Sunday, Oct 30, 2011
Happy Sunday, Saloners!
October has been a busy month for us girls. The twins and I have enjoyed all of the Halloween festivities and parties which we have attended. Every year I usually decorate the house to the hilt, but this year I decided to be a minimalist and keep it down to one carved pumpkin. I’m sure the twins will do some trick-or-treating, but I have full intent on watching Dancing With the Stars and passing out candy in my comfy clothes.
As October comes to a close, I look back at this pivotal month in my life. As I’ve shared in past posts, my family has come dangerously close to losing our home to foreclosure. Last week, we were able to finalize a new deal with the lender. Signed documents and hard-earned dollars were sent off to seal the new deal. The end result was a permanently modified loan in which we can manage our monthly payment and remain in our home. All praise be to God for his graciousness and his infinite plan for our lives.
Looking back at the past 6 months, the underlying stress of not knowing what will happen to my family and I took its toll on us. Looking forward, I want to focus on gratefulness and how to make my life a more complete one. I’m turning 42 this week. 42. I don’t know where the time has gone. What shall I make of the next 8 years of my life? What strives can I make in my career, in my personal growth, and with getting my twins through high school and off to college? What can I do to make the next year a better year…? I know that I want to start gardening again, start some home improvements, and fall in love with my home life again. I want to pick up the pen and start writing more… finish those unfinished projects. Maybe I should take a dance class? No matter if I choose all directions or pick just one, I look forward to feeling more grounded and forward-thinking.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I am looking forward to Daylight Savings occurring next weekend and gaining an extra hour of sleep (at least for a short while). As we start the new week, I wish you all a Happy Halloween and the beginning of a great Fall season.
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Posted in Personal Blogs
Saturday, Sep 24, 2011
Good morning, Soccer Moms!
Today we’re off for another day of AYSO youth soccer. This afternoon, the twins will square off against another Girls Level 16 team. I am hopeful that they will have a great game. I’m taking my mom with me. It’s her birthday (Happy Birthday, Mom).
I’m planning on bringing along (for half-time) this book that I am currently reading and really into called Molokai. It’s the story of a girl who is taken from her family and sent to live in a leper colony on the Hawaiian Island, Molakoi. Great book so far.
I recently recommended to a co-worker the book Pride & Prejudice. She came into the office this week and told me that she loved it. You know, I was unsure about recommending a classic, but it really made me feel good to know that I shared something that means so much to me to another who was glad that she read it. It’s not like recommending a popular paperback like The Help (which she also enjoyed)… there’s a risk that somebody might not love a classic as much as you. Anyway, I just wanted to share how cool it was that book recommendation worked out because I just love that book! When it was recommended to me, I didn’t want to read it… but was forever changed afterwards.
So… I’m off for a day of cheering and celebrating with my mom and daughters. It’s what Saturdays are all about… family.
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Posted in Personal Blogs
Sunday, Sep 4, 2011
My garage is like one of those that you see on TLC… where you have hoarded things over the years and have a tough time getting rid of anything. Based on the looming potential of losing my home to my lender (update: the legal case is dragging on forever), my family volunteered to pitch in and help me lighten my load. If I have to move, the garage must be addressed.
My family came over armed for bear with gloves and masks, my mother brought lunch and my brother brought beer.
Up into the rafters we went. We yanked everything out, cleaned the garage, slimmed down my belongings, and put the remains (neatly labeled), back in. We made a run to the dump and a trip to the Goodwill. We filled up two 3-yard bins full of stuff. I started at 8:30 in the morning and we were done by 4:30 in the afternoon. Everybody was pooped.
Emotionally, it was difficult for me to let go of the material items and sift through the memories. But, it was necessary. Since everything was dragged out into my front yard, people thought that I was having a yard sale. They kept trying to make me offers on things. It was very strange. I mean… can’t you clean your garage without people thinking that it’s a garage sale?
There were some items that I just couldn’t part with… some of my children’s keepsakes from when they were babies, my doll collection from when I was a little girl, my first bible. But, I did purge a lot of old boxes of files and tax returns. We found copies of love letters sent to my grandmother before she met my grandfather. Just imagine, finding letters from the 1920′s in your garage that you didn’t know about. You see, the home I own used to be owned by my grandparents. It’s a family home. When I went inside the house at the end of the day, I found a closet door had been opened while we all were outside. Hmm… was grandma upset that we read her letters aloud?
The end result is a clean and happy garage, where items are so well organized that I could choreograph a dance routine in there with my car parked inside. It’s a welcome site. But, it was a hard day. I’m glad that it’s over with and that I don’t have to look back.
I have one more trip to take to the Goodwill. Besides some laundry, no more labor for me this weekend. It’s all about R&R for the remainder of the weekend. Sleeping, eating, reading (*currently reading Molokai for an upcoming book review*) is all that is on my agenda.
All my best to you for a wonderful, labor-less, holiday weekend!
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Posted in Personal Blogs
Sunday, Aug 28, 2011
It’s dark.
She hasn’t seen her date in over 4 months and had only met him once before.
The bar is crowded.
She sees a man with short hair who she believes resembles her date.
She approaches and places her hand on his back.
“Hi. So sorry that I am late.”
He looks at her, but does not answer.
“I was running behind and thanks for waiting.”
He asks if he can buy her a drink.
“Yes. A margarita would be great. So, how long have you been waiting?”
He looks confused.
“Matt?”
“No.”
“Oh, Dear God! I am so sorry, I thought you were my date.”
“It’s quite alright.”
She dies of embarressment as her actual date in the corner of the bar witnesses the entire exchange.
“Did you forget what I look like or something?”
Recovery is deemed impossible.
First dates are the worst… especially if you are as rusty as I at them.
(Head under the pillow night).
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Posted in Personal Blogs
Wednesday, Aug 24, 2011
Writing.
Writers.
Expression.
Letting the words escape from my head and make their way to paper, or in this case, the screen just seems to set me free.
Less stress.
Less worry.
As a woman, at times it feels as though I have a spinning Rolodex in my mind. (For young people, that was what we used at work instead of v-cards.) Thoughts about everything and nothing just taking their rounds in my mind. Is this why writers write? Or readers read? To escape the myriad of continual thoughts running rampid amongst the mind? For me, I believe that answer is “yes.”
All I need today is to get those words out of my mind.
Digital Dating.
What is up with that? I’m trying it. I feel like an old Volkswagon bug trying to keep up on an Indy 500 course with the most finely tuned race cars circling right past me on the track. I am officially feeling like an 80 year old woman in a room full of 25 year old men. I just don’t know how to navigate the dating scene any more. I’m truthfully in the prime of my life, but feel too old to be doing this.
I tried going to the bars.
Nightmare.
Let’s just leave it at that.
Work.
Work is something to be so grateful for. Isn’t it the greatest double-edge sword in your life? I am in a stagnant stage of pure appreciation for the opportunity to work in today’s economy, yet definitely regretful that I continue to put in more hours than are healthy for me. It gets in the way of everything… yoga class, dance class, spending more time with my children…. but, a total necessary requirement of existence.
And, there’s that.
The Children.
The 14-year old female is one to be reckoned with, let me assure you. And, I have two of them. I want to enjoy them so much because I see that time has flown by us. They will fly the coop sooner than I know it. But the time that we have is often a time of negotiation, direction, and careful parenting. Where’s the fun in that? They spent all summer doing a hodge-podge of things… all without me. Again, that four-letter word: work.
Entertainment.
I’m so happy that The Help was finally released onto the big screen. I want to add it to my list of “things to do,” yet I know that it will end up a renter. Bachelor Pad.. my guilty pleasure and escape. I swear to you that watching it has a mind-numbing effect. I literally am able to stop that Rolodex for the entire duration of that show. Now, if only it could be on every other night after work.
Exercise.
I feel motivated when I leave the office, yet exhausted the moment that the heels come off. I need to treat myself better… lose more weight.
Diet.
So, I bought a chicken salad for lunch today and it arrived without the chicken. $7 for lettuce and dressing. How sad is that? I should have just settled for the Lean Cuisine and saved the dough. But, the diet has been good to me. My blood levels are awesome and my Diabetes is very much under control right now. (Yeah for me… oh so proud).
Dating, again.
I have a date this weekend. I’m nervous. How do you ever know what to wear on first dates? Really… I want to know.
Sleep.
I’m hoping to have some tonight because I shared my words with you today.
Good-night and thanks for reading my diary today.
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Posted in Personal Blogs
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