or we all sat in the same stunned silence, while he demonstrated it for us....

it's points either way....

At work we had a gag gift exchange, so middle daughter and I made a trip to the local Goodwill store looking for a good one. We found a pillow in the shape of a hamburger. It was perfect.

In the exchange we did, once you opened your gift, you could trade with someone else who already opened theirs to get a "better" gift. 

When I picked the kids up at school I reported back that my co-worker chose the burger, and when it was the boss's turn she swiped it from my co-worker. Apparently it was a hit.

The middle kid says, "Maybe it will earn you some brownie points - or more like hamburger points."

so that's what the ironing board is for

Ok, so when I started quilting again, I forgot why I quit in the first place. Part of it was finding time to work on it with little kids running around. The other reason is that I stopped taking classes after the intro, and didn't learn how to actually finish one.

I'd like to introduce my new quilting tutor, YouTube:

Ms Money

I was talking with our coach at a rock climbing competition when the middle daughter came springing up with some papers in her hands. "Whatcha got there?" asked the coach. "Oh, an application to work here - college isn't gonna pay for itself."

I love that girl.

well, at least it's one more

My co-workers decorated my cube for my birthday - hub and kids left me a starbucks gift card and texted me messages all day, and my sister, my other sister, my dad and sooo many friends on FB wished me a happy birthday - which was really nice because I spent my day at work, and then at night went to my other job, and was still in a meeting at midnight when my birthday ended.

st nick...

I did not want the oldest to miss St. Nick just because she is away at school - it's always been such an event in our home.... So I made arrangements for the info desk in her dorm building to deliver a package to her mailbox that night. In the box was a small, wrapped item for each day, like an advent. That night when she got caught up on the days, she sent me this picture:

cookie day

My BFF organized a cookie exchange at her house this weekend. Way easier than baking all of these alone - which is what the two of us used to do.

i forgot about these

Last year when the oldest was choosing colleges, one of them was on the other side of the country with a very aggressive program and intense schedule. We knew if she wound up there, we would not see her during the semester, possibly not for Thanksgiving, and only a few days for Christmas.

As I was putting the Christmas stuff away, I realized that this Christmas was one of the "lasts" for us. For the first time it hit me that she would be graduating, and the possibilities she had to choose from was overwhelming to me. I was missing her already.

I put some ornaments in one of the leftover cookie tins to send to her - wherever she was the next year. I put the tin back in with the rest of the decorations and packed them away. This year, when I pulled  them out, there was the tin on top.

As it turns out, she chose the college 45 minutes away and is home nearly every weekend, but the sense of "lasts" has not gone away.

but i'm helping

Nike the crazy dog, testing out the quilt as I'm trying to lay it out. At least she isn't eating it...

what's next?

I finished my first 5K.

My time was so much slower than I planned and I walked a lot. My runs leading up to this had been so much better. When we finished, I was so disappointed.

Disappointed, until my sister reminded me to think of how far I've come. Ten years ago my chronic fatigue was so bad I could hardly get out of bed. I'd be having a great day and within an hour hit the wall and have to sleep. A lot of my memories are blurry. I felt like I had the flu all the time - for years. And I just finished a 5K - something I never thought I could do, even before CFS.

just ask....

This is what you get when you ask your co-worker how her weekend was....

The dog came in with poop (of some sort) in her beard Sunday morning (hubby was out hunting)…once we figured out what the horrid smell was in the house I started to gag while taking the dog to the bathroom to clean her up.  Miss E gagged too, but her gagging escalated and she actually threw up (a large amount).  Little B was sitting right next to her and decided to play in it.  Put the dog in the kennel and cleaned up the kids.  Went back to cleaning up the dog only to have her shake poop all over when I got her wet in the tub. 

Thanks for sharing Libbe! 

We live in Wisconsin

On my way to work today I passed 3-4 people running in the dark, in the rain, in 40 degrees... Because the weather is supposed to be bad later. Wisconsin.

lunch-making fail

My husband got this idea to help with the morning rush by making the kids' lunches....

31 Days of Words {Day 31}

We made it! That was a difficult challenge - I like to write when I feel like writing, and when I have something great to share. On the days when I wasn't feeling it, it was hard to let go and post something I felt was mediocre. But I made it to the end of the month.

Here's a look back at all the words of the day. Repeat, Creative, Quiet, Accomplishment, Compassion, Golden, Home, Reconnect, Routine, Individuality, Stifle, Chocolate, Dreary, Catch-up, Pasta, Challenged, Pink, Fleece, Scraps, Blur, YoMama, Planning, Nada, Yankee, Tunes, Patchwork, Rainbow, BFF, Homecoming, Sisters... Finally.

it's kinda creepy

Yesterday we went to my sister's house for some Halloween fun. My sisters and I change our hair color a lot, and were all a little lighter over the summer. All three of us showed up last night dark - completely unplanned. Freaky.

pay attention to the signs

Sometimes life is busy and confusing, and I forget to breathe. And then a beautiful sign helps me pull it together again. I stopped and pulled over into a parking lot - a church parking lot, no less - to take this pic.

homecoming

This is what my oldest has been doing since she graduated from high school.

my BFF

In grade school I was tall and awkward, with glasses and eventually braces. Although I got along with everyone by high school, I only had a few real friends. I am a lot the same as an adult - my circles include dozens of people on the surface level, but it takes me a long time to open up and share enough to build those real friendships (the awkward part is still just the same).

This week, and today especially, I am so grateful for my best friend from grade school who is still my best friend 25 32 years later. :)

there's more to it than sewing...

Last weekend when my daughter was home, she decided she wanted to make a quilt over the winter. We chose a patchwork pattern, pulled out the fabric stash, and washed a load fabric. I don't think she realized how much quilting involves ironing and cutting.... good thing I like both!

warm smells

We burn candles all winter. They seem to take the chill out of the air just enough that we can keep the heat a little lower. This time of year is my favorite because I love the fall scents like cinnamon, hazelnut, mulled cider, and caramel pecan!

just follow the crowd

Today was one of the final cross country meets heading into the state competition. Beautiful day and the course was close to home. The kids were hoping for some personal records, and good finishes to move forward with.

I don't know who planned the course, but what a mess. Most of the course was too tight to pass, in some places the leaves had blown back over the course leaving no indication where to go, and I have never been to a race where the runners have to stop on the course and wait for cross-traffic runners to pass. God help you if you got separated from the pack at this one....

no, YOUR mama

Why do so many of my posts deal with food? There is a new frozen yogurt place in Milwaukee - serve yourself, soft serve, with all the fixings. Thank goodness I have my kids to find these places for me....

coffee, coffee, coffee

Some days go by so fast. One thing to the next, taking in new info and tossing out old, going from little things to big things and back. You get to a point where you just say whatever... and then you get more coffee. That was today.

scraps and lists

My mom was a list maker. She wrote on little scraps of paper, napkins, the back or receipts - and she stuck them everywhere. And I'm just like that. Today I wrote a grocery list on the cardboard sleeve from a coffee cup. I purposely slip them into books, drawers, and stacks of papers sometimes - I like the surprise of coming across them later!

60 seems warm in April...

I gave in an turned the heat on - I swear I only turned it on for a few minutes. I am trying so hard to get to November without it.

It's not even really cold outside yet. The sun isn't strong enough to keep the ground warm overnight. Later in the year, when we have all adjusted to the cold, this will seem wonderful, but today 60 degrees in the house was not nice to wake up to. The house had such a chill that no one could get warm. Thank God for fleece.

Grown-up Gummies

My co-worker forwarded a story about a new trend in teen alcohol use; they are soaking candy like gummy bears, candy corn, or Swedish fish in vodka overnight. The candy absorbs all the alcohol and becomes portable and really un-suspicious. It's difficult to control the amount of alcohol being ingested, and the hazard to little kids is obvious. They are referred to as boozy bears or drunken gummies. Google search it - there's a ton of info on it. Still, I'm not sure if I should be serious or joke about this....

This is freaking brilliant - a huge step up from jello shooters. I would never have thought to try that on my own. My guess is that someone was throwing gummies around at a drinking party, a few landed in the wop and the next morning, voila.

I told my sister about it. Her kids know to ask before they drink out of someone's glass if this is "kid juice" or "grown up juice." We had a good laugh about now them having to ask if this is kid candy or grown up candy before they just pop them. And it gives a whole new perspective to grown up trick or treating.

I told my kids about it. I might be giving them ideas, but at least they will not be caught off guard if they were ever offered some, and they know that I know.

Sing along

We are in the car and the youngest keeps singing to the radio and the middle keeps changing the station. I'm not sure, but I think they might be doing it to purposely annoy each other.... :)

pink

My oldest found this t-shirt for me.

i want my t-9

Today I switched phones with my middle daughter. She wanted a flip phone again, and I thought it would be good to learn how to text on a QWERTY keyboard so we switched. I can type on a keyboard - I should be able to type on a phone keyboard right? RIGHT?!!!! How long does it take to learn how to type on a damn phone keyboard? I mean really, this is easier than T9 and I learned that.... Geez.

family dinner

When the kids were little we used to eat dinner together as a family all the time. Then as they got older and schedules got busier, we ate together less and less. Some nights we would find ourselves eating dinner at 10pm. For a while we actually ate dinner twice - 4pm and 9pm because everyone would be starving between school and sports and I didn't want them snacking on junk.

Tonight, for the first time, I think since school started, the whole family was here for dinner.

it's progress

They added groceries to our Target store. The new frozen food cases have lights that time out and turn off when no one is near them - a huge energy saving feature. So why do I still feel guilty if the lights come on in aisles I don't need when I walk by too close....

pacing myself

Nothing interesting or extraordinary. A little bit of work at home. Then an early start to the weekend by cleaning the house and getting dishes and laundry done. Picked the oldest up at school and went to the middle's cross country meet. I even had some time to go for a run with the youngest and watch tv. It reminded me of the very short time when the kids were little and I stayed home with them. What a different pace.

yep it's October

I work downtown, about 20 miles form home. When conditions are right, the fog comes in from the lake to the downtown area. This morning the fog covered the tops of most of the buildings. Driving in, the sky went from sunny to overcast in less than a mile - like driving into a dream. By mid-morning the rain rolled in and stuck around all day. The drive back out into the sunlight was beautiful.

i can't come to work today...

Part of my life requires me to attend some very formal meetings, like parliamentary procedure formal. This has been challenging for me in many ways for example sitting still, not swearing, and resisting the urge call people names. Every once in a while something will happen that makes me laugh, and unfortunately, that's not really formal-meeting appropriate either. Tonight I had one of those moments. I was mid-sentence when I realized it. You have no idea how hard it was to contain it... worse than the giggles in church.

at least she's good at it

I could start a blog just with pictures of this kid falling asleep in the middle of things....

college fair

Tonight my middle daughter and I went to a college fair at school. It was interesting to see how she approached the school reps, what questions she asked, and how she explained what she was thinking about studying. It was a completely different experience than attending college events with my oldest daughter.

It amazes me that all three of my kids have been raised in the same home, and are nothing alike.

It's tradition - you have to....

pups

Today was just a regular Sunday; doing wash for the start of the week, grocery shopping, cleaning the toilets. Bet you wish you were me.... Oh, yeah, almost missed the highlight of the day - took the dogs to the dog park.

I have failed as a parent.

I live in the same town I grew up in. My kids go to the same high school I went to. So it was no surprise that our 25th class reunion was held at the favorite hangout a few miles from my house. I had the middle kid drop me off so she could keep the car to go to a friend's and I didn't have to worry about getting home safely. So apparently I have failed as a parent because when she came back to pick me up, she walked in wearing a t-shirt from the rival school, a detail which did not escape my former classmates. I'm not sure, but I think I might have some explaining to do...

long shadows

has it been that long?

Tonight was my 25th class reunion. I was talking to one of the spouses, who mentioned something about not knowing any of the people at the party, and I said, "that's ok, neither do I."

Except for the 2-3 close friends I have kept, most of my former classmates are not people I know, even if I was friends with them in high school. There are some that I know about through the magic of Facebook. But most - their families, their jobs, where they live - I know as much about them as I do about some of my neighbors or co-workers. It was really nice to get to know them again - or for the first time.

is this what they mean by dog days?

Today I picked my oldest up at school, and we spent the day at home. The weather was beautiful and we ate lunch outside, opened all the windows, and watched Law and Order reruns while napping. I don't remember the last time I had such a  lazy day.

Today's word: Home.

golden day

I spent a few hours driving today, and a lot of it took me through part of the state forest. Everything is yellow and brown, not our usual fall colors, but still so vivid. Maybe the colors are exceptional this year, or maybe they just are to me. Today was one of those days I will remember as content: no rushing, no conflicts, no drama - just a regular day. Today was a golden day.

saving Chip

My oldest daughter moved about an hour away to college over the summer (more on that later - lots more). She texted me at work today and asked if I could call her as soon as I got a chance. I knew it wasn't an emergency but was important, so as soon as my meeting was over I called.

Turns out she found a chipmunk on campus with a broken paw, so she scooped it up and put it in a box of blankets and took it to her dorm room. She called several vets in the small town, but none were equipped to deal with wild animals. She finally reached a wild animal rescue an hour away who could take it but could not come to pick it up, and she is car-less.

Through the years we have had numerous small creatures, and have been late for school and important meetings to capture stray dogs and return wandering turtles to the pond. There was really no debate. I was driving an hour to pick up Chip, and take him to the vet, another hour away. Unfortunately, Chip didn't make it, and he is now buried in the yard with our family pets. But it makes me happy that my kids realize the value of a life - of any kind, and will go out of their way to save one - even a little, scruffy one.

i don't run

I have never been a runner. When I had PT tests and stuff for the fire department, I always came in right at the time limit; if we had to run an 8 minute mile I did it in 7:58. The longest I ever ran in one single stretch was a mile and a half. Ever, in my whole life.

This summer I decided to start running so that instead of dropping my middle daughter off at cross country practice I could stay and work out too, maybe even participate in one of the community run/walks they do during the year. Well I made the mistake of mentioning this to the kids, and the oldest asked, "so which run did you sign up for?" I had a lot of excuses. She was relentless.

I decided I better find a training plan and get going. There seemed to be two choices (other than "just run"). Both plans were based on running for a set amount, then walking for a set amount - then repeating and increasing the intensity. And that's where I got stuck. Did I want the plan that went by miles? What if I added a quarter mile each week like it said but couldn't do the whole 5k by the event? If I chose the plan that went by time, what if I built up my time to run for 40 minutes, but that turned out to be only 2 miles? All you runners are rolling your eyes and laughing at my dilemma - just like my sister did.

I decided I needed to map out a 5K and go running. I really had no concept of how far that was to run or how fast I could walk it. Turns out, I was worrying over nothing. Not only did I run the whole thing, I did 3 miles in 36 minutes... 12-13 minute miles. A few weeks of that, and I'll be all set to go for the November event. And I found out I actually kind of LIKE running.

it's so quiet

About a year ago I tried something we'll call the Wake Up Early Experiment. This experiment started because of a beautiful idea about enjoying a cup of coffee while getting a few things done in the peacefulness of the early morning - from Remodeling this Life in last year's 31 Days of Living Simply.

Anyone who knows me can predict how this went: Wake Up Early - Attempt 1 and Wake Up Early - Attempt 2. The experiment was canceled at the request of all involved.

Just a year later, and I have been waking up at 5:00 am for a whole month. And it is nice. The house is quiet. Better yet, the neighborhood is quiet, so I can sit outside with the dogs or go for a run - alone.

Funny how sometimes when you stop trying so hard, some things get easier.

sorting through the stash

The last few weeks I have completed some of the things on my gigantic to do list. Just this week I am finding some space in my life to think again.

Maybe it was sorting through the quilt fabric and craft supplies, or deciding if whether to keep or refurbish the worn out garden art. And maybe it is just this time of year - you know all the crayons and glue floating around. Whatever.

31 Days of Words

One of the best ways to build a habit is to commit to repeating the activity every day. So, I thought participating in the 31 Days series would be a great way to get back into blogging mode again. The concept is simple... pick a topic and blog about it for 31 days. Check out all the 31 Day participants at The Inspired Room.

Welcome to my 31 Days of Words. Not new super-smarty pants words, not the four letter ones either. Just a word that describes my day. Simple and manageable - another key to successful habit-building.

Want to see the whole month in one place?

fall cleaning

 Well THAT took longer than I thought.

I thought I would just put a few things away, and wound up spending the better part of September cleaning, purging, and organizing. Everything. Closets, cupboards, email, bills - everything. I don't think well and have a hard time focusing when the thing in my life get out of control. This is probably the the reason I like minimalist style and blogs about organizing.

a two-fer

Ha. I dropped my youngest off at physical therapy, drove to the dealership for car maintenance, and paid the bills by phone before picking her up again. I love when multi-tasking works out.

wish i had one....

So, middle daughter babysat for my sister's kids today. I dropped her off while running some errands and they said they's bring her back. My 16 year old, who has had her license less than 2 months, and has never driven stick,  arrived home, driving my brother-in-law's Miata. And the best uncle award goes to....

but it's for children

The youngest saw a commercial on tv... a fishing fundraiser for children's cancer. "Ironic", she said, "Let's kill fish for children."

my commute home today

On my bike ride home today I snapped this. All the bridges downtown have flags in remembrance of 9-11.

like mother, like daughter

Tonight I told the youngest it was time for bed, and she said she still had Spanish homework to do. I asked why she had been shooting around in the driveway for an hour if she still had homework. She replied, "I'm a procrastinator. It's what I do."

I can't believe it....

I haven't posted in so long, and yet I still have visitors. And people asking me when I'm gonna start writing again. Or if I died. Life has been crazy here - I'll circle back around and explain later - for now my goal is to get all those things I have been scribbling on receipts and napkins posted where they belong. Things they are a changin' - better check back often....

all set for the first day of school