So, I've come to understand something about myself. If you look at my dishwasher at my dirty dishes, you can usually figure out what's going on in my life at any point in time.
For instance, right now, my dishwasher is full of coffee cups. Not a few. A LOT! What this means is that my life remains busy with me staying up late and getting up early in order to keep up.
There have been times when my dishwasher has been mostly pots and pans and mixing bowls. Usually this means I'm in the homebody, entertaining mood. I'm wanting to make suppers in which Martha Stewart would take pride.
Now, if my dishwasher is full of dirty plates, forks and glasses, this means that all is normal in my little domestic world. Kids are running, mom is running and the dishwasher wasn't turned on as planned.
My life reflected in my dishwasher. I'm just not sure what to make of that one.
"Want to load the dishwasher?... I'd be thrilled."
~Lines from the Big Chill
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tennis Elbow
This might sound like a silly question, but can you get tennis elbow from Wii Tennis?
See, I rediscovered the joys of Wii this weekend. A little Wii tennis in the air conditioned indoors was incredibly fun. (Real tennis in 95 degree heat outdoors wouldn't be quite as much.) The down side to this fun is the fact that I woke up with a sore arm this morning. Now, I'm not at the point where I'm popping Advil like candy, but I am aware of several of my arm muscles. More aware than I would like to be.
So, I'm now dealing with a moral dilemma. Do I continue with the Wii tennis, or do I move on to some other fun and exciting indoor activity? What am I thinking?! If I don't play tennis I'd have to clean house. Moral dilemma solved!
“Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.”
~Erma Bombeck
See, I rediscovered the joys of Wii this weekend. A little Wii tennis in the air conditioned indoors was incredibly fun. (Real tennis in 95 degree heat outdoors wouldn't be quite as much.) The down side to this fun is the fact that I woke up with a sore arm this morning. Now, I'm not at the point where I'm popping Advil like candy, but I am aware of several of my arm muscles. More aware than I would like to be.
So, I'm now dealing with a moral dilemma. Do I continue with the Wii tennis, or do I move on to some other fun and exciting indoor activity? What am I thinking?! If I don't play tennis I'd have to clean house. Moral dilemma solved!
“Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.”
~Erma Bombeck
Friday, July 22, 2011
Grad School Part Deux
I received word today that I was accepted into the University of Alabama's graduate school in order to pursue a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Now, I'm off-the-chart excited. Of course, this causes me to question my sanity. I mean, who gets excited about spending money to take exams and sit in class? Especially while working and taking care of kiddos?
Exactly. ME!!!!!
“I used to tell women graduate students, half-seriously, that the role of slightly rebellious daughter was one of the better roles for women living in patriarchy.”
~ Carol Gilligan
Now, I'm off-the-chart excited. Of course, this causes me to question my sanity. I mean, who gets excited about spending money to take exams and sit in class? Especially while working and taking care of kiddos?
Exactly. ME!!!!!
“I used to tell women graduate students, half-seriously, that the role of slightly rebellious daughter was one of the better roles for women living in patriarchy.”
~ Carol Gilligan
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hurry Up and Wait
It's so funny how crazy life can get. I seem to run, run, run and then come to a sudden, screeching halt. Not that I'm complaining. Most of my current hurry ups and waits are good things.
I received my MAT scores. Luckily I did not score in the "Um, you might want to rethink this whole school thing, dear." range. Now, I have to wait for the MAT scores to be bundled with the rest of my information to be sent to my graduate college of choice. THEN I get to wait for the review panel to decide if I will or will not begin graduate school in the fall.
Like I said, the waiting is for good stuff, so I'm slightly more patient than normal. Slightly. I hope we don't push this patient thing, though.
“God always teaches us patience, when we do not have time for the lesson.”
I received my MAT scores. Luckily I did not score in the "Um, you might want to rethink this whole school thing, dear." range. Now, I have to wait for the MAT scores to be bundled with the rest of my information to be sent to my graduate college of choice. THEN I get to wait for the review panel to decide if I will or will not begin graduate school in the fall.
Like I said, the waiting is for good stuff, so I'm slightly more patient than normal. Slightly. I hope we don't push this patient thing, though.
“God always teaches us patience, when we do not have time for the lesson.”
Saturday, July 16, 2011
New Starts
I started again. "What have you started?" you may ask. My reply?
Fund raising. Robin and I had our second yard sale to raise money for our walk in October.
Cleaning. Having held said yard sale, a great deal has been moved out of my house. This has helped somewhat with the cleaning process.
Applying to School. I've completed and submitted my application for graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Shopping. School starts August 10 for my children. Enough said.
Dreaming. Well, okay, I never stopped doing this one. Just thought I'd throw it in for fun.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
~Maria Robinson
Fund raising. Robin and I had our second yard sale to raise money for our walk in October.
Cleaning. Having held said yard sale, a great deal has been moved out of my house. This has helped somewhat with the cleaning process.
Applying to School. I've completed and submitted my application for graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Shopping. School starts August 10 for my children. Enough said.
Dreaming. Well, okay, I never stopped doing this one. Just thought I'd throw it in for fun.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
~Maria Robinson
Thursday, July 14, 2011
My Motherboard's Dead
I grew up watching Sci-Fi movies and t.v. shows. It comes from having a Trekkie mom and being around for the debut of the first three Star War movies.
So, when I hear the word "motherboard," my mind goes to the deck of the Enterprise or the Death Star. When I hear the words, "You're motherboard's dead." while a young tech guy is holding up my phone, I really want to respond by asking if it suffered a Klingon attack. I don't, feeling this might freak the young tech guy out, or worse, he might ask what a Klingon is.
Anyway, I received word yesterday that my iPhone was dead. Gone. Kaput. The exact statement from young tech guy was, "There are more things wrong than I have parts to fix." Wow. That's seriously bad. So I'm now going old school, using my son's flip phone that the dog has chewed on at some point in the process. I have yet to go into any serious withdrawals, except for readjusting to texting without a keyboard. I'm sure once I receive my next phone bill without all the iPhone charges on it, adjusting will become a lot easier.
"The Star Trek computer doesn't seem that interesting. They ask it random questions, it thinks for a while. I think we can do better than that.”
~Larry Page
So, when I hear the word "motherboard," my mind goes to the deck of the Enterprise or the Death Star. When I hear the words, "You're motherboard's dead." while a young tech guy is holding up my phone, I really want to respond by asking if it suffered a Klingon attack. I don't, feeling this might freak the young tech guy out, or worse, he might ask what a Klingon is.
Anyway, I received word yesterday that my iPhone was dead. Gone. Kaput. The exact statement from young tech guy was, "There are more things wrong than I have parts to fix." Wow. That's seriously bad. So I'm now going old school, using my son's flip phone that the dog has chewed on at some point in the process. I have yet to go into any serious withdrawals, except for readjusting to texting without a keyboard. I'm sure once I receive my next phone bill without all the iPhone charges on it, adjusting will become a lot easier.
"The Star Trek computer doesn't seem that interesting. They ask it random questions, it thinks for a while. I think we can do better than that.”
~Larry Page
Monday, July 11, 2011
Toilet Paper Dresses
(Thanks Hannah for the inspiration for this post!)
My friend, Hannah, has a quirky sense of humor. Since I do too, this works out well. Tonight, she had some fun teasing me about my couponing. She sent me an email about these women who made dresses out of toilet paper. Some used coupons to purchase the toilet paper to make the dresses.
Now, I'm all about the coupons, and I'm certainly all about dresses. I'm rather fond of toilet paper, too, since I use it on a daily basis. BUT, I do not see me ever using a coupon to purchase toilet paper out of which I would make a dress. Call me crazy, but I feel that my time may be better spent elsewhere. (I will say, in defense of the toilet paper making individuals, it was for some sort of contest.)
If you want to peruse some pictures of the dresses, check out this link:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/toilet-paper-wedding-dress-contest-winners-12-bridal-gowns-you-could-buy-with-a-coupon-2508828/#photoViewer=1
A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off of you.
~Francoise Sagan
My friend, Hannah, has a quirky sense of humor. Since I do too, this works out well. Tonight, she had some fun teasing me about my couponing. She sent me an email about these women who made dresses out of toilet paper. Some used coupons to purchase the toilet paper to make the dresses.
Now, I'm all about the coupons, and I'm certainly all about dresses. I'm rather fond of toilet paper, too, since I use it on a daily basis. BUT, I do not see me ever using a coupon to purchase toilet paper out of which I would make a dress. Call me crazy, but I feel that my time may be better spent elsewhere. (I will say, in defense of the toilet paper making individuals, it was for some sort of contest.)
If you want to peruse some pictures of the dresses, check out this link:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/toilet-paper-wedding-dress-contest-winners-12-bridal-gowns-you-could-buy-with-a-coupon-2508828/#photoViewer=1
A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off of you.
~Francoise Sagan
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A Good Argument
I had an argument today with someone I love. The cause of the argument is not important. The resolution of the argument is.
I've discovered in my older age that arguments usually fall into two categories: Good and Bad. Now, as simplistic as this sounds (and is), how arguments are handled in relationships is usually a good barometer of the health of the relationship.
In a good, solid relationship, an argument is never a search and destroy mission. An argument is where two people share their feelings and figure out what the heck is wrong. It's more talking than screaming, more listening than blaming, and more "Let's work this out." than "You suck!" When you have an argument, you can usually tell it's been a good one when both people, even if they still don't agree, know they are still loved and respected by the other person.
In a rocky relationship, an argument becomes a battle in a war. The winner is the one that can scream the loudest and the longest. It's not a matter of finding the problem and working towards solving it. It's a matter of proving that you are right and accepting no fault on your part. In a bad argument, "You suck!" (or similar phrases) are the norm. Everyone comes away feeling as if they were emotionally assaulted and injured.
So, today I had a good argument. I'm not sure if anything has actually been resolved yet, but I do know that, eventually, it will be. And the fact I'm able to have an argument and still feel safe in the relationship is amazing!
“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.”
~Joseph Joubert
I've discovered in my older age that arguments usually fall into two categories: Good and Bad. Now, as simplistic as this sounds (and is), how arguments are handled in relationships is usually a good barometer of the health of the relationship.
In a good, solid relationship, an argument is never a search and destroy mission. An argument is where two people share their feelings and figure out what the heck is wrong. It's more talking than screaming, more listening than blaming, and more "Let's work this out." than "You suck!" When you have an argument, you can usually tell it's been a good one when both people, even if they still don't agree, know they are still loved and respected by the other person.
In a rocky relationship, an argument becomes a battle in a war. The winner is the one that can scream the loudest and the longest. It's not a matter of finding the problem and working towards solving it. It's a matter of proving that you are right and accepting no fault on your part. In a bad argument, "You suck!" (or similar phrases) are the norm. Everyone comes away feeling as if they were emotionally assaulted and injured.
So, today I had a good argument. I'm not sure if anything has actually been resolved yet, but I do know that, eventually, it will be. And the fact I'm able to have an argument and still feel safe in the relationship is amazing!
“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.”
~Joseph Joubert
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Happy
I'm happy. Busy, but happy.
I'll start training again for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (New York) pretty soon. It's an October walk, so I still have a little longer before the "gotta get going" kicks in. I'm excited about this adventure, although I'll be starting graduate school (hopefully) in the fall,so the "to do" list will be a little longer. I'm just looking at the training walks as good LONG stress release sessions. Also, my babies will both be starting new schools in the fall. Although they are both comfortable with this transition, I'm a bundle of nerves. Again, 20 mile training walks may be helpful in this area. (Laugh to yourself, please.)
So, there you go. I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off, forgetting if I'm coming or going, and I'm happier than I've been in a very long time.
Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.
~E.L. Konigsburg
I'll start training again for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk (New York) pretty soon. It's an October walk, so I still have a little longer before the "gotta get going" kicks in. I'm excited about this adventure, although I'll be starting graduate school (hopefully) in the fall,so the "to do" list will be a little longer. I'm just looking at the training walks as good LONG stress release sessions. Also, my babies will both be starting new schools in the fall. Although they are both comfortable with this transition, I'm a bundle of nerves. Again, 20 mile training walks may be helpful in this area. (Laugh to yourself, please.)
So, there you go. I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off, forgetting if I'm coming or going, and I'm happier than I've been in a very long time.
Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around.
~E.L. Konigsburg
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Having a Grinch Moment
I've been having some Grinch moments lately. Not the bad kind where I want to steal the Who's Christmas and sit miserably on a mountain with my poor dog. The good kind, where my heart grows 3 sizes bigger.
Life is full of ups and downs. I've had my share of downs within the last year, and they've been hard. BUT (and here's a major "but"), I can say with complete confidence that living through the downs has made me so much more appreciative of my current "up."
My life remains hectic. Actually, I think it keeps speeding up on a daily basis. The good news is, everything that makes my life hectic is also what makes it so good. Family, friends, work--they all in one way or another equal love. And love makes my heart grow and makes me stronger. Just like the Grinch.
And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!
~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1968)
Life is full of ups and downs. I've had my share of downs within the last year, and they've been hard. BUT (and here's a major "but"), I can say with complete confidence that living through the downs has made me so much more appreciative of my current "up."
My life remains hectic. Actually, I think it keeps speeding up on a daily basis. The good news is, everything that makes my life hectic is also what makes it so good. Family, friends, work--they all in one way or another equal love. And love makes my heart grow and makes me stronger. Just like the Grinch.
And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!
~ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1968)
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