Iris Blooms

I love iris blooms! I look forward to the blooms each spring.

For 2 to 3 weeks each spring, I keep a vase of iris blooms on my kitchen table.

They are beautiful and smell so nice!

Quiet Moment Things

I really cherish my days off from work. It gives me a chance not to get a lot of housecleaning done, but a chance to rejuvenate and rest! It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind of grocery shopping, kid drama, adult drama, cleaning, work, dinner, yard, etc. Some days, I just want to be quiet.

One of my quiet moment things to do is nothing. Absolutely nothing! I give myself permission not to feel guilty for doing nothing. However, with that being said, when I get bored of the nothingness, I like to read. I will read anything, even a textbook! (Hey...Danny read a set of encyclopedias at a young age. I'm in compatible company!)

Crafts! I love crafts! Scrapbooking and jewelry are my favorites. Sometimes I get my stuff out just to look at everything. Weekend retreats just add to the enjoyment.

Exploring the town with nothing inparticular in mind is fun for me. I love finding a new store or shop that is hidden away or off the beaten path. There are so many treasures to find when you are not looking, especially in an old bookstore or quaint resale shop. Add a cup of coffee and I'm in heaven!

Going to the movies. I will go to the movies with anyone including myself. I love getting lost in the big screen!

Playing in the kitchen. Sometimes I will read through my litany of cookbooks and spend the day 'prepping' for nothing inparticular, yet everything possible. Danny and I are looking into Indian cuisine classes. It's so nice he shares this interest.

This next one is fun for me. Takes me down memory lane. Ready? Getting the mail! Seriously! We can go days without heading out to the mailbox. It wasn't always this way. When the kids were little, going to the mailbox was a huge deal. They would dress up, load up, and saddle up for an adventure down the sidwalk. The kids took turns opening the box and carrying the paper treasures back home, fighting off imaginary quests along the way. Good memories from this one!

The dogs! As much as I moan and groan about them, they are wonderful little furry, snuggly friends. When the kids are home, the dogs are glued to them, primarily because the dogs get some treat or bowl of something they ain't supposed to have. But when I'm home alone, I give them treats and bowls of something they ain't supposed to have, but I also let them curl up on the bed, too!

And finally, naps! I wish I had back every nap I fought when I was a kid. I love the feeling of being in the twilight zone that afternoon naps bring. Of course, having the TV on for background noise helps get into that zone.

Yep, days off are cherished! These days seem to go by quicker than work days. Relentless time. Take the time to enjoy.

Are You Ready?

Season Premiere
June 26th

Glamour To Go

Since the world did not end, I thought it best spruce up a bit. I decided to organize a much neglected makeup drawer. After cleaning out all the dried up, old half-used, outdated products, this is all I had left. Not much! A little glamour can go along way...I hope!

Let The Judging Begin

Oh wait! We’re still here! Well, then, let’s make the best of it!

It’s really very easy to become bogged down in the day-to-day humdrum, daily rituals that have to be done, habits that become engrained in our structure of the day. What about the bigger picture?

I don’t want to be set up to fail by not getting the list done. I want to be more cognizant of this bigger picture. My realization of this came with experiencing loss. And, with this loss came self doubt. I was asking ‘If only…?’ Or, “if I had just…’ Truly, there are reasons for every situation or event, including not getting the list done! There are no accidents, so don’t sweat it.

With this epiphany came a new twist to my outlook. I’m now asking ‘what can I learn from this?’ I want to make the best of life, even if I don’t get the list done.

While in hospice work, I find something from each patient that I meet. I call these treasures ‘salutes’. We as a society are taught to respect our elders. Honestly, the elders I work with are living history, filled with a lifetime of experiences. They each have a story. At this end-stage of life, (if these sweet people are not suffering from dementia) they are reflective, humbled, ready (or trying to become ready) for their journey from life to eternity. Not all are nice and accepting, some are fighting every step of the way! A lesson in and of itself! Once these patients pass, I share the treasures I’ve learned from them. This is the ‘salute’. This is my gesture of respect. This is what I take with me for my own search and journey in life.

So now my questions are not from a sense of loss or self doubt. I’m not going to judge myself based on whether or not I got everything on my daily list completed. When Judgment Day really does arrive, I want to be able to say that I learned from life experiences. I have lived. I have no regrets. Go ahead, judge me. I am ready.

Simplicity

My kids gave this to me. I love them, too!

It's A Clam Chowder Day

For a cold, cloudy, Colorado day, clam chowder is the right choice.
This is one of the dishes we put together at Supper Solutions yesterday.

Who's That Girl?

Marisa got a haircut!

She wanted a drastic change!

This look really works for her!

She's still my beautiful tomboy!

Bad Girl!

This is the work of our pooch monster, Liebe. Yea, the cute one! But don't let the cuteness fool ya'. She was a terror today. She also got up on the coffee table, stole a piece of potpourri, chewed on the baseboard, pulled Marisa's stuffed animals off the bed, ate a piece of Marisa's artwork, and drug out one of my hiking boots. Bad...Bad...Bad! She was given 2 rawhides to chew on, but obviously that wasn't enough.

To be fair, she didn't poop in the basement. Guess it coulda been worse!

Excuse Me While I Take A Moment

I love going to the movies. I love reading books! They provide the best escape to real life. These are my top favorite lines from movies and from my favorite reads. They may not be yours, but then again, they might! Take a look...

10) 'Tell me about it, stud.' ... Grease (And then, Sandy tosses the cig. So natural...not!)

9) 'You're going to need a bigger boat.' ... Jaws (Really?!? There is no boat big enough!)

8) 'I thought you'd be bigger.' ... Roadhouse (Seriously, it's PATRICK SWAYZE!)

7) 'You a real cowboy?'... Urban Cowboy (Sissy, girl, does it matter?)

6) 'Come quickly. I just shot an intruder.' ... Sleeping with the Enemy (The music was eerie!)

5) 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner.' ... Dirty Dancing (I wanted to be Baby at that moment!)

4) 'Pigs on the porch just made things hotter.' ... Lonesome Dove (Augustus got that right!)

3) 'I'll be your huckleberry.' ... Tombstone (Okay, Doc, I mean Val, no Doc...swoon!)

2) 'Let's do it for Johnny, man!' ... The Outsiders (I was ready to rumble!)

1) '...you submit, do you hear? You be strong, you survive. You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.' ... Last of the Mohicans (No explanation necessary!)

Who Calls Me 'Mom'?

Suspect #1: Girl, born 11/27, 8:32pm, 7 lbs 4 oz, 19-1/2 inches

Suspect #2: Boy, born 6/6, 1:41pm, 6 lbs 11 oz, 18-1/2 inches

Happy Mother's Day

Since Danny is out of town this weekend, and the kids are 'hanging out' with friends, I decided to take some time and make a few pieces of jewelry for myself.

So, off to Bead Haven I went.

My work station is never organized.

But, the end result is quite nice, I think!

Happy Mother's Day! I'm rather proud of myself and can't wait to wear these pieces.

Dog Day Afternoon

Guess I missed the memo that it was canine nap time on the leather sofa.

Obviously, these pooch monsters are not used to anyone being home in the afternoon.

Reflection

(for wordless Wednesday)