Finally Done

This is what all of the college students are thinking now this week is over. Finals are finally done. This means relaxation, time to read, watch movies, chill with family and friends. No more late nights of little sleep. No more Christmas parties, missing red napkins, centerpieces, boxing leftovers. Yep, I get a break too. How exciting is that! Maybe not to you, but for me that is thrilling news.

I get Friday nights back, Saturday's, and no more hours of overtime. (Sadly this is a regular for Fall semester in my life.) For the next few weeks no one will notice if I go in before seven, or leave by one. Who care's about taking breaks when I don't have to work eight hour days?!

Yea for the end of the semester!

In other happy news. Maxwell turned two. He got a basket ball hoop, that he can barely reach with his hands over his head, the "Christmas Classics" on DVD, which he sat down mezmorized!, and a box of crayons with a blank coloring book, which he immediately wanted to open and color with Grandma for the next 15 minutes (stopping only with the departure/distraction of his grandma & uncles). Mostly he understood that he go presents, and all his loved ones where there. We had one happy kid! Sammyh fell asleep on Dad's chest (that's a rarity), and Kaleb was just as exhausted. All we needed was Emma, Sydney, Aiden and Taylor to complete the family surrounded by kids. :) We love you and hope it will come soon.

In the meantime Happy Christmas everyone.

Lost Furniture

Beth moved out to day. I watched our roommate Nancy, her face saddened in moments as the dressers, book shelves and such filed out. Leaving, not only Nancy with unwanted change, but the house as well.

Empty in point of fact. No couches, kitchen table, chairs, TV stand. TV's only here due to extra's at Beth's new place. The whole place is lonely. Abandoned and bare. Walls, floors, whole rooms echoing with footsteps. Cabinet contents on painted blue kitchen wood floorboards. It does, in truth, feel odd. Sitting on a sleeping bag watching Dr Who, nothing other than me, the computer, and televison. Sad for a Saturday night? Still, terribly entertaining.

Reading

Reading frenzy. Doing so for hours on end are wonderful. Tragicly working too much does place some time restictions. Happily I have a new excuse to read. I help evaluate books for the local library for their reader's choice. Nicest part of the who situation, I get to read more than my typical type of fiction.

While reading the latest list from the library I found a few that I really enjoyed.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
The Postmistress
The Goodbye Season
The Day the Falls Stood Still
The Glassblower of Murano

Hmm, do all books start with the?


To see more go to http://www.slcreaderschoice.blogspot.com/

Found this great site when I was looking around for work... Ok, so this is exactly my type of place to look.  Man, wish I could make stuff off the top of my head like this.  Guess you'll have to look up and see what I'm talking about.  It's going to stay on my list of stuff to make.  I'm definatly adding thyme in my garden. 

http://sproutedkitchen.com/


HONEY ROASTED PEARS posted on Thursday, April 15, 2010

So I read this on the bottom a coworker of mine.  It made me laugh.  Of course, you have to understand, this is somewhat internal complaint, but what can you do.  It seems to fit so nicely with any corporate/business.  :)

"To err is human, to forgive is not the standard operating procedure, and to really foul things up is where I come in!"

Surrounded by Little Ones

Lately, I've been noticing how I've been surrounded by children.  I walk through the WSC to see girls in piggy tails, boys with ice cream cones that seem nearly as large as they are,  babies exploring laminated hallways, grandparents bouncing soft swaddling blankets.  Kids winning races, negotiating activities.  Making me smile and laugh.  Now the activity is coming to me.

Amelia's announcement came first.  Followed by Miranda, Stephanie [Peterson] Williams, and, lastly, to the family's delight, Sherise.  Then came the waiting of finding out what everyone was having.  This year, I think, is the year of babies. Specifically of boy babies.  Yep, thus far, Miranda is the only one having a boy.  What does this mean?  My baby sitting days are going to be filled with little men, long lashes, little blue hats, and vroom vrooms.

Can I say I'm excited?  Two nephews, one niece, and one adopted nephew (who probably doesn't need any  more aunts, but, well, he, and his parents, don't have much of a choice.  :) Sorry Steph.)

Mundane Life's Moments

I walked out of work yesterday, to find small balls of frozen wetness falling from the sky.  Unexpected, by me at least, I stood by the crosswalk and tilted my head back.  Thousands of white pinpricks tummbled in blackness.  They came from the dark, their source lost in the night sky.  It was beautiful! 

Waking today I discovered last night were just the scouts of a bigger army.  White cotton had come in the early morning to dust cars and lawns.  It came quietly, without fuss or warning.  Unpretentious.  It reminds us that life sneaks by.  Creeping on, often unnoticed.  The hours watching a movie, or sitting at dinner, create the moments so oft over looked.  When we think back on our life we look at the large events, weddings or trips.  But what happened to the small moments? 

I just returned from spending a week at my sisters.  Some of my favorite moments were small.  Aiden, 16 months, helped me unload the dishwasher, and, yes, he was helpful, putting all the glasses, plates and bowls used by the kids away in their cupboard.  Sydney, 4 years, walking up at 10 pm and asking me to make breakfast for her.  Emma excited to read Stewart Little she sat so still, refolding her paper air plane book mark as I read.  Emma played the piano for me, wanting me to sing the words because it would help her.  Sydney waiting until I got home to ask for some candy she'd seen in my room.  Aiden playing "night night" on the living room floor.  Miranda watching like Hera, goddess of marriage and hearth, from her leather throne.  Smiling down on each of us going through our days.  These memories are wonderful.  Small moments, from games to bedtime, hello's to goodbyes. 

So the next time someone asks what's going on in your life, think back.  You had dinner, lunch.  Work, co-workers, friends.  Dinner got burned, turned out wonderful; you slept in or got up early.  There is so much going on.  Please, let us share the moments, for the mundane is, in truth, our life.

Cotton Ears

I got off the plane in Tucson AZ with cotton in one ear.  Not my favorite part about flying.  Despite my best efforts, I was partically deaf.  I keep thinking this is what it must feel like to those who always ask me to repete myself. They, like I, had cotton stuffed in their ears, and their's nothing we can do about it. 

Maybe one day someone will create de-cottoning ear drops...

I started taking down the Chirstmas decorations.  Wrapping up the ordaments, taking off the raffia and dried cranberries.  Then came the tree and lights.  I stopped.  I don't know if it's the whole mess of it, or the part where there will be a blank spot on my wall.  I couldn't do it. 

Add that to the fact that the house is starting to fill up with people again.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do like my roommates.  Even though we all get a long, have no major girl trauma (no cheese theivery stories here), six single girls is a lot under one roof.  I liked the quiet movements of three or four.  Add one more to the bunch and I feel the need to hide in my room with a book.  Then again, the library keeps me well stocked in interesting books to read so I do that even when I'm by myself.  With the radio turned up to Showtunes so I can sing along when I go to refresh my cup of cider/cocoa.

Christmas is over, sadly enough, and New Years too.  Yea for that.  Let's face it, unless you go crash a party or head out of town with a hot guy on your arm, it can be kinda a let down.  It is, after all, just another midnight.  Only this time you have to remember to change the date on your checks.  :)  Now we all get to make those goals that we know we'll keep and one's we'll break in three days.  Like, eat dinner everynight versus start eating healthy. 

Ha ha, you laugh about me eating dinner, but it's a good goal.  Christmas parties are over, and I no longer get feed dinner at night.  Unless some great guy asks me on a date.  So I now have to plan, exicute and consume my own evening meals.  Tragic!  On second thought, I get to make bok choy, braised celery, and find a fun way to use up all those frozen peaches in the fridge so I can go buy Totino's pizza's for my lazy no cooking days.  Ah, yes, the eating habits of a single person can be so enlightening.