Summer 2015

I'm so lame.  My ambition to post at least once a week (lame) has been scaled back to once a month (lamer) and is now more like once a season (lamest).

So my summer 2015 discoveries and activities:

One of my dearest friends lost her husband in June.  It still doesn't seem real.  I heard her refer to herself as a widow the other day. So weird.


I'm sure I'm behind the rest of the entire world, but at the urging of  Michael I got into "House of Cards"- binged watched the first 16 episodes during one of the many rainy days in June.  Had to back off a bit- found myself feeling anxious.  Really, really anxious.  Such a weirdo. Alissa introduced me to "Sherlock" this weekend.  I sense another binge heading my way.

Made my first craigslist purchase and I have to admit, very proud of myself. I've been looking for a buffet or sideboard for the dining room, but didn't have any luck. Stumbled onto to this and thrilled with the quality and value.  The addition set off a shift in most of the furniture- nothing says let's move heavy furniture like something new.

Still working out exactly the look I am going for on the sideboard- I'm thinking I'll be pretty seasonal.


Organizing and reorganizing. Rooms, closets, cabinets, drawers.  Why does this relax me so?

I'm enjoying my summer tutoring kids. I have a kindergartner, first grader, two second graders, one third, two fourth, two fifth, and a seventh grader.  I really enjoy working with all the different ages. I'm really feeling very confident with my decision not to retire this year.  I'm enjoying the time off, but I just don't know how I would do this through the winter.  

Enjoyed time with kid in Des Moines, kid in Chicago, and kid here. If I can manage to get all three in one place at one time.....nirvana.

We are awaiting the birth of a litter of puppies. Jeff stumbled onto a woman who breeds BTs and the time felt right to begin looking for a new puppy. We are now at the any minute now point.  We have dibs on a female- hopefully it won't be a litter of just males. I'm trying to rein in my excitement in case it doesn't happen. I'm trying.

Spring Break

My much anticipated spring break, started out with a huge high but unfortunately sputtered into a week of illness.  What's the deal with 2015?  I have been sick, not the walking around sick that I am used to, but sick, in meds (five!) and mostly in bed that I've gone through three times since January.

My high was the surprise birthday party my kids threw for me on Saturday. I wasn't really suspicious although I did notice a few out of the ordinary occurrences (Alissa not being available the weekend I thought I could get up her way, Barbara veering from her very established early Saturday morning shopping and coffee with me routine, Barbara texting when approaching her house--she knows that makes me hysterical).  I am pretty stunned by the spy skills of my friends who had taken me out for wine on my actual birthday on Wednesday and never let on at all).  My three brothers who were very oddly quiet on my birthday did not trust their spy skills so our phone calls were extremely abbreviated (odd) or absent (unprecedented).  My darling niece Emily came with them.  And Michael who was playing a gig in Omaha (6 hours away) the night before really shocked me with his appearance. Jeff's family, who I have not really seen in over a year, were there which was a very nice surprise.  I wish I had time to connect with everyone, but I was pretty stunned and then the time really just flew by. One of the best birthday surprises I can ever remember.  I don't have pictures yet- apparently my kids think I did some sort of Mick Jagger impression as I walked in--hopefully all video evidence will stay put.

I didn't really have exciting spring break plans, but wanted to touch up the woodwork I had painted last summer and do some purging and organizing.  Also had hopes of repainting and mini overhaul of upstairs bathroom. I had worked really hard to have all my end of quarter grades, assessments, and reports done when I left on Friday so that I could walk away without anything to complete during the break. I have a testing project coming up in April to which I have to commit to 20 hours a week (on top of school and my tutor kids) so looks like thee projects are going to be on the back burner for a while.

But it's Spring!

Rough Weeks

Our Christmas season was tinged with sadness having just lost our darling Josie.  The reality sets in and I have found that so much of my daily life was intertwined with hers- hurrying home to see her waiting for me at the door, sharing food with her (I find that every morning I have part of my English muffin or bagel still on my plate), being careful not to let my restless leg syndrome clunk her during the night- I know these seem silly, but each time these things crop up it's a fresh pain.

I think being a bit run down and stressed out led to every opportunistic germ out there to find me in January.  TERRIBLE stomach virus (too hideous to describe) which caused me to miss two days of school and in my rush to return I left myself open for laryngitis and a horrible cold to keep me home another day--two Fridays in a row of misery. I am trying to throw myself into healthy habits- really eating actual food and trying to manage a full night of sleep. Plus- vitamin C drops.  Going to work in Germ Central can't be avoided but I Clorox wiped down desks and tables to give myself a fighting chance.

Today my beautiful Alissa celebrates her birthday in far off Chicago. I wish the weather wasn't so unpredictable and restrictive, but I am definitely heading her way in the spring. She was such a happy little baby- we had so much fun with her! I am so proud of her.




Finally got in to my hair stylist- way over due.  I'd post a picture, but my selfies tend to be disasters- but here's a glimpse of what I left behind: