this thing called monday

i love mondays.
said no one ever.
except for me.
because i'm a little funny that way.
i don't work outside of the home.
I am an 'old fashioned' wife;
i get up each morning and
make his breakfast, pack his lunch
and send him on his way to work
with a kiss and a smile.
and i love that.
i love that "this" is my job.

i love the weekends.
said everybody.
including me.
because it means time with hubby
and chores and church
and couple stuff.
projects to work on, maybe some playtime.
weekend get aways
even if they happen in the backyard.
gathering with friends, social time.
but...draining my battery,
even as i laugh and love and live.

but come monday
i am happy to have my house back
under my domain.
my time to recharge from the weekend
happens on mondays.
bye-bye honey,
come to me you big beautiful cup of coffee.
let's sit here awhile
there is plenty of time
to start the laundry and
wash the dishes.
i love this solo time.

come monday.

Here's Hoping...

Hubby and I are on another little adventure! I'm hoping this time away will blow the cobwebs out of my brain and restore some creativity. It feels in some ways that it already has. YAY!!


This morning on the Facebook page that I admin for my Christian Women's Write Group, I saw a comment from one of the members lamenting something similar to my last blog post about writer's block.

On the one hand I certainly could identify and sorrow with her, on the other hand it was sort of a relief to know that I wasn't the only one feeling this! Anyway, as a result I made Writer's Block this weeks writing prompt. Here's hoping that having to write about writer's block might help release the creative juices and at the very least perhaps we will all gain some ideas about how to handle this unwanted but very real issue.

Meanwhile, here I sit, facing a gray washed sky and wind blown trees. I'm sipping a lovely cup of Chai tea. At my feet is a large sleeping (snoring) old dog and not far away another sleeping little dog.

We are visiting Bruce's brother out on the west coast where Bruce is doing some repairs on the house. A few days away is always refreshing, even if it involves some work.

 While I watch the guys brainstorm over deck upgrades I am also thinking about what to fix for dinner here tonight. Call me crazy but I find it kind of fun to cook for others especially in a new-to me- kitchen and for folks who will really appreciate a good home cooked meal after a long time of bachelor-cooking.

Because my brother in law lives on an decommissioned airport-- seriously, his drive way is part of the old taxiway-- my morning walk today was down the taxiway and back. Always fun to explore a new path and I saw evidence of 'wildlife' in several 'piles'. I learned later that there is a herd of elk that frequent this area so the chances of seeing some this week is good. I would prefer to view them at a SAFE distance however, since running into them while out walking might prove a bit unnerving.

Another fun fact about Bruce's brother is that he is a pilot so living on this old airport serves him well. He has his own small plane that he can taxi out of his shop and take off right from here. The plan originally was that he was going to fly over to collect us for the week but while we were enjoying a gorgeous sunny day in our neck of the woods, a heavy fog was developing in his. Not good flying weather so we made the last minute decision to just drive over. It's about a 5 hour drive including a short ferry ride, which we didn't mind. Spending time with my best friend is never a bad thing.

This is the week leading up to our anniversary and we have plans for camping for the weekend. I look at this week away as a little bit of warm up for the big deal! 18 years of blessings is something to celebrate!!

God has been good to us. But then God is always good. Even when we can't see it, or feel it, even when life's circumstances seem to be bringing us down, God is still God. Sovereign, Holy, Faithful and Loving. Even when I suffer from one of those days where it doesn't feel like my antidepressant is doing it's job or my body betrays me. Even when paying work dries up.  Even when the dreaded writer's block bonks me on the head. No matter what my circumstance, God is good and God is for me.  So, take that dry inkwell! Take that mood disorder! Take that fibromyalgia! Take that empty piggy bank!

A gust of wind has just risen up outside, bringing with it a fresh whirl of falling leaves. It serves to remind me that our God is always there to bring refreshment even as He brings change. I will rise to welcome it.

Costa Rica, Then & Now

We first traveled to Costa Rica in 2002 with Habitat for Humanity. Calling ourselves the "Valentine Brigade" because our visit was in February, we worked for 2 weeks on the foundations of 6 houses. There were, if I remember correctly, 12 of us on the team plus our team leader Mateo. We stayed in a simple rustic place of lodging; it was a former school for deaf children, with dorm style sleeping quarters, bathrooms and a main dining hall in a separate building. There was a small cooking staff that came each morning and each evening to prepare our meals. Lunch was on the fly, at our job sites.

I remember the overwhelmed feeling that caught me completely unaware when we landed in the airport and never fully abated until we were back on American soil. I was made ill by the food, the temperature, and the stress of  facing one more day of being stretched. I was so out of my comfort zone.

Yet, the beauty of the landscape, the sounds and smells, the rain, the sun, and the warmth of the people captured my heart. Despite the constant struggles with nausea and other physical discomforts, despite the pain I was from an undiagnosed rotator cuff injury,(torn just prior to our departure)  and despite the clash of personalities between several of the team mates, I was still so very grateful to be there and experiencing all of it. Especially sharing this experience with my husband.

It was my first time going on an out of the country humanitarian aid trip. We were a mixed group as is common with Habitat for Humanity. Some of the team were staunch Catholics, a few were staunch agnostics. We also had a Jewish family and to round it out, one Christian Reformed, one Charismatic and Bruce and myself, at the time, Presbyterians. It made for some interesting Theology but we were brought together by one common theme: helping those in need through providing adequate housing.

This time I felt much more prepared for the culture shock. In fact I think I can safely say I had no culture shock at all. I knew all about how septic and plumbing works in this country. I knew what to expect food wise and brought my own back up snacks. I knew the people in my group were all born again, Bible believing Christians. I thought I was fully prepared for whatever came our way.

Never think you have it all figured out.

When we went with H-4-H I didn't know what my role would be and I was frustrated by not being able to do a lot of the physical work the job sites required. I hid behind the camera and fetched a lot of tools for my husband. I felt a little guilty about being there, having been sent by other peoples generous contributions, and not feeling like I was pulling my weight. But no one on the team looked down on me. They were appreciative of my documenting each days work.  I found my niche and I did my best to provide encouragement and comic relief.

When we signed up in 2010 to go with our church to Macedonia I again faced that question of what would my role be? I was again struggling with my shoulder (having retorn the right rotator) and knew the physical requirements for the job were not in my bag of tricks. I was elated to learn that my presence as a prayer warrior and photo-journalist were more than enough to earn me a place on the team!

This time, this trip, it was laid out from the onset that I would play the role of recorder. And I did it to the best of my ability. Daily blogging journals, daily uploads of pictures for all our family and friends back home. I was happy to also dig in with sorting clothes for the children and would have gladly helped with food prep and other household chores if it had been asked of me. It was made clear however from the onset that the Tia's working there had a firm grip on the situation and help wasn't really needed. So I happily snapped away.

Someone asked me today if I left my heart in Costa Rica. I smiled but shook my head. No. While the memories of this visit now mingle happily with the first, and the country has its charm, I am and always will be a home girl. And this.... this is my home.

YET

My heart is heavy today even as I release it all to my Heavenly Father. It is only natural that my emotions have their way, for it would be unnatural to breeze through this with out feeling some level of fear and despair.

It is no secret that for some time now, my husband and I have been teetering financially. Too many months with too little work has taken a toll on our lives in so many ways. We've barely kept our heads above water and have been blessed over and over again by Angels--  both in disguise and easily recognizable! Then, a new door opened for my husband and he was offered a full time job (which is fast approaching it's 90 day mark.) We celebrate each day thanking God for providing this avenue for him.

Still, months of unpaid bills do not immediately evaporate once a new job starts. We've been trying our best each month to play catch up and maintain. That has not been easy. We've had extra set backs, like unforeseen vehicle repairs and medical demands. Some months we have felt like we've taken on extra water as we paddle our little life boat over turbulent waters.

Yet God also saw fit to bless us, such as with the means to take this long awaited trip to visit our family. In less than 2 weeks I will be hugging my precious babies! On this dark day, that is a bright light to look forward to!

What is this darkness of which I speak? Well, try as we might, the one thing we have not been able to bring current during these long months, has been our mortgage. We've been in constant communication with the lenders and in this present economy the banks have been extremely patient with people in our situation. However, this week the hammer fell. We were told we had 72 hours to bring our loan to an acceptable amount. They would not accept less than. We'd been working hard to save up or sell things that would help accumulate the amount they were requiring but it was not enough.

(There is a part of me railing against that kind of logic. If it is hard enough for us to come up with a monthly payment, what makes them think we can come up with three? or six? And each month that they won't accept a partial, makes the next month that much bigger of an amount to come up with!!)

But I digress. The fact of the matter is that we are facing deep Doo-Doo. Today the bank will begin foreclosure proceedings against us.

whoooo. Deep breath.

Are we scared? discouraged? angry? depressed?  Oh my. All that and more.

YET. (this seems to be my theme word these days. it implies so much.... )

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more.

Yes, Jesus, an extra dose of grace is needed today, to trust You more.

For we know this is not the worst that can happen to us. We know there are countless others, believers who are praying for God's intervention in their lives over similar circumstances, who will still face dark reality.  It does not mean God doesn't love us. It does not mean God has failed us. It does not mean God is punishing us.

It means we live in a broken world and bad stuff happens. We are living in a war zone and these kinds of things are the casualties of these kinds of battles.

"In this world you will have trouble." Jesus said, "But take heart-- I have overcome the world!"

 From 2 Corinthians 12, one of my life verses....
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

and my #1 verse, Jeremiah 29.11.... 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This morning as we sat at the breakfast table, fortifying ourselves with coffee and prayers, weeping some and laughing some, my husband and I clung to these promises and words of hope and encouragement. We will not be defined by this. We will not lose heart. God has a PLAN for us and while right now it does seem scary and it does hurt and if we lose our house, we will mourn, YET we will also cling to and live by the hope in Christ and that He does indeed have a wonderful plan for us. We can't see the other side of this storm but He does. 


I have heard people testify how life threatening illnesses have brought them closer to Christ and how they are thankful for the disease now because of what it brought them. I want to be able to look back on this moment and say that. God's ways are not our ways and I believe that He always, always has a better plan than we can ever imagine. 
I trust Him.


Oh for grace to trust Him more.

I am PLEASED

Carpet is in and it looks great!!!

BEFORE

AFTER!!!

 It's a very cushy floor thanks to some awesome commercial grade padding underneath. Hubby and I plan to sit on the floor this evening, sipping a nice glass of wine to celebrate our beautiful new-to-us flooring.

Have a wonderful evening!

Friday Follow Up

No date for us tonight and that's OK. Instead we're replacing the carpet in our living room!

this carpet has been here for over 30 years!! it has withstood a bachelor dad and son, the Deming Posse (a group of boys from the middle school years into high school, graduation and beyond) and very bad cat activity.... it is definitely time for it to go!

A year or so ago, our friends were replacing their nearly new carpet in their family room with something neutral in color in order to ensure a quick sale on their house. The carpet was in a room almost identical in size and shape to our living room. They offered us the carpet and we happily accepted. The carpet sat rolled up in our garage waiting for the right time....

The right time is now! And one of the men in our Life Group was a carpet layer before he moved into hotel maintenance. He offered to remove the old, install the new in exchange for some carpentry skills from hubby. Nice trade. All we needed was an opening on the calendar.

today the friend calls and says "I can do your carpet this weekend. I will start tonight!"
Whoo Hoo!!

When I got home from work this evening I found the guys laying down the new pad. The carpet is being stretched out in the room now and allowing it to warm up. tomorrow they will finish laying it and move all the furniture back in. I can't wait!

Sunday Dinner

The smell of roast chicken wafts through the air of our home as we prepare for Sunday Dinner with friends. There is something special about sitting down for a full course meal with loved ones after church on Sunday.

We used to do this EVERY Sunday growing up. Mom would put the pot roast or the chicken in the roasting pan before we left for church and when we came home she'd put the potatoes which had been diced before hand and left in water, on to boil. Homemade rolls, green beans or peas would round out the meal. Gravy for the mashed potatoes, raspberry jam for the rolls... wonderful. and afterwards, with our tummies satiated, we would drift into the second best Sunday afternoon activity: the NAP.

Our Sundays are pretty lazy most weeks. So it feels like a holiday when we invite company over for Sunday Dinner. Makes me think we should be doing this more often.

Welcome to Burke's Cafe; a real hole-in-the-wall establishment

Recipe for laughter and fun: Take 5 couples of all ages and various stages of life, add a potluck supper and misc. board games and mix well. Serve with lots of laughter in an open room. 

Last night we were able to do something we have talked and talked and talked about doing. Something we could NOT have done a week ago. We invited some friends over for a potluck supper and game night and watched the crowd spill across the room from dining to living room with ease. That hole in the wall made it possible.

In the past we would have been divided up between rooms making real connections between the couples more challenging. In times past we would not have invited that many people to our home!

well, Okay, we might have had our family over and that would have been a large crowd and at that point the walls dividing some of us would have been needed and much appreciated. LOL.

"no matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best"

 I like that we could even set up a card table for some folks and still feel connected to the group around the dining room table.

serious chatter happening here

 And even with everyone congregating in one area, it didn't feel tight and claustrophobic.

After dinner it was into the living room for a rousing game of Taboo.

Good times. Good people.

While I was out

I got a job! I will be working part time (very part time) for Curves in Bellingham, as a circuit coach. What a kick. After owning my own Curves for 5 years and being away for 3,  standing in the middle of the ladies workout circuit today and chatting felt very familiar and comfortable. And when I left at the end of the shift, I did so without the nagging stress of things left undone. It's probably the best of both worlds.
there is still lots to brush up on and new things to learn. SO --pun intended-- I have my learning Curve.

I will be working just a couple afternoons a week and the jury is still out on whether I will look for another job or just call this search good. I have my resume out there with several other places and it would be interesting to hear back from them and learn more about what those places might have to offer. But, Curves is a great place to be and where else will you get paid to get in great shape? 

When I got home, I found out what my man had been up to all day. OK, I knew he was planning to work on this and since he is at home, why not get some projects done around here?  It's only been a YEAR since this project was started. It was definitely time to move to phase 2. In fact he got both phase 2 and 3 done.

phase one was done last year; remove the wall on dining room side

phase 2 was deal with the internal wiring allowing phase 3 of removing living room wall to go bye-bye

I can not begin to express the sheer delight of being able to see into the living room from here and vise-versa.

the openness of this area changes the whole feel of the house. no more feeling left out if I am in one room while everyone else is in the other 

.

Yippee!!! 

Phase 4 will be the replacing of this tired old brown smelly dirty worn out carpet (30 plus year old) with  almost new carpeting that was gifted to us about a year ago... it's been stored in the garage just waiting....

 stay tuned. there has to be some advantage to Bruce being out of work!

tying up loose ends

while my turkey roasts and I soak up some moments of calm before the storm of the family gathering, I realized I had some unfinished business to attend to. Some blog posts in which I mention something and then kind of left it hanging.... and it's been nagging at me even if it hasn't bothered my readers! So....

FACEBOOK
I made a post awhile back that I was quitting facebook. I was worried about my bordering on obsession with it and thought the best way for me to break with this was to just be brutal about it and shut it down completely. I lasted about 4 days. Yah but I had a good reason! In school this year it was decided all homework assignments and conversation between classes was going to be facilitated through the social media known as Facebook and so.... with all my beautiful little ladies from my table group on board, what could I do but come back? I am happy to say I have been less preoccupied with checking everyone's status. And I am learning to use some status reports as opportunity for prayer. How's that for a comeback?

The Remodel that Hasn't Happened YET
I knew jet lag would be the problem. I knew there wasn't enough time between his coming home and our leaving again on our mini-get away to knock out any walls or move any furniture. But I'm a good wife. I will never say "I told you so" or point this out in any way. I am just thrilled he is home and well and while he is still adjusting to the time difference and the demands of day to day life, I know he wants to make good on his desire to fix things up around here. But, it'll keep.

Going Off the Anti-Depressants
This has been successful!! I feel great! I actually feel better emotionally than I have in a long while and I suspect that while the anti-depressants were doing a good job on regulating my serotonin and dopamine levels they were also running everything I was feeling through some sort of filter that made life slightly.... beige.
I had one week of rough going as I made the final cut in dosage and it happened to be the same week before Bruce left to Japan so I was certainly entitled to feeling the roller coaster effect. But I really am feeling good and stable and loving life! So much to be thankful for!

And thankful I am. For home and hearth and family and friends, for good health and full hearts and a God that gives and gives and gives. Thanksgiving is more than just one day. With all that God has provided for us, thanksgiving is ---should be--- a way of life.

Welcome Home!

He is on American soil folks. The plane actually brought him in about an hour earlier than scheduled but even so, he was not able to catch the earlier shuttle bus. So sticking with the same plan, to meet him at the airporter shuttle bus stop in Bellingham at 12:30.

I feel as nervous and excited as I imagine the wives of military personnel feel when their soldier husband/lover comes back after months, even years, on deployment. I feel as nervous as I did on our first date! And fussing over what to wear like I did that day as well!. Silly me, but I want his homecoming to be special.

He, on the other hand, has his own agenda. One that includes a list and a stop at the hardware store for supplies because he is coming home with, well, an agenda. 

Months ago we began a plan to do a little remodel on our dining room/living room area. We have one of those houses that has each room compartmentalized. No overflow from one room to the next. Which means when we have company and we usher them into the living room and then I go to the kitchen to finish the meal, I am excluded from the conversation because I am in a boxed in little room where I can neither hear nor see them. (I suppose sometimes, depending on the guest this could be a blessing, but I would never say that!)

Anyway, we decided (or I should say The Builder decided) that we could knock out a wall and at least allow flow to happen from dining to living room. It's a 3 step, no maybe 4 step, process.

Step 1. Remove the wall in the dining room. Done.

Step 2. Remove the wall in the living room. No, first, figure out what to do with all the furniture lined up against that wall, THEN remove the wall....

Step 3. figure out what to do with all the wires located between walls.

Step 4. remove the living room carpet. (we were gifted with an almost new carpet that will fit our L.R. and it is waiting patiently in the garage to be installed) 

Ok, I miscounted. Step 5. finish the trim on the opening and make it all pretty.

Bruce told me during one of our skype dates that he wanted to tackle this project as soon as he got home... before we take off on our little holiday escape. My first thought was "Jetlag" but I wasn't going to try and dissuade him. 

But, because we have family coming for Thanksgiving dinner the Sunday after T-day, I just made a different plan. One that involves holding the dinner at the church fellowship hall where there are no walls and has 2 stoves in the kitchen. Now, I am not saying I don't trust him to get the project done in time (in fact he readily stated the project would not be done-- just the other wall removed and the wires gone) but I know how I get when we have lots of company over and-- I need my space! 

So, back to the homecoming welcome. I'm dressed up all cute and flirty 

and I have a container full of home-made peanut butter kisses for him

and.... I have his list. 

The list was written down on the sheetrock of the wall that needs to be removed 

and I painstakingly copied it down at his request 

and I have the list on my , uh.... person.... 

because, folks, I have MY Agenda too.

Home

 *Sigh*

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs, Farmgirl Paints . She was talking about home and I was stirred by the feelings her topic touched on.

Yes, I am a home body. I love the days when I have no places to go or people to see or things to do. It's an irony given the fact that I also have a deep seated wanderlust in my bones. Perhaps there is a wee strain of gypsy in me... I constantly daydream about travel and moving and starting anew some where else. My ultimate dream (aside from the one of seeing one of my novels in print)  is to buy a sweet little R.V. and embark on the mother of all road trips: in and around the U.S.of.A. and travel, travel, travel for an undetermined amount of time.

Yet, this I know about myself: I will always be glad to come 'home' at the end of each day. Regardless of whether my home is right here, right now, (living room, sweats, favorite chair, near the fire) or a cozy camper (parked near a sparkling stream in the middle of heartland America-- or the middle of the Kmart Kampground) there is something about arriving home...

Although my mom received excellent care during her extended stay in the nursing home and she made friends and kept busy, I could tell how relieved she was to be back in her own home again. We all have our routines and we know where everything is and how things will be done. 

Yes, there is something about home...
it's... where your heart is.


I can't even begin to imagine (cue the song I Can Only Imagine)  my eternal home coming arrival, when I will be able to curl up on the couch of Heaven, hanging out with my Jesus, celebrating the fact that I have finally arrived!

THAT brings me a truly contended *sigh*

What is Mom Up To?

Yesterday we met for a Caregivers Conference. This included the charge nurse, physical therapist and social workers. And Mom and I of course. We discussed exciting things like GOING HOME!! Yes, it is possible that in just 2-3 weeks she can be back in her own little home again. But there are some hurdles to jump yet to prove she is ready. Problem is, some of those hurdles cause my mom to shut down and say  "I can't" or "I won't" Yes, those words again.

How often do I say I can't or I won't to things God presents to me? I am never forced to participate in God's work but rather, invited to join Him. Yet sometimes fear and doubt hold me back. I convince myself there is NO WAY I can do this, forgetting that I won't be doing it alone. 

Mom won't have to jump these hurdles by herself either but she does have to be willing to take the first step (literally!) and be open to trying and accepting help from others.

Mom's ankle is still supported by the big black boot but she has shown she can stand without it on and will start P.T. this week without the boot, as tolerated. She is using a walker to some degree and being encouraged to dispense with some of the things that keep her from full independence. She is going to start administrating her own med's again too. (She is diabetic) Before she goes home, we will have one of the therapists meet us in her home to look at how well the house is set up for her. Scatter rugs, extra (or unstable) furniture and clutter can be dangerous and having an outside party examine these things will be very helpful. I might not catch those things.

How like our Christian Family this is. We all need those support people in place to help us go through this crazy thing called life. We can't do it alone. We need the Holy Trinity for sure and then God goes one better by adding in other believers to encourage, love and guide us. They hold us accountable if we'll allow it. All things that make the Walk sweeter. 

So, I'll be encouraging Mom to try. To trust. To make every effort to do what she needs to do to be strong and independent again. And I will trust my fellowship of friends to do the same for me.

Tall Timber Last Day

Bruce worked all day on installing the log boards that we stained the day before. He was helped by Bob, father of one of the year round staffers, visiting for several days. Don headed home right after breakfast.

I have been bothered by a mosquito or spider bite right under my right eye. yuck. Itchy!!! and puffy!! And my shoulders were screaming after 2 days of swishing the ol' paint brush. So my day was spent tidying up Cedar House, our room, laundry, packing to go home and updating the blog. OK, so I did some reading too....

The log installation was finished just moments before dinner. It looks great, guys!


After we ate we loaded up the truck and headed home. Glad the days are longer so most of the drive was in daylight.

Arrived just before midnight. home sweet home..... Sleepy!!


 My kitty greeted us with sad meows and a swollen back paw. He is limping pretty bad so a visit to the vet is on my list along with Mom's visit to the orthopedic for check up. Unpacking and sorting, returning phone calls and replenishing the pantry will fill in the cracks of the remainder of the day. The first day home is always the hardest. :)

Where My Mother Lives

I was trying to include this picture in my last post about my mom but there were still some blogger issues I guess.

Anyway, this is my brothers place (on left) and my mom lives in the carriage house on the right.

yah, it's pretty nice digs. :)
happy Friday!

Tuesday, Lovely Tuesday

Because one of our bedroom windows faces east, waking up this morning was certainly a pleasure as this strange yellow-orange glow permeated our room. When was the last time we were awakened by the SUN and not the alarm clock??!!

the lump under the blanket is my cat!

It didn't take much to make me leap out of bed, doing the happy dance as I searched for my flip flops. My husband chuckled as he watched me, because it isn't often that he sees me wake up before I actually drink my coffee.

I was so inspired by the warm glow outside that I had all the breakfast chores done, the bathroom cleaned and laundry underway by second coffee break time! Oh, and I even walked to the post office! (That in itself is not so amazing as I do that almost every day, but this counts as amazing in that I did it without a rain coat, or any coat at all for that matter... and I did it in sandals!!)

inspiration station!

Now, I am at my desk... another amazing feature, because my desk is upstairs where it can be very cold because we rely almost entirely on wood stove heat, which is located downstairs.  We didn't even start a fire this morning and now I am at the desk, which faces the window and the sounds of a lovely warm spring day are all around me.

I love to sit outside (or near an open window) and listen to the sounds. And after awhile of listening I can start to peel back the layers and identify all the sounds...

Cacophonous chirping from a choir of birds~
cars whizzing by on the highway~
clink-clink-clinking of the metal tie-down against pipe on the flagpole at the school yard~
wind chimes on the back deck~
lawn mower down the street~
someone laughing~
hummingbird wings~
kids outside at the school, high pitched excited voices~~~~
and soon to come, will be the marching band.

There are three sounds in our little community that speak of spring to me.
1. lawnmowers (that's a given)
2. the marching band from school. every year about this time they start practicing outside, marching around the high school track, in preparation for parade season.
3. Friday night sprint car races at the Deming Speedway down the road. (It's over a mile away but we can hear the motor sounds as they carry over the airwaves)

Hearing any of these sounds makes me smile. It's like a confirmation that all's right with my world.

Aah, Tuesday, Lovely, lovely Tuesday.

Waaaaa!

It was a terrible horrible no good very bad day in the Burke kitchen.

First, the cinnamon rolls were a total bust. Even the spots full of butter and brown sugar and cinnamon taste sorta cardboardy. What a waste of good ingredients! I had been dreaming of cinnamon rolls for days.

Next, I plugged in my trusty faithful rice cooker... and 30 minutes later when I came back in the kitchen to put the main course in the oven, I discovered there was no heat being generated by the cooker. Well, I've had this thing for nearly 15 years (it was a wedding present) so I guess I knew it was going to the kitchen appliance graveyard at some point, but in the middle of trying to cook dinner? Come on....
I dumped the whole mess into a sauce pan and prayed I could remember how to cook rice the other way-- on the stove!

Then.... I opened the oven (which worked just fine and dandy earlier for the cinnamon rolls) that I had put on preheat some time before... and found the oven was cold and still. No friendly red coil to greet me, no blast of warm air to caress my cheek and steam up my glasses... ???!!! What is going on here?

Well, I fried up the fish in a frying pan and the rice did turn out fine on the stove.

But I was thinking... Bruce and I need to get married again so we can register for some new cookery!!
 

Then I stop and think about all I do have... and those who have so little.

Sure I was inconvenienced but it was minor really... I mean we still ate a very nice dinner. Who am I to complain?


Oh, my, sometimes I really hate it when I get convicted of my selfish, petty little ways.  sigh.



I guess this means the do-over wedding is off....

spring cleaning haiku

Windows wide open.

Sunshine streaming, breathe fresh air
Birds chirp. Spring is near!

Fresh sheets on the bed.
Dust bunnies banished today.
Time for the vacuum.

Cat perches on bed
Watching my every move.
Noise sends him running.

Stretched out I will rest.

patch of sunshine on the bed.
Fruit of my labor.

March roars like lions
Changes direction midway
gentle like the lamb.

My Saturday List

Growing up, Saturdays were 'chore day'. Each of us had an assignment for the day and as we got older, the chore list grew in relation to what we were capable of doing. At one point my sister and I listed all the chores on slips of paper and then drew them from a jar to determine who would do what. (except for mopping the floor which always seemed to be my sister's job)

The list included the usual cleaning chores: empty waste baskets, dust, clean the bathroom, etc. And we could always count on a Saturday morning visit from a couple of mom's girlfriends. This meant a certain percentage of chores needed to be done before they arrived for coffee.

The list was a good way to break up the boredom of cleaning. Sort of a lottery to see who would win the easier chores such as wiping down the face of the kitchen cupboards VS cleaning the toilet.

When I was raising my children they had chores too. Not as extensive as the list I had growing up and I'm not sure why. Maybe I thought my childhood was too rigid and wanted to 'spare' my kids of that. Maybe because by that time I had very little in my life I had control over and this was something I could control. It was just easier to do it myself and even ensured I would be left along while doing it.

What ever the case, I am sorry now that I did not work harder at instilling these kinds of work ethics in my children's lives. By the time my daughter was a teen, her bedroom looked like a tornado had hit it and getting her to clean up her room was a near impossible task. (I think she has gotten past that phase in her life, thank goodness)

So... now my chore day blends in with any other day of the week. There is always a load of laundry that needs to be done, the dishes are in constant cycle and my husband (love this man-- I really do) has the most *charming*  habit of tracking mud and dirt across the floors on a regular basis. sigh.

you know the old saying.... "a clean house is the sign of a broken computer."

I do a little bit every day to keep things from too much chaos and now my Saturday Lists look something like this...

1. sleep in
2. extra cream in my coffee and sit awhile longer and dream.
3. read a book
4. take a walk
5. when I get the urge to clean the house, I lay down until it passes...

I love my new Saturday List but there are days I think about my sister and I fighting over the chore jar, racing to get done in time and the healthy values that having those weekly responsibilities brought about.  And I smile.