I was going to post about the Facebook posts that made me laugh or that were just awesome. That is not happening today. Why, you may ask? Well, there was something on AHC today about Pompeii. Like, hours of it. I totally got sucked in. It was interesting, well done and just amazing. I abandoned Facebook and spent the afternoon watching TV.
Household tip from Pompeii, 79 AD.... Urine, dumped in the wash water, will help get the grease stains out of clothing. Not sure what it did to the feet and legs of the slaves walking around in the dirty laundry, water, soap and urine.......maybe that is where the idea for adding a "Spring Fresh Scent" came from.
Cooking tip....always try a new recipe before actually planning to use it....I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight. Apparently there was a typo in the baking directions. It was called Cheese Pudding...bread cubes, cheese, milk and eggs, baked for forty minutes at 275 degrees, until browned on top and risen. It smelled good but barely the cheese was barely melted. It had not risen an inch. I turned the heat up to 350 degrees and left it in for 20 more minutes. It finally did rise and the top was bubbly and browned. The bits of bread cubes sticking out were nice and crunchy, but below the top layer, it was all mushy and, well, gross. It went in the trash. Will try it again at 350 degrees and see if it's better. I'm glad my husband made mashed potatoes and corn to go with dinner and didn't rely on my contribution.
Laundry tip.......remembering to take the load of laundry OUT of the washing machine the day you wash it makes for a much better smelling laundry area. No, I didn't use urine as a stain remover, but I bet it wouldn't have smelled any worse if I had. I washed a load Friday night and totally forgot about it. I added a cup of vinegar to the water once the machine filled and let it sit for an hour. Its rewashing now.
Looking forward to a rather boring, mundane week. I'm lowering my ambitions and hope to get 2 things crossed off my To Do list each day, instead of an entire list every day. You would think I'd learn that SOMETHING is bound to go wrong and even the best laid plans will get messed up.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Did You Make the Cut?
I haven't blogged in a while. I have a friend who did the I told you so...and she is right. So, I am back. Did you miss me? Lots of silly, inane and ridiculous things have happened. I will gradually get to those. I have decided to go in a new direction.....intersperse the riveting tales of chaos and confusion from my house with my favorite Facebook status updates. You know, the ones that make you smile. Keep checking back, you never know if you made the cut......so, for the inaugural post of You Made Me Smile Today.....(drum roll, please....)
My friend Christine who posted she's going off the rails of the Crazy Train. Poor delusional woman. She is SO driving that Crazy Train and has been off the rails for years. (Psst, this is NOT a status update, its a status quo)
Tammie couldn't read because she couldn't remember her password. While I do love my Kindle, nothing beats a real live book. They don't go dead and need to be recharged. They also don't require a password. You will all be pleased to know that password or not, Tammie does know how to read and reads quite a bit.
Victoria, a fellow hockey fan, who agrees my husband's "amusing" purchase of a Montreal Canadiens Tshirt was a capital offense. (no hockey pun intended) The fact he actually wore it-a mortal sin. My daughter agrees. She wouldn't look at her father, acknowledge him or speak to him all day, until he put a Bruins T shirt on after dinner.
Donna somehow said yes to her 12 year old daughter having a sleep over with 5 of her friends while in the middle of a phone call. Very smooth, girl child, getting mom when she was distracted. That made me smile, but the awesomeness of the post? She not only let her daughter give her a make over....but she also posted MULTIPLE pictures of her with this makeup all over her face. That's an awesome mom.
The last, but in my opinion, best post of the day...my friend Pauline has a 13 year old son who is a primordial dwarf (he's toddler sized) He was being obnoxious and mouthy (shocking at his age..NOT) and his brother in law put him in the freezer. She posted pictures of his head barely peeking over the top of the door and his feet resting on the top of the refrigerator door. Her son in law was standing in front of the freezer, holding the mouthy little darling in the freezer while holding the freezer door open. I heard first hand that it worked, he really did chill out!!!
My favorite non Facebook conversation occurred in my own house. Our cat George is wonderful and lovable, but when his tail is twitching......back off. The funny episode went something like this.
Sarah: Daddy, George's tail is twitching. Don't touch him.
Michael: Georgie kitty is fine.
Sarah: Daddy, George's tail is twitching. Stop touching him.
Michael: oh, not Georgie kitty loves..OUCH you little turd.
Sarah: Daddy, you bleed on the love seat Mummy is going to be really mad. (turning to me) Mummy, is it THAT frustrating when I don't listen to you? Daddy was really irritating when he wouldn't listen.
Me: CRACKING UP.
There you have it. A summation of some of the things my friends posted that made me smile. Tune in tomorrow. Will you make the cut? Don't worry if you DO make the cut. I will only use first names in my blog posts. Before I post anything personal or identifying, I will check with you first.
My friend Christine who posted she's going off the rails of the Crazy Train. Poor delusional woman. She is SO driving that Crazy Train and has been off the rails for years. (Psst, this is NOT a status update, its a status quo)
Tammie couldn't read because she couldn't remember her password. While I do love my Kindle, nothing beats a real live book. They don't go dead and need to be recharged. They also don't require a password. You will all be pleased to know that password or not, Tammie does know how to read and reads quite a bit.
Victoria, a fellow hockey fan, who agrees my husband's "amusing" purchase of a Montreal Canadiens Tshirt was a capital offense. (no hockey pun intended) The fact he actually wore it-a mortal sin. My daughter agrees. She wouldn't look at her father, acknowledge him or speak to him all day, until he put a Bruins T shirt on after dinner.
Donna somehow said yes to her 12 year old daughter having a sleep over with 5 of her friends while in the middle of a phone call. Very smooth, girl child, getting mom when she was distracted. That made me smile, but the awesomeness of the post? She not only let her daughter give her a make over....but she also posted MULTIPLE pictures of her with this makeup all over her face. That's an awesome mom.
The last, but in my opinion, best post of the day...my friend Pauline has a 13 year old son who is a primordial dwarf (he's toddler sized) He was being obnoxious and mouthy (shocking at his age..NOT) and his brother in law put him in the freezer. She posted pictures of his head barely peeking over the top of the door and his feet resting on the top of the refrigerator door. Her son in law was standing in front of the freezer, holding the mouthy little darling in the freezer while holding the freezer door open. I heard first hand that it worked, he really did chill out!!!
My favorite non Facebook conversation occurred in my own house. Our cat George is wonderful and lovable, but when his tail is twitching......back off. The funny episode went something like this.
Sarah: Daddy, George's tail is twitching. Don't touch him.
Michael: Georgie kitty is fine.
Sarah: Daddy, George's tail is twitching. Stop touching him.
Michael: oh, not Georgie kitty loves..OUCH you little turd.
Sarah: Daddy, you bleed on the love seat Mummy is going to be really mad. (turning to me) Mummy, is it THAT frustrating when I don't listen to you? Daddy was really irritating when he wouldn't listen.
Me: CRACKING UP.
There you have it. A summation of some of the things my friends posted that made me smile. Tune in tomorrow. Will you make the cut? Don't worry if you DO make the cut. I will only use first names in my blog posts. Before I post anything personal or identifying, I will check with you first.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Trying New Things
My daughter wanted to take ice skating lessons. Sounded like a good idea. She would get 5 weeks of lessons, free skate rental for the lessons and free open skating with skate lessons for the duration of the lesson time. I asked her if it would be okay if I took lessons at the same time, as the two of us could have something to do together.
We took our first lesson today. It was 35 degrees and raining when we left the house. We got off our exit, it was 31 degrees and still raining. Made it to the rink, hopped out of the truck and almost went on my butt right there. We signed in, got our skates and headed to the locker room we were assigned to put our skates on.
At lesson time, Sarah went off with her class. My class was meeting at the other side of the rink...and on the other end of the rink. Um, how was I going to get over there? I skated a few times as a kid on the lake. Stopping involved either grabbing a post on a dock or skating into a snowbank. That was way back when I didn't realize I could hurt myself. Today I was a wee bit more tentative. I made it to our meeting spot with no mishaps, because I held onto the wall all the way around. No brave moves here! There were a few other women in the class, one had skated before but wanted to learn to go backwards, another had never been on skates and another was like me, had been on skates way back when.
First thing we learned? How to fall. We were told to put our hands on our knees and then touch our toes and sit on the ice. I glanced left and right, the women on each side of me were doing exactly what we were told. I can't touch my toes on a good day on my own two feet, let alone on skates. Okay, hands on knees, I can do that. Touch toes......my brain said sure, My back said, are you kidding me? I managed VERY ungracefully to get down on the ice. Then, the instructor said, get on your hands and knees and stand up. No problem, I can do that. I got on my hands and knees and went to get up..not as easy as you'd think but I was doing it. All of a sudden, 5 heads whipped around to stare at me. Apparently, not everyone else's knees make noises like that. Two more people joined the class. Our instructor had us all do the falling down and getting up again. I opted to skip the second practice.
Next, we went across the ice. Push, push, glide. No problem. Push, push, gli..stop. Push, push, gli..stop. Even weight on both skates when you glide called the instructor. Push, push, glide. Push, push, glide. Hey, I've got this! Thankfully, we only went from side to side. We didn't have to worry about stopping or turning, we just grabbed the wall, turned around and off we went in the other direction. Once we mastered that (and so far we were all on our skates with no falls) we had to do something called swizzles, where you push your feet out and then pull them back in and push them back out. The instructor did a great job and every time she brought her feet together she would glide with speed across the ice. I was able to push my feet out but when I'd bring them in, I'd come to a screeching halt. Push, push, glide. Push feet out, pull feet in. Stop. Push, push, glide. Push feet out, pull feet in....OH IT'S WORKING I DID IT ONCE!!!!. I dropped my hands and looked down at feet and WHOA, LEAN BACK, LEAN FORWARD, HOLY CRAP, I pulled it off and didn't fall. Phew, that was close.
At the end of the 30 minutes, I was a lot more tired than I anticipated, my quads were letting me know they had done more work than they were used to, but I hadn't fallen. Instead of holding onto the wall to get back to the door off the ice, Sarah and I actually skated to the door. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fast, but we were gliding! We both agreed it was fun and we are looking forward to out next lesson.
Beginning skating advice is good life advice. Push, push, glide. Work hard, push yourself but always remember to glide. You can't push all the time, you need to take a break and assess the situation before you push again.
We took our first lesson today. It was 35 degrees and raining when we left the house. We got off our exit, it was 31 degrees and still raining. Made it to the rink, hopped out of the truck and almost went on my butt right there. We signed in, got our skates and headed to the locker room we were assigned to put our skates on.
At lesson time, Sarah went off with her class. My class was meeting at the other side of the rink...and on the other end of the rink. Um, how was I going to get over there? I skated a few times as a kid on the lake. Stopping involved either grabbing a post on a dock or skating into a snowbank. That was way back when I didn't realize I could hurt myself. Today I was a wee bit more tentative. I made it to our meeting spot with no mishaps, because I held onto the wall all the way around. No brave moves here! There were a few other women in the class, one had skated before but wanted to learn to go backwards, another had never been on skates and another was like me, had been on skates way back when.
First thing we learned? How to fall. We were told to put our hands on our knees and then touch our toes and sit on the ice. I glanced left and right, the women on each side of me were doing exactly what we were told. I can't touch my toes on a good day on my own two feet, let alone on skates. Okay, hands on knees, I can do that. Touch toes......my brain said sure, My back said, are you kidding me? I managed VERY ungracefully to get down on the ice. Then, the instructor said, get on your hands and knees and stand up. No problem, I can do that. I got on my hands and knees and went to get up..not as easy as you'd think but I was doing it. All of a sudden, 5 heads whipped around to stare at me. Apparently, not everyone else's knees make noises like that. Two more people joined the class. Our instructor had us all do the falling down and getting up again. I opted to skip the second practice.
Next, we went across the ice. Push, push, glide. No problem. Push, push, gli..stop. Push, push, gli..stop. Even weight on both skates when you glide called the instructor. Push, push, glide. Push, push, glide. Hey, I've got this! Thankfully, we only went from side to side. We didn't have to worry about stopping or turning, we just grabbed the wall, turned around and off we went in the other direction. Once we mastered that (and so far we were all on our skates with no falls) we had to do something called swizzles, where you push your feet out and then pull them back in and push them back out. The instructor did a great job and every time she brought her feet together she would glide with speed across the ice. I was able to push my feet out but when I'd bring them in, I'd come to a screeching halt. Push, push, glide. Push feet out, pull feet in. Stop. Push, push, glide. Push feet out, pull feet in....OH IT'S WORKING I DID IT ONCE!!!!. I dropped my hands and looked down at feet and WHOA, LEAN BACK, LEAN FORWARD, HOLY CRAP, I pulled it off and didn't fall. Phew, that was close.
At the end of the 30 minutes, I was a lot more tired than I anticipated, my quads were letting me know they had done more work than they were used to, but I hadn't fallen. Instead of holding onto the wall to get back to the door off the ice, Sarah and I actually skated to the door. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fast, but we were gliding! We both agreed it was fun and we are looking forward to out next lesson.
Beginning skating advice is good life advice. Push, push, glide. Work hard, push yourself but always remember to glide. You can't push all the time, you need to take a break and assess the situation before you push again.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Organization...The Ever Elusive Concept
On Monday, I put Christmas away. It's always bittersweet. I am sad to see the season be over, but I am ready to get my house back. I will also admit I'm not a fan of the 21 plastic tubs up the stairs. Some are heavy, as I have lots of books that get packed away to make room for Santas, snowmen and nutcrackers. It's always challenging to figure out how to pack the tubs so that everything fits. I'm always moving things from this tub to that tub and crossing my fingers that the lid will latch.
My husband usually helps me by being a tub lugger. The rule of thumb is as soon as a tub comes upstairs, the lid comes off. Once a tub has been packed and ready, the lid goes back on so he knows what he can take downstairs and what needs to be stepped over or around. However, this year, I did it on a weekday and Michael was not home.
I was proud of myself for having everything packed and all the tubs put back downstairs. On Tuesday, I started putting the regular stuff back where it belonged. On Wednesday, I brought the trash cans in from the curb (Wednesday is trash day) and continued working on putting order to the chaos. I realized I was missing about 12 books, some antique bottles, a sailing trophy and a few items we had picked up in our travels over the years. I knew I had emptied every tub but had some extra newspaper and 2 empty boxes that I had thrown out. Could I have accidentally thrown out the missing items? I got that uneasy feeling but didn't have time to worry about it.
Thursday, I decided to tackle the tubs. I HAD to find my stuff. I know it sounds trivial, as it is just stuff, but it is MY stuff and I like MY stuff...some old books from my grandfather, a trophy from the first sailing series I sailed as a married woman (yes, when they announced the skipper, my dad, and then me as crew, they used my married name and I yelled, hey, I was Dad's crew, who is this other Michèle chick...and my husband said, sweetie, we are married, you aren't Michèle Nolin anymore, you are Michèle Wood. Go get your trophy. Okay, so it took me a while to get into the married groove), a really cool loon sculpture we found on a ski trip to Mont Tremblant and a hand blown glass piggy bank I purchased in Austria, filled with Austrian shillings.
I went into the cellar and stared at the 21 tubs packed to the brim with Christmas decorations. I grabbed the first tub and started poking through it. Nothing. As I continued to search , I realized that I didn't do a very organized job packing, but the Christmas decorations were all put away and I wasn't dealing with repacking, I needed to find the missing stuff. I struck gold on Tub #7. The books, the bottles, the trophy, the bank and the loon, all there, wrapped in newspaper. Apparently, I'm my own worst enemy. I didn't follow my own rule and caused myself stress and extra work. But, I found my things and could breathe easier.
After putting everything back, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. I happened to glance at the dining room table and saw 2 gingerbread men, a contruction paper snowman and 3 Santa hats on the table. They had gotten missed. I was NOT digging into the tubs again. We shall see how long the orphaned Christmas decorations float around the house, getting moved her and there.....stay tuned!
My husband usually helps me by being a tub lugger. The rule of thumb is as soon as a tub comes upstairs, the lid comes off. Once a tub has been packed and ready, the lid goes back on so he knows what he can take downstairs and what needs to be stepped over or around. However, this year, I did it on a weekday and Michael was not home.
I was proud of myself for having everything packed and all the tubs put back downstairs. On Tuesday, I started putting the regular stuff back where it belonged. On Wednesday, I brought the trash cans in from the curb (Wednesday is trash day) and continued working on putting order to the chaos. I realized I was missing about 12 books, some antique bottles, a sailing trophy and a few items we had picked up in our travels over the years. I knew I had emptied every tub but had some extra newspaper and 2 empty boxes that I had thrown out. Could I have accidentally thrown out the missing items? I got that uneasy feeling but didn't have time to worry about it.
Thursday, I decided to tackle the tubs. I HAD to find my stuff. I know it sounds trivial, as it is just stuff, but it is MY stuff and I like MY stuff...some old books from my grandfather, a trophy from the first sailing series I sailed as a married woman (yes, when they announced the skipper, my dad, and then me as crew, they used my married name and I yelled, hey, I was Dad's crew, who is this other Michèle chick...and my husband said, sweetie, we are married, you aren't Michèle Nolin anymore, you are Michèle Wood. Go get your trophy. Okay, so it took me a while to get into the married groove), a really cool loon sculpture we found on a ski trip to Mont Tremblant and a hand blown glass piggy bank I purchased in Austria, filled with Austrian shillings.
I went into the cellar and stared at the 21 tubs packed to the brim with Christmas decorations. I grabbed the first tub and started poking through it. Nothing. As I continued to search , I realized that I didn't do a very organized job packing, but the Christmas decorations were all put away and I wasn't dealing with repacking, I needed to find the missing stuff. I struck gold on Tub #7. The books, the bottles, the trophy, the bank and the loon, all there, wrapped in newspaper. Apparently, I'm my own worst enemy. I didn't follow my own rule and caused myself stress and extra work. But, I found my things and could breathe easier.
After putting everything back, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. I happened to glance at the dining room table and saw 2 gingerbread men, a contruction paper snowman and 3 Santa hats on the table. They had gotten missed. I was NOT digging into the tubs again. We shall see how long the orphaned Christmas decorations float around the house, getting moved her and there.....stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
You Know, One of THOSE Friends...
We have all said it...we all have them...one of "those" friends. You know the type. You love them yet you sort of hate them at times. They tell you when you are being whiny, ridiculous, wrong, a jerk. You say you are going to do something and if you bail out, man, they ride you like nobody's business. They aren't afraid to get in your face. Quite frankly, they piss you off. You ask yourself why you keep going back for more of this crap, that you have enough on your plate without their input.
Then, you stop and think for a minute. Why are you mad? Because they pointed out things about you that aren't flattering, pleasant or nice...and you know they are right. Hearing such things is never fun, it hurts, it makes you angry and you hate it. So why DO we keep such people around?
They don't leave. They won't leave. We can't get rid of them no matter how hard we try. They are always there. No matter what. Yes, those "people" that drive you up a wall are also the ones that are there to share your joys, your triumphs, your happiness. They are there to pick up the pieces when something bad happens...be it being stood up for a date, not getting that job or something way more devastating. Those "people" aren't annoying. They are true friends. They are there when you need them, they are there when you want them. They say what you want to hear and they say what you don't want to hear. They are there and they speak. They are there and say nothing. They know when to listen. They know exactly how many times you are going to ask how stupid am I and at that magic number, look at you and say, enough wallowing. Shut up and get over it. They risk your anger and hurt feelings to tell you something you don't want to hear, because they know it's for your own good. They want their friend to be the best person possible.
Next time one of "those friends" says something you don't like, stop, listen and reflect. Are they always there, no matter what? If the answer is yes, no matter how hard it is, listen to what they have to say. It's important.
I have a bunch of "those" people in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Then, you stop and think for a minute. Why are you mad? Because they pointed out things about you that aren't flattering, pleasant or nice...and you know they are right. Hearing such things is never fun, it hurts, it makes you angry and you hate it. So why DO we keep such people around?
They don't leave. They won't leave. We can't get rid of them no matter how hard we try. They are always there. No matter what. Yes, those "people" that drive you up a wall are also the ones that are there to share your joys, your triumphs, your happiness. They are there to pick up the pieces when something bad happens...be it being stood up for a date, not getting that job or something way more devastating. Those "people" aren't annoying. They are true friends. They are there when you need them, they are there when you want them. They say what you want to hear and they say what you don't want to hear. They are there and they speak. They are there and say nothing. They know when to listen. They know exactly how many times you are going to ask how stupid am I and at that magic number, look at you and say, enough wallowing. Shut up and get over it. They risk your anger and hurt feelings to tell you something you don't want to hear, because they know it's for your own good. They want their friend to be the best person possible.
Next time one of "those friends" says something you don't like, stop, listen and reflect. Are they always there, no matter what? If the answer is yes, no matter how hard it is, listen to what they have to say. It's important.
I have a bunch of "those" people in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Um, Well....What Was the Question???
I almost didn't blog tonight. I may regret the decision to blog tonight as soon as I hit publish. I can't be witty and insightful and entertaining every day. Really, no one can without the help of pharmaceuticals, be they prescribed or recreational.
Today was a busy day. I'm not complaining, I'm stating fact. Lots of positive things happened....I got lunches packed and children to school on time. I met a friend to go walk around the interior of the mall. I always thought it an "old lady" activity, but the sidewalks are too icy, my asthma will go nutty in the 10 degree air and I'm too cheap for pay for a gym membership and bore myself to death on a treadmill.
I also washed, folded and put away 3 loads of laundry, baked and frosted cupcakes for my daughter's rescheduled Girl Scout Christmas party, scheduled an appointment to get my son's hand looked at (he has a wart), realized I have no clue what one wears to an ice skating lesson, so I called to get that information. I answered 3 emails that were not social in nature, did a sink full of dishes, started to make some sense of the post Christmas chaos that has taken over my house and remembered to eat lunch.
I picked up the kids from school....emptied backpacks and lunch boxes..started on homework then it was time for an appointment for me, which I was on time for. (Yippee for time management) I came home, got Sarah organized and dropped off with her cupcakes, Yankee Swap Gift, baby picture, dues and Girl Scout vest. I returned 7 books to the library on my way by, did homework with Griffin, helped him change into his Cub Scout uniform and off we went to visit a Boy Scout Troop. I was pretty proud of all I had accomplished..I mean, the house still looks like an F5 went through it, but the important things were done, we were on time to all activities and obligations, and we all had clean underwear in our drawers.
I pulled into the driveway tonight about 60 seconds after my friend, who very nicely brought Sarah home. As I walked up the stairs from the garage, both kids were chatting about what they had done that night and they looked at me and said, Mom, what do you do all day? The outdoor Christmas decorations are still on the floor. I know you brought them in last night so they could dry, but why didn't you put them away? You don't have a job, you are a stay at home mom.
Why did I almost not blog tonight? Aside from the fact I'm tired from my day and am not sure if I can string together coherent thoughts, I used up the rest of my energy jamming my hands in my pockets so I did not do any bodily harm to my wonderful children who ask very interesting questions at the most inopportune times. Please don't call me for a few days, either. It's going to take at least a week for my tongue to heal. I was biting it pretty hard there for a few minutes. However, I am proud of the fact I seem to be grasping the concept of time management. As to whether or not I have mastered it, check back in a few days.
Oh, I checked the calendar. I think I can stay home sometime in March, but I'm not sure......
Monday, January 6, 2014
Sometimes You Just Have to Say.....
I ran myself ragged the week before Christmas making sure all of my errands and baking and knitting and wrapping and mailing and shopping and delivering were all done. Once I picked the kids up from school for vacation, I wanted it to be all about them. What they wanted to bake, make, craft, wrap, design, play..you name it, they were in charge.
The request was made for chocolate fondue as a snack before Christmas Eve Mass. Due to Griffin's dietary requirements, we hadn't been able to do it for three years. I made the fondue, diced the pound cake, washed and hulled the strawberries and managed to only spill a few mini marshmallows as I put the platter on the table. I had time to clean up the mess, got the kids and myself showered, dressed and out the door, on time for 6:00 Christmas Eve Mass. For the first time, I pulled it off solo. Michael did not take Christmas Eve off this year. I was feeling pretty good about my time management skills. He did get home in time to pick up the Chinese food for dinner.
We were off the next day to my inlaws to celebrate Christmas and for the rest of the week, I had help. Michael was going to be home! Neither of us have ever taken time off to just stay home. We take time off to do something, go somewhere...not to be home. We were all looking forward to it. He cooked all the meals, he helped me clean out the cellar, he worked on his trains with Griffin, he and Sarah hung out and did things only dads and daughters understand. He let me sleep late, he kept the fire going, he did the dishes...it was heavenly.
That next Monday, the kids and I were sitting on the couch looking at each other. Finally, I said, well, I guess I should go see about breakfast. Michael had gone back to work. There was no french toast, eggs, bacon, english muffins, sausage..you name it...ready and waiting for us. I walked into the kitchen and the floor was cold. Yup. The kids and I slept until 9:30. The fire had gone out..there was one barely red ember in the back of the woodstove.
Normally, we "deChristmas" the house on New Year's Day. The tree gets stripped and taken outside (a chore I can't do myself) the Christmas dishes go in the cupboard above the refrigerator (really, is that not THE most useless waste of space ever?)and the everyday dishes come back out...(a job I can't do without bringing the stepladder up from the garage and we all know how much of a klutz I am and the ladder is taller than I am) and all of the Christmas decorations get packed up in plastic tub, the pictures and books that were packed away come back out and yup, you guessed it, Michael lugs them all downstairs. He even takes down the outside decorations for me.
My parents were coming on January 5th to see the kids in the Epiphany pageant at church and to celebrate Christmas with us. I decided to leave the decorations up. The kids were going back to school on January 2nd, so I could make some headway with organizing the Christmas presents, maybe start to take down a few decorations and get some sense of order back in the house. Sounded like a great plan until a winter storm decided the kids needed a full two weeks vacation. They were home Thursday. They were home Friday. It was very cold and windy. They did not go outside to play for very long. As soon as I got them all dressed and out the door, I would no sooner have my hand on something and they'd come back in, trailing hats, mittens, boots, ski pants, jackets and scarves behind them.
I don't think my parents had pulled out of the driveway yesterday before Michael was downstairs, getting the tubs for the Christmas decorations. I was pulling ornaments off of that tree so fast. Normally, I sort as I go, putting Sarah's ornaments in her box, Griffin's in his, ours in a different box. Not this year. They all went in boxes. (remind me of that when I take them out next December and curse myself for my haste) I normally coil the lights as I take them off. Nope. I was yanking and pulling those light strings like a crazy person. I didn't even move the things that were under the tree. As soon as the tree was naked, I summoned my ever faithful husband. TAKE IT TO THE CURB. NOW PLEASE. He started to say something, but shut his mouth and did as he was requested. I dumped the water out of the tree stand, tossed the tree skirt in the laundry pile and went to bed. No vacuuming, no nothing.
Today, the kids were back in school. Ah, peace, quiet...and Christmas. I started bringing tubs up and packed the decorations away. I didn't get it all done before I had to get the kids from school and take them to CCD. We got home and they had to climb and weave through the chaos of half empty and half filled tubs everywhere. Finally, I got Christmas put away. I took all the tubs downstairs and stacked them up. I had forgotten how heavy 30-plus hardcover Christmas story books are. The regular stuff is out. It's not put away, it's just out. It's stacked on the dining room table, on the bookshelves, on the footstool. There are crumbled balls of newspaper, ornament hooks, fir needles and bits of wrapping paper everywhere. After numerous trips up and down the stairs, I am sweaty, I am tired, I am dusty. I am more appreciative of my husband than I was before. The simple little things he does, just because he can, well, they really do make a difference and they do make my life that much easier. Without him around things are harder and more work.
The house is a disaster. Sometimes you just have to say......and I did. I'm on the couch, my feet are up, I have a cat next to me and a cup of tea in my hand. As soon as I hit the publish button, I'm going to go spend some quality time in a book. The mess will be here tomorrow. My husband will still be gone, working. The kids will be in school, life is slipping back into a familiar routine. For a little while tonight, however, I'm going to go be someone else, somewhere else..in the pages of a book.
The request was made for chocolate fondue as a snack before Christmas Eve Mass. Due to Griffin's dietary requirements, we hadn't been able to do it for three years. I made the fondue, diced the pound cake, washed and hulled the strawberries and managed to only spill a few mini marshmallows as I put the platter on the table. I had time to clean up the mess, got the kids and myself showered, dressed and out the door, on time for 6:00 Christmas Eve Mass. For the first time, I pulled it off solo. Michael did not take Christmas Eve off this year. I was feeling pretty good about my time management skills. He did get home in time to pick up the Chinese food for dinner.
We were off the next day to my inlaws to celebrate Christmas and for the rest of the week, I had help. Michael was going to be home! Neither of us have ever taken time off to just stay home. We take time off to do something, go somewhere...not to be home. We were all looking forward to it. He cooked all the meals, he helped me clean out the cellar, he worked on his trains with Griffin, he and Sarah hung out and did things only dads and daughters understand. He let me sleep late, he kept the fire going, he did the dishes...it was heavenly.
That next Monday, the kids and I were sitting on the couch looking at each other. Finally, I said, well, I guess I should go see about breakfast. Michael had gone back to work. There was no french toast, eggs, bacon, english muffins, sausage..you name it...ready and waiting for us. I walked into the kitchen and the floor was cold. Yup. The kids and I slept until 9:30. The fire had gone out..there was one barely red ember in the back of the woodstove.
Normally, we "deChristmas" the house on New Year's Day. The tree gets stripped and taken outside (a chore I can't do myself) the Christmas dishes go in the cupboard above the refrigerator (really, is that not THE most useless waste of space ever?)and the everyday dishes come back out...(a job I can't do without bringing the stepladder up from the garage and we all know how much of a klutz I am and the ladder is taller than I am) and all of the Christmas decorations get packed up in plastic tub, the pictures and books that were packed away come back out and yup, you guessed it, Michael lugs them all downstairs. He even takes down the outside decorations for me.
My parents were coming on January 5th to see the kids in the Epiphany pageant at church and to celebrate Christmas with us. I decided to leave the decorations up. The kids were going back to school on January 2nd, so I could make some headway with organizing the Christmas presents, maybe start to take down a few decorations and get some sense of order back in the house. Sounded like a great plan until a winter storm decided the kids needed a full two weeks vacation. They were home Thursday. They were home Friday. It was very cold and windy. They did not go outside to play for very long. As soon as I got them all dressed and out the door, I would no sooner have my hand on something and they'd come back in, trailing hats, mittens, boots, ski pants, jackets and scarves behind them.
I don't think my parents had pulled out of the driveway yesterday before Michael was downstairs, getting the tubs for the Christmas decorations. I was pulling ornaments off of that tree so fast. Normally, I sort as I go, putting Sarah's ornaments in her box, Griffin's in his, ours in a different box. Not this year. They all went in boxes. (remind me of that when I take them out next December and curse myself for my haste) I normally coil the lights as I take them off. Nope. I was yanking and pulling those light strings like a crazy person. I didn't even move the things that were under the tree. As soon as the tree was naked, I summoned my ever faithful husband. TAKE IT TO THE CURB. NOW PLEASE. He started to say something, but shut his mouth and did as he was requested. I dumped the water out of the tree stand, tossed the tree skirt in the laundry pile and went to bed. No vacuuming, no nothing.
Today, the kids were back in school. Ah, peace, quiet...and Christmas. I started bringing tubs up and packed the decorations away. I didn't get it all done before I had to get the kids from school and take them to CCD. We got home and they had to climb and weave through the chaos of half empty and half filled tubs everywhere. Finally, I got Christmas put away. I took all the tubs downstairs and stacked them up. I had forgotten how heavy 30-plus hardcover Christmas story books are. The regular stuff is out. It's not put away, it's just out. It's stacked on the dining room table, on the bookshelves, on the footstool. There are crumbled balls of newspaper, ornament hooks, fir needles and bits of wrapping paper everywhere. After numerous trips up and down the stairs, I am sweaty, I am tired, I am dusty. I am more appreciative of my husband than I was before. The simple little things he does, just because he can, well, they really do make a difference and they do make my life that much easier. Without him around things are harder and more work.
The house is a disaster. Sometimes you just have to say......and I did. I'm on the couch, my feet are up, I have a cat next to me and a cup of tea in my hand. As soon as I hit the publish button, I'm going to go spend some quality time in a book. The mess will be here tomorrow. My husband will still be gone, working. The kids will be in school, life is slipping back into a familiar routine. For a little while tonight, however, I'm going to go be someone else, somewhere else..in the pages of a book.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Organization.....Attainable Goal or Nebulous Dream?
There are two types of people in this world. Those who are just naturally organized and those of us that are not. Are the organized genetically wired to just put stuff where it belongs (or even KNOW where stuff belongs and actually have a free space just waiting for whatever comes their way) or do they exude some sort of aura that stuff just doesn't dare stay where it doesn't belong? How in the world can they leave 2 pieces of mail on the counter over night and not come back to a pile reminiscent of that court room scene in Miracle on 34th Street?
Today, my husband bought lumber to make me a laundry tower. It's going to be a rack in the cellar, next to the dryer so I can put all the laundry baskets on it and get them off the floor. I have one for jeans, one for dark, one for light, one for transport. In theory, when the dirty laundry comes downstairs, it gets sorted into it's respective laundry basket. I do one load a day so I just need to check to see what basket is full and go from there.
Right now, there are 2 drying racks, the laundry baskets and the woodbox. Laundry spills on the floor, light colored clothing has been ruined by the bits of bark that end up in the wash. (oak bark will turn things a lovely russet shade) When Michael wants to bring in wood, he has to move the drying racks, they get stuck on a laundry basket, clean laundry falls on the floor, the racks get hung up and it's a big, huge frustrating mess. Laundry is horrible to begin with without having to complete an obstacle course along the way.
As I speak, my husband is downstairs making my laundry tower. Is it going to work? I think so. Am I a total weirdo for being SO EXCITED about being organized? I don't think so. You see, I'm NOT organized, have never BEEN organized, but am guardedly optimistic that this year I actually DO become familiar with the definition of organized. Mark your calendar, set the reminder on your phone (see, I do know SOME organizational tips) and come back in a day or two and see how I'm doing in my journey to find Organization.
Today, my husband bought lumber to make me a laundry tower. It's going to be a rack in the cellar, next to the dryer so I can put all the laundry baskets on it and get them off the floor. I have one for jeans, one for dark, one for light, one for transport. In theory, when the dirty laundry comes downstairs, it gets sorted into it's respective laundry basket. I do one load a day so I just need to check to see what basket is full and go from there.
Right now, there are 2 drying racks, the laundry baskets and the woodbox. Laundry spills on the floor, light colored clothing has been ruined by the bits of bark that end up in the wash. (oak bark will turn things a lovely russet shade) When Michael wants to bring in wood, he has to move the drying racks, they get stuck on a laundry basket, clean laundry falls on the floor, the racks get hung up and it's a big, huge frustrating mess. Laundry is horrible to begin with without having to complete an obstacle course along the way.
As I speak, my husband is downstairs making my laundry tower. Is it going to work? I think so. Am I a total weirdo for being SO EXCITED about being organized? I don't think so. You see, I'm NOT organized, have never BEEN organized, but am guardedly optimistic that this year I actually DO become familiar with the definition of organized. Mark your calendar, set the reminder on your phone (see, I do know SOME organizational tips) and come back in a day or two and see how I'm doing in my journey to find Organization.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Rules and When They Need To Be Broken
I have to admit that I hate rules, but I totally understand the need for them. I'm also a mom and my kids come first. Their well being is my number one goal.
The Thursday before Christmas vacation, the kids were able to bring ski pants, boots and sleds to school and go outside and go sledding for a whole hour. They were THRILLED. (I also thought it was a wonderful idea) Griffin also had a Holiday Party that day. After school, they went to the Y for Gym and Swim. I picked them up at 5:40 and they were BEAT. On paper, the right thing to do was to go home, give them baths and have them tucked into their beds by 8:00. However, my daughter is VERY apprehensive about going to middle school next year. My friend is the Faculty Adviser for the middle school Drama Club. They were doing a play that night. I thought it would be good to go. Sarah loved it. Turns out, she knew many of the cast members, recognized many of the parents in the audience and got a very warm greeting from the hero of the play. She left with a HUGE smile on her face, feeling a little better about middle school. That was very important to me. However, the next day at school, I got a phone call. Griffin just couldn't deal. He was having meltdowns and crying, complaining of a headache. He had gone to bed late the night before and he had to come home. So, yes, I did a disservice to my son, but my daughter needed to have a positive experience regarding middle school. Sometimes you DO need to choose one child's needs over the other's.Was it the end of the world to Griffin? No. He came home, fell asleep on the couch and woke up feeling like his usual self. Is Sarah in a better frame of mind regarding middle school? Yes. Most definitely. I am confident I made the right decision.
Today, we had chips and dip for lunch. What? That is a horrible lunch. You are right. From a nutritional point of view, that's almost call Child Protective Services bad. However, Griffin is having some nerve issues with his right arm (for those of you that don't know, he had a seizure disorder and had the left side of his brain disconnected from the right in August of 2012) and he refused to try and use it. I told him he could have chips and dip if he used his right arm. He dropped the first chip, the second one he held onto and in order to get the dip on the chip, dragged his entire hand through the dip. He got the chip to his mouth, but dropped it. On the third try, he was successful. Now, I have onion dip on the table cloth, on the dining room rug and Griffin has onion dip all over his shirt and his face and his foot. He also has the biggest smile on his face. Again, did we have a healthy and nutritious lunch? Nope. Did my son take steps to increase his physical abilities for the rest of his life? Yes. Most definitely. I am confident I made the right decision.
So, you tell me....should rules be followed ALL the time? I say no.
The Thursday before Christmas vacation, the kids were able to bring ski pants, boots and sleds to school and go outside and go sledding for a whole hour. They were THRILLED. (I also thought it was a wonderful idea) Griffin also had a Holiday Party that day. After school, they went to the Y for Gym and Swim. I picked them up at 5:40 and they were BEAT. On paper, the right thing to do was to go home, give them baths and have them tucked into their beds by 8:00. However, my daughter is VERY apprehensive about going to middle school next year. My friend is the Faculty Adviser for the middle school Drama Club. They were doing a play that night. I thought it would be good to go. Sarah loved it. Turns out, she knew many of the cast members, recognized many of the parents in the audience and got a very warm greeting from the hero of the play. She left with a HUGE smile on her face, feeling a little better about middle school. That was very important to me. However, the next day at school, I got a phone call. Griffin just couldn't deal. He was having meltdowns and crying, complaining of a headache. He had gone to bed late the night before and he had to come home. So, yes, I did a disservice to my son, but my daughter needed to have a positive experience regarding middle school. Sometimes you DO need to choose one child's needs over the other's.Was it the end of the world to Griffin? No. He came home, fell asleep on the couch and woke up feeling like his usual self. Is Sarah in a better frame of mind regarding middle school? Yes. Most definitely. I am confident I made the right decision.
Today, we had chips and dip for lunch. What? That is a horrible lunch. You are right. From a nutritional point of view, that's almost call Child Protective Services bad. However, Griffin is having some nerve issues with his right arm (for those of you that don't know, he had a seizure disorder and had the left side of his brain disconnected from the right in August of 2012) and he refused to try and use it. I told him he could have chips and dip if he used his right arm. He dropped the first chip, the second one he held onto and in order to get the dip on the chip, dragged his entire hand through the dip. He got the chip to his mouth, but dropped it. On the third try, he was successful. Now, I have onion dip on the table cloth, on the dining room rug and Griffin has onion dip all over his shirt and his face and his foot. He also has the biggest smile on his face. Again, did we have a healthy and nutritious lunch? Nope. Did my son take steps to increase his physical abilities for the rest of his life? Yes. Most definitely. I am confident I made the right decision.
So, you tell me....should rules be followed ALL the time? I say no.
Looks Can Be Deceiving....
I got a Kindle Fire HDX for Christmas. I have tons of books from my Kindle Touch that I transferred and I downloaded some games. My daughter, who is 11 years old, looked at my games and said, Mom, you are SO boring. What do I have for games? Mahjong Deluxe, Tetris, Crossword Puzzle, Words with Friends, Sudoku, Jigsaw Puzzle and Absolute Bingo. Okay, these games can be played silently and they are not based on speed but challenge your brain.
After 10:00 Mass, our church has coffee and doughnuts downstairs in the Church Hall. Last Sunday, the volunteers who ran the coffee and doughnuts had cleaned up and said, we are leaving, please shut off the lights when you leave. We all chuckled, picked up our trash, put on our coats, rounded up the kids and went home.
I got to thinking about it. Am I old and boring? I mean, 15 years ago, we were closing the bars. Instead of shutting the lights off, the lights were turned on and we had to leave. Now I'm hanging out in a church and being asked to turn out the lights when I leave. So I don't play any fast paced video games and I don't text with the hip and cool abbreviations (and I just used the words hip and cool and I'm not talking about anatomy or temperature). I prefer to handwrite lists and I still use an address book...not the one on my phone, but the one with pages and the lettered tabs. My Christmas Card list is a box with lettered dividers and I use an index card for each person. I handwrite the year I send the card and check it off when I get one in return. I save the envelopes and update any address changes. To some, archaic and just beyond comprehension. It works for me and I enjoy it.
So, am I an old dinosaur? Perhaps, but I had my own fun back in the day and I don't just mean having to get up off of the couch, walk ALL the way across the living room and slowly turn the knob on the TV to see what was on the other 3 channels we had. I remember having to dial a phone (it took forever, almost a full 30 seconds) and stretching the phone cord to it's limit...I even remember friends having party lines at their summer houses and listening to the ring pattern to see if it was a call for them or not.
I also saw some really cool bands...you know, back when they actually had instruments on stage and played them. I wouldn't trade that for anything. K.K. Downing from Judas Priest grabbed my hand and pulled off one of my black leather and lace glove. That was totally cool. I remember when you could drive down the road, cranking the your favorite song on your 8 track (and pr cassette player depending on the year) with no seatbelt on, rolling the window down by actually turning a handle and rolling the window down...and having an open beer in between your legs (no cup holders back then) and being perfectly legal, as long as you were 18 or 20 or 19 or 20 or 21, again, depending on the year. You just slowed down over the bumps so you didn't spill.
I will admit to having a lot of fun in my twenties. Some of the details are a little blurry and I made a TON of mistakes. Some funny, some embarassing and some downright scary in retrospect....what the HELL was I thinking (or not thinking, as the case may be). I wouldn't change a thing, it is all part of who I am now, but I'm sure glad I did it then and not now. I'm perfectly content to have spent New Year's Eve in my jammies with the kids, watching movies. I honestly have no desire to be hanging out in a bar past 9:30 at night, let alone close the joint down. I'm content where I am in life. Being settled is wonderful.
Maybe I do seem old and boring to you. That is fine. Your perception of me is just that...your perception. I am perfectly content to have silent, boring, thinking games on my Kindle. I'm thrilled that I got 3 books for Christmas..one is about World War I, another is about spies during the Revolutionary War (stay awake here, please) and the third is about Derek Sanderson...one of the Big Bad Bruins. Oh, and I also got an ax. I drive a 4 door sedan....but my license plate holders are barbed wire. So, take a minute before you decide. Nothing is truly what it seems....always take that extra second and look again. You might be surprised.
After 10:00 Mass, our church has coffee and doughnuts downstairs in the Church Hall. Last Sunday, the volunteers who ran the coffee and doughnuts had cleaned up and said, we are leaving, please shut off the lights when you leave. We all chuckled, picked up our trash, put on our coats, rounded up the kids and went home.
I got to thinking about it. Am I old and boring? I mean, 15 years ago, we were closing the bars. Instead of shutting the lights off, the lights were turned on and we had to leave. Now I'm hanging out in a church and being asked to turn out the lights when I leave. So I don't play any fast paced video games and I don't text with the hip and cool abbreviations (and I just used the words hip and cool and I'm not talking about anatomy or temperature). I prefer to handwrite lists and I still use an address book...not the one on my phone, but the one with pages and the lettered tabs. My Christmas Card list is a box with lettered dividers and I use an index card for each person. I handwrite the year I send the card and check it off when I get one in return. I save the envelopes and update any address changes. To some, archaic and just beyond comprehension. It works for me and I enjoy it.
So, am I an old dinosaur? Perhaps, but I had my own fun back in the day and I don't just mean having to get up off of the couch, walk ALL the way across the living room and slowly turn the knob on the TV to see what was on the other 3 channels we had. I remember having to dial a phone (it took forever, almost a full 30 seconds) and stretching the phone cord to it's limit...I even remember friends having party lines at their summer houses and listening to the ring pattern to see if it was a call for them or not.
I also saw some really cool bands...you know, back when they actually had instruments on stage and played them. I wouldn't trade that for anything. K.K. Downing from Judas Priest grabbed my hand and pulled off one of my black leather and lace glove. That was totally cool. I remember when you could drive down the road, cranking the your favorite song on your 8 track (and pr cassette player depending on the year) with no seatbelt on, rolling the window down by actually turning a handle and rolling the window down...and having an open beer in between your legs (no cup holders back then) and being perfectly legal, as long as you were 18 or 20 or 19 or 20 or 21, again, depending on the year. You just slowed down over the bumps so you didn't spill.
I will admit to having a lot of fun in my twenties. Some of the details are a little blurry and I made a TON of mistakes. Some funny, some embarassing and some downright scary in retrospect....what the HELL was I thinking (or not thinking, as the case may be). I wouldn't change a thing, it is all part of who I am now, but I'm sure glad I did it then and not now. I'm perfectly content to have spent New Year's Eve in my jammies with the kids, watching movies. I honestly have no desire to be hanging out in a bar past 9:30 at night, let alone close the joint down. I'm content where I am in life. Being settled is wonderful.
Maybe I do seem old and boring to you. That is fine. Your perception of me is just that...your perception. I am perfectly content to have silent, boring, thinking games on my Kindle. I'm thrilled that I got 3 books for Christmas..one is about World War I, another is about spies during the Revolutionary War (stay awake here, please) and the third is about Derek Sanderson...one of the Big Bad Bruins. Oh, and I also got an ax. I drive a 4 door sedan....but my license plate holders are barbed wire. So, take a minute before you decide. Nothing is truly what it seems....always take that extra second and look again. You might be surprised.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
How Stuff Accumulates
We all accumulate stuff. Clutter, crap, stuff, treasures, possessions...pick a name but we all have it. I do my best and go through the stuff and clean off a table, a counter, a shelf. I give myself a big pat on the back as I head downstairs to put stuff in the trash, recycling bin or donation box. Then, something simple like a penny gets laid on the newly cleaned off surface. No big deal, I say. I'll toss it on the coin jar in a few minutes.
If you are a neat and orderly person, you stop reading here, as the rest of this post will be like a foreign language to you. None of it will make any sense. If you are on the more creative side, continue reading.
You may find something familiar here..then again, maybe not.
So, that penny sits there. You get sidetracked with the cat barfing up the elastic band he ate earlier, you remember the clean basket of laundry you took upstairs 4 hours ago, a child needs something or spills something, you get a phone call......the penny gets forgotten and you go on about your day.
The next morning, you come downstairs to admire your work of the day before. The penny is there, along with 3 paper clips, 2 pencils with the erasers broken off, a cup filled with sour milk, a dirty sock, a candy wrapper, 3 matchbox cars, Silly Putty that is NOT in the egg, a toothbrush complete with hard toothpaste on it and a clothes pin.
How in the world did that happen over night? Not 12 hours ago, that space was pristine, pure, perfect. Now, it is a cluttered, smelly mess (yes, the milk gets spilled because, unbeknownst to you, the glass is firmly stuck in the Silly Putty and when it finally breaks free, the milk goes everywhere) again. It gets cleaned off again. You pick up the penny and walk it directly to the change jar and drop it in. As it clangs against the other coins you wonder.....how in the world does a penny accumulate such random items?
I will never be neat and organized. I have accepted that about myself. My friends have accepted that. Let's face it, come over to my house and you will feel much better about your own housekeeping skills. But, am I the only one that secretly hopes that some day that penny will grow up into a $20 bill?
If you are a neat and orderly person, you stop reading here, as the rest of this post will be like a foreign language to you. None of it will make any sense. If you are on the more creative side, continue reading.
You may find something familiar here..then again, maybe not.
So, that penny sits there. You get sidetracked with the cat barfing up the elastic band he ate earlier, you remember the clean basket of laundry you took upstairs 4 hours ago, a child needs something or spills something, you get a phone call......the penny gets forgotten and you go on about your day.
The next morning, you come downstairs to admire your work of the day before. The penny is there, along with 3 paper clips, 2 pencils with the erasers broken off, a cup filled with sour milk, a dirty sock, a candy wrapper, 3 matchbox cars, Silly Putty that is NOT in the egg, a toothbrush complete with hard toothpaste on it and a clothes pin.
How in the world did that happen over night? Not 12 hours ago, that space was pristine, pure, perfect. Now, it is a cluttered, smelly mess (yes, the milk gets spilled because, unbeknownst to you, the glass is firmly stuck in the Silly Putty and when it finally breaks free, the milk goes everywhere) again. It gets cleaned off again. You pick up the penny and walk it directly to the change jar and drop it in. As it clangs against the other coins you wonder.....how in the world does a penny accumulate such random items?
I will never be neat and organized. I have accepted that about myself. My friends have accepted that. Let's face it, come over to my house and you will feel much better about your own housekeeping skills. But, am I the only one that secretly hopes that some day that penny will grow up into a $20 bill?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)