Far Too Strange To Make It Up

So last night we went out to a club to see a friend’s band play.  I was sitting with Sarah catching up on a year of not seeing each other.  Suddenly a very intoxicated man came to join us.  Now to help you picture it, we are sitting at a tall bar table, but our husbands are standing a few feet away from the table.  The bar is very narrow and long.  People tend to stand close to each other. 

So our new friend is nice looking, wearing a royal blue, obviously expensive embroidered cowboy shirt.  I actually really liked his shirt.  He talks to us for a while.  We discover that he just moved back here from Chicago. 

He is a mortician.  I’ve never met  a mortician outside of the mortuary.  He choose his career path, because it was guaranteed employment.  He was a pysch major in college.  Apparently he moved back to Iowa because he was laid off–5 different times.  People are living too long he tells us. 

OK-now can’t you just see the boss calling him and saying, “I’m sorry, we have to let you go.  There aren’t enough people dying.  They are just living longer these days.”  I found this pretty funny. 

So suddenly as we are talking he realizes that Jason was hovering around him (BTW Jason was coveting his cowboy shirt-not rescuing damsels).  He asks us who is dating him.  Sarah pipes up, “Well I’m married to him.”  He rolls his eyes and uses his finger to say, “Checked off my list.”  Then he points to Todd, “And I suppose you are dating him?”  I repeat Sarah’s sentence.  He checked me off too and walked away.

A New Obsession

I have a bit of an obsessive personality.  I find something and get completely into–for a while.  I do it with people, games, and various other things. 

Right now I have two obsessions.  One I have no problem sharing, but the other other I’m a bit embarrassed about admitting to yet. 

So I will just tell you about obsession 1 today.  🙂  www.playlist.com   I LOVE this site.  I can listen to my earworms over and over and over.  I have found so many cool songs on this site.  I am addicted.   I was going to write that I can listen without having to buy the music, but in truth now I want some of these songs more than ever.

So here is my current list that I’m ashamed to admit how many times I have played it:

• Why Does It Always Rain On Me by Travis
• Supermassive Black Hole by Muse
• Years by Mike Ruekberg (probably my favorite musician–amazing musician, expecially live.)
• Viva la Vida by Coldplay
• Hey Hey by Superchick
• Waning Moon by the adorable Peter Himmelman (great story about him–another blog post.)
• Magic Tree by Kirsten Price
• Same Jeans by the View
• This is Everything by Wisely (ADORE him and his music!)

Supposedly I should be able to post a player on my blog, but that would require thought and more time than I am willing to invest right now.

I just peeked at hubby’s playlist, Julian Lennon’s whole first album, Bow Wow Wow, and Pass the Dutchie (can’t remember the group.)  He has such an eclectic taste in music.  I never know what he is going to listen to next.

What would be on your playlist?

Doilies

I am posting this for Jennifer at Craftsanity.  She mentioned in her podcast about wanting to knit some less than traditional doilies.  I raided Todd’s grandma’s doily cabinet a few years ago.  She is an amazing knitter/crocheter.  I could not do these (yet.)  She had mostly very traditional doilies, but these two jumped out at me and are now used daily in my house. 

I LOVE this one.  I have a thing for the flowers and the colors she chose.

This one is unusual due to the color choice.  I really do have it hanging on the back of my toilet.  The bathroom has a lot of this color green, and it looks good there.  I love  Grandma’s doilies!

Itching for Summer

About this time of year my students start to become more difficult.  The days seem longer and their attention seems shorter.  They start gazing out the window and start smelling more than a little ripe after recess.  I love fall and the excitement of beginning a new year, but the end is always bittersweet. 

On one hand I’m as excited as they are for a break from our daily routine.  Plus if I’m totally honest, I’m ready to pass on some of my angels to next year’s teacher. 

But on the other hand, I have so much that I want to teach them still.  Not to mention I will miss all of them when they move on (no matter how ready I am to pass them on.) 

I also truly enjoy my summers.  It is the time I re-energize for the upcoming year.  I plan.  I work.  I take classes, and I plan some more.  It is also therapy time for me.  Teaching is an incredibly difficult job both physically and emotionally.  I enjoy cleaning my house, spending time with my two favorite boys, and exploring different interests.

We are all ready for summer!  I can feel it (and smell it!  Who knew that such little people can create such smell!)

We Have a New Tenant

I knew when I first saw my house that I loved it.  Apparently so did another female.  I would like to introduce you to expectant mother, Carlie the Cardinal.

We were rather shocked to see that she had used our produce basket to make her nest.  Immediately out our deck door. 

She also has 7 eggs that she is currently sitting on.  Well we are trying to make it easy on the new mother.  We aren’t using the deck until they move.  Well at least not  very much.  We have another door to the backyard that we can use while we wait for babies.  We will keep you updated!

Finding Myself

After the extreme chaos of the last 4 months, I am trying to find myself again. I’m finding it difficult physically, emotionally, and even spiritually.

My body is still trying to adjust to 4 months of stress. Truly more like 8 months of stress. Todd’s being unemployed and then me jumping into too many commitments. I think looking back on it all that maybe I agreed to do all those things as a ways of avoiding the pressures of home. Todd’s unemployment was very hard on both of us. I gained 20 pounds. I’ve lost five, but it is hard. I feel lethargic and unmotivated.

I also think spiritually I’m off kilter. I feel very far away from God right now. I don’t like it. I know what I need to do, but I’m so tired that I don’t do it.

I’m trying to get back into some of my old habits (including, but not limited to blogging), but I’m finding it so difficult. Praying, reading, and even connecting with friends is taking effort. Even getting daily things done is hard. I have piles of little things that need my attention. I have lists of appointments to make for summer, camp applications to get filled out, and homework to turn it (eek due on the 11th.) Heck, even my poor dog needs to go to the vet.

Honestly, I think I am just tired. I’m ready for summer, even if I do have class all of June.

I’m Completely Amazed

Connie Culp has earned my respect and even my admiration.  Ms. Culp is the woman that recently came forward this week as a recipient of the face transplant.  The courage that she has shown to educate people amazes me. 

I can’t even fathom walking around with her previous face.  I doubt I would go anywhere.  Her story about going to the mall is an example of her bravery.  A child called her a monster, and she responded by taking the time to show the child her picture before she was shot. 

Not to mention she has had over 30 surgeries.  I’ve had one and NEVER want to have another.  I’m proud of her for her bravery and her willingness to share her story.  Hopefully people will listen and consider donating their organs and tissues after their death.

Gilligan has gone to his Brain

This weekend we borrowed season 1 and 2 of Gilligan’s Island from the library.  E has been playing the theme song for the last couple weeks as an assignment from his piano teacher.  We thought for him to understand the upbeat, happy tempo of the song that he need to “experience” Gilligan’s Island for himself. 

We have now watched Gilligan for days.  In fact he is currently watching his 4 episode of the night.  I watched a couple with him.  We giggled when Gilligan got himself and everyone else covered with glue and feathers as Nasa thought they found life on Mars.  We laughed when Ginger tried to trick the President of Puerto Rico into giving her his gun by flirting with him.  E laughs and laughs. 

His laughter is infectious.  He is one of those people that when he laughs, everyone around him laughs.  When he cries, everyone around him cries. 

No tears tonight though!  Just a lot of the professor (who in retrospect was kind of a hottie–today they would have his shirt off of him–a lot), Ginger (what kind of bras did those women wear?), Skipper, Mr. and Mrs. Howell (BTW I thought they were a lot older than they really were), Maryanne, and our favorite, Gilligan.

Allowing Myself to Not Be Busy

I had an an usual thing occur this weekend.  I found myself with 24 hours of time.  I had no where that I had to be and nothing that had to be done.  It doesn’t mean I didn’t have things to do, but nothing HAD to be done. 

This was the first “day off” that I have had since December.  I don’t count spring break as I was pushing myself  to get our house painted. 

Having time was difficult for me.  I kept finding myself filling it.  First I had offers of tickets to go to Women of Faith.  I love WOF, but declined knowing that I need this mental/physical break.  Then it was the offer of a free ticket for part of the conference.  That was incredibly hard to turn down, but I did.

So what did I do?  As a family we went to Free Comic Book Day  and stocked up on a huge pile.  We went to breakfast and then to Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  I had a gift certificate from the parents at church from the children’s musical.  I deliberately did not buy household stuff that I needed.  I did buy this lovely reclining lounger.  Then I sat in my backyard sipping coffee and reading the third book in the Twilight series. 

It was quiet and peaceful.  OK except for the screams that happened every 5 minutes or so (we live near an amusement park and we can hear the roller coaster.)  Even the screams were calm and relaxing.  I need to force more of these days upon myself.  I like them.  I like them a lot.