Fave Read

A few weeks ago the Book Fair came to Miss A's school. I had volunteered to help set-up so on that afternoon Miss K (my constant sidekick) and I went in to do our part. We set up books, moved tables, and put boxes away. Miss K charmed the librarians and was shown a great corner complete with stuffed animals and toys.

The Fair opened for business the following week so the girls and I had to stop and shop (what's not to love??? Beautiful, well-written books being sold to benefit the school. It's a win-win). It wasn't hard for either of them to find several books that were perfect for our collection. I'll admit I picked up a few myself, mostly for them but one for me.

On the top of a side bookshelf this caught my eye.

I guess the word, ordinary, and the subtitle, "A Mother's Memoir" were enough to make me think I may like it. I started to carry it around with me to dance class, speech sessions and the short wait at the end of the school day.

Katrina is a usual mom who decided things were getting too complicated. The process of self-discovery led her and her family to leave suburban life and find a quaint hilltop on which to rebuild a new life of simplicity. She also reminded me of how quickly kids grow up. Her two sons were entering and then finishing high school. Mine are just starting school but I know it will quickly be time for graduation...yikes!

I've been itching to clean out, organize and simplify our home in preparation for a fun summer. I've also started to think it would sure be easier to clean, keep things neat and organized if I just didn't have sooooo much stuff!

I also try to remind myself all the time that its really the everyday moments that I (and the girls) will probably remember instead of the big productions that we sometimes put all our effort into. I love the morning cuddles when our kindergartner wakes earlier than we do and we get a few minutes of quiet time. The toys, crayons, hand-drawn artwork and school papers that clutter my home now will someday be gone and I'll wonder why its so neat around here. Walking through every water puddle and pile of dirt is really not that big of a deal. Eating sometimes requires spilling on the floor and very sticky fingers. Learning to read is a process and a certain mother needs to remain patient even at the end of the day when all I would like is a few minutes of peace...a few minutes one way or the other won't really matter.

I'm grateful for whatever it was that drew me to this book. I've finished it now. I've already sorted through the office and taken a load of stuff to the church's rummage sale. There's more to be done but not so much that I can't enjoy a quiet, simple moment here and there. 

Words

I'm a big fan of words. I love quotes. I find them very interesting. I love things with words on them, artwork, blankets, pillows, a cute end table I found for the lake, jewelry. I have a tray in my kitchen with the alphabet scrolled on it. I love paintings with words. Right above the computer now is a painting from a local street fair with this phrase, "Your wings already exist...all you have to do is fly." There are pictures in my living room that say, "How we spend our days, is how we spend our lives," and "Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." I have a cute tray propped up on my kitchen counter that says, "Candy Cane Kitchen & Bakery." You name it and I probably love it. I think I'll take some pictures and try to get them posted although I'm not sure when that will be. It is the holiday season so cut me some slack.

In the mean time here are a few good quotes that I revisited recently.

There was an old owl lived in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
O, if men were all like that wise bird!
-Punch magazine

If you think education is expensive,
try ignorance.
-Derek Bok

I have generally found that a man who is
good at excuses is usually good at nothing else.
-Benjamin Franklin

Well begun is half done.
-Greek proverb (I think Mary Poppins borrowed this line)

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
-William James

What matters is in a character is not whether one holds this
or that opinion: what matters is how proudly one upholds it.
-Germaine de Stael

Send me your favorite words!

With gratitude

Oh, the places you'll go... You know the rest I'm sure. I'm thankful for Dr. Seuss. I love his books! My favorite is probably the first line of this post. I just love the message. Work hard, persevere and great things will happen. Thank you Theodor Geisel!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

 
 
With gratitude,

Awesome

I have Sirius/XM Radio in my car. Once in awhile I listen to a bit of Rosie Radio (Rosie O'Donnell) if my girls are entranced in a movie (we also have a DVD player in our car...I know...very lucky!). Rosie's guest yesterday was Neil Pasricha. Neil began a blog about 'awesome things' after his marriage fell apart. Apparently his wife decided she didn't love him anymore and they both respected each other enough to end the marriage and kindly part ways. Not exactly sure how that happens but I digress.

Neil started the blog and set out to list 1000 Awesome things. Awesome things include:

• #998 Getting grass stains out
• #956 Using Rock-Paper-Scissors to settle anything
• #483 Do nothing days

How true are these??? Each one is so, so, so simple, so universal and so awesome.

Side note: My dear Miss K (2 years old) has mastered the art of Rock-Paper-Scissors. She gets ready with fist in hand, pounds the rock-paper-scissors and them immediately sighs audibly and lets her arms fall in defeat as she is sure she's just lost the current round of the game. It's really quite entertaining and so fun to watch you don't want to let her know she has won, if in fact she has beaten you!

I'm going to start reading through the list. Click here if you'd like to do the same. Neil also has a recently released book. Guess what I may be getting before a trip to the lake or an upcoming road trip?

I think we all need to spend a little more time enjoying the Awesome things in each day...like the beautiful flowers outside my door, the green grass all around, the glass of red Kool-aid that hasn't spilled yet tonight or the quiet of a house with 2 little girls sound asleep after a fun day!

Fave read

I'm not much of a reader. I attribute it to the fact that I'm still getting over the abundance of college reading and I find it difficult to focus on reading when I'd rather be multi-tasking (doing something with my hands), catching up on my latest DVR'd TV shows or have someone talking my ear off. Usually its a 5 1/2 or 2 1/2 year old with a urgent need for a drink, a snack or a toy that needs extra attention.

In February my hubby and I were lucky enough to go to Charleston, South Carolina. He had meetings to attend. I got to spend days roaming through the city, taking pictures and enjoying southern hospitality. The first morning of our trip I lined up a photography tour of the city. Joyce led a friend and I through town and helped us capture some great photos of this beautiful city.

By the time I returned to the hotel I was determined to return one day and rent a beautiful home in downtown Charleston for a wonderful vacation. I figure it will give me time to really experience all there is to see and soak up in the beautiful cobblestone streets, the gorgeous architecture, wonderful food around every corner and the rich history that this city has.

Back to reading...I just finished "South of Broad" and its great. I had a tough time putting it down! Pat Conroy does a wonderful job of describing the city and way its citizens live. It was also a treat to read street and house names that I recognized and had visited. So much fun! 

So, if you are looking for a fun summer read and have (or wish to) visit Charleston pick up this book and enjoy. You'll find a wonderful story of friendship in a storied city.