Ordinary Miracles

i keep catching this Sarah McLachlan tune (i think it's from the new Charlotte's Web). i'm a huge sarah fan, so i was drawn to this beautiful song from the beginning. i love this quote from the lyrics:

When you wake up everyday
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle

i try to visualize my day when i wake up. all too often, it's a blur of getting up and out, getting to school, getting to work, putting out fires, thinking about dinner, walking, overseeing homework, bedtime reading, and possibly some quiet, creative time.

however, as i go throughout the day, i often stumble across ordinary miracles:
the way the sun streams into my kitchen windows while i'm packing lunches
the way jack's giggles when he's pretending not to wake up
the special time we have together on the drive to school
the way my staff constantly pulls together as a family
the way a crock pot dinner smells at the end of a long day
the azaleas on my walking route that are trying to bloom in february
the way jack is learning to read
the hour i find at the end of the day to watch some TV, or write a letter or design an invitation

i want to know what your ordinary miracles are!! will you share?

good mail

i was very excited to finish up my walk yesterday at the mailbox. inside was a very nice note from jill along with some really cute "good mail" labels. i love the colors, jill! they are the exact colors i used on some notecards earlier this year.


***Edited to add***
my good friend, karen, just stopped by with some awesome walking mixes that she made for me!!



i cannot walk without music!!

i was rereading some old journals last night, and came across a page from 1984, that literally began, "these days i live for getting mail..." the circle really is unbroken, isn't it??

***Edited AGAIN to add***
Good Soup! matty just called to tell me about his lunch. i assumed he took leftovers from last night. he did. however, he and his crew (they are the public works department on bald head island) were surprised with soup from one of the women who lives on the island. she thought it was too cold for them to be working outside, so she made them soup!!

can you guess which one is matty??

creative sunday

jack and i went off to Sunday School and church to start the day. we've been talking about getting into this routine. it can be so challenging, since matty is up and off to work by 5:15, and we have gotten in the habit of lounging around in our p.js. on sunday mornings.

so, off we went, and i really enjoyed myself. our church is medium-sized, with a definite trend toward the retired senior citizens. i've let that be an easy reason for me to stay away.

when we got home, i worked on these fun pillowcases. i wasn't sure how matty and jack would feel about so many hearts on their beds, but they actually helped pick out the fabric!



while i sewed, jack serenaded me with a concert featuring every. single. instrument. we own. for the record, those are:

the piano
the alto saxophone
the clarinet
the guitar
the largest assortment of percussion

i love his openness to learning an instrument (goodness knows, i have spent a large part of my life seated at a piano or marching in a band). but, he hasn't actually had any lessons on any of these instruments. i resisted the urge to run for the earplugs!!

he also helped me get together some good mail. when matty got home, we headed to the park for an hour. that was about all we could take in the chill!! i think we were all asleep before 9:00. (what superbowl?!?)

i link because i love you

i don't usually post over the weekends, but i have found myself with a few moments to spare. thought i would share a few links that i've stumbled across this week. check them out!

loobylu (at kiddley) links the this post about VERY cute valentine's day cookie holders (you might have to scroll down a bit to find the right project. it's worth it- there's plenty of cute stuff on this site!)

not martha links to megnut for this recipe for easy easy boneless buffalo wings (isn't there a football game this weekend?!?) these would be perfect.

i love gifts that include the little bag or box as part of the design. this bag of charms is absolutely adorable, and i can see adapting this idea for a crafty gift.

finally, did you know about the change to Daylight Savings Time this year?? you can read about it here at The Washington Post. that would have totally caught me off guard this year.

and just to get you in the mood, check out this flickr collection of heart photos

have a great weekend!

valentines revealed

so, now that my valentines have been delivered, i wanted to share my project.

a little history: a few years ago, when matty and i were really having a low period, some friends of ours lent us a set of 'conversation cards.' matty and i have used those cards over and over again - sometimes just one at a time, or sometimes for hours on end. i believe these cards got us talking at times when we really felt there was nothing to talk about.

(the friends that lent us the cards are involved in a movement of marriage enrichment. i don't know if these cards were created by the movement, or were just supplemental. in any event, i'm not sure where to give the credit for the questions themselves. my intent is simply to share something that we have found to be extremely helpful.)

anyway, we've held on to these cards for about three years, and i was beginning to feel a little guilty every time i walked by the box on my desk. wouldn't our friends eventually want their cards back?

for that matter, wouldn't ALL of our friends want a set of these cards??

i tweaked the design a bit (the 'original' set consisted of business card size cards in a darling rubbermaid box with a lid. to gave it a little artistic flair, i personalized each set with an initial charm, and hooked the questions together with a notebook ring. the finished product can easily be hung on a key rack, a drawer pull, a cup hook, or it can be tucked away in a nightstand drawer, a purse, etc.


the cover, showing charms and notebook ring.


a sample of the questions: when you tell me that you are proud of me, i feel...


here they are, ready to be mailed!

validation

isn't it funny how we all crave validation in some way? we put our blogs out there for so many different reasons: some journaling, some history telling, some history making, some sharing, some questioning, some searching...

in my early days of writing this blog (oh, so looong ago {tee hee}) i wrote this post, sort of addressing my fear that no one would respond to my blog. you know, "what if i threw a party and nobody came?"

i blog because i really enjoy journaling. i have kept a written journal almost continuously since junior high school. even in my "personal" journal, i find that i write as if someone, someday, may read it.

so over the past few months, i've really begun to settle into this blog. i've also begun to comment so much more on other blogs.

wow.

how amazing that just a few short sentences in response to someone's post can create hundreds of connections! how fascinating!

in an email with jill we were talking about how important comments feel. that we like to think we'd blog even if there were no comments. but, man, it's soooo awesome to get comments. to feel validated? "you like me. you really like me."

this week has garnered a lot of new activity on my blog (if the statistics are true), and it has me feeling welcome.

welcome to amuse-bouche. i hope we'll be friends for a long time.

guacamole

i would love to know who took the time to put little football stitches on all of the avacados in my grocery store?!?



i wish i had thought to take a photo of the whole display. it was really something.

hearts for the month of love

i actually put up valentine's decorations on january 14th, so that we can enjoy a full month of hearts.



it's a little blurry, but this is the view i can enjoy from my sofa as i'm watching t.v. or crafting or playing mousetrap with my boys.



close up of one of the crayon hearts we made a few years ago. this picture was taken at night, so you unfortunately don't get the beautiful sun streaming through. i have these hearts hanging in many of my windows.




jack really knows how to spread the love!

do you do anything special to celebrate valentine's day before february 14th??

lucky number 13 ( & 1/2)

i seem to have pushed through the weight loss plateau i experienced last week. that's a great feeling! i've been trying to mix up my walking routines a little - one day doing a real cardio push and the next day adding a little more time. i think it's definitely helping my metabolism.

i am really, really trying not to let "dieting" consume me right now, so i'm not posting about it every day. i'm always up for discussion, though, so if you are on your own weight loss journey, and you want to bounce around some ideas, comments, recipes, frustrations, feel free to send me an email!

what we teach

matty and jack are both painfully aware by now that i will photograph just about anything. posting photos on my blog adds a dimension that i've never been able to use in my pen & paper journaling.

matty decided to keep some of the Disney amenities from our villa bathroom that we didn't use during our trip. we put them in jack's bathroom (still in the wrappers). shortly afterwards, jack asked if he could use some of the new soap. i said, "not until i photograph it."

yeah, i know. totally bizarre. and i left it at that (i never took the picture.)

a few days later, jack came and asked me for the camera. i was in the middle of something, so i didn't really pay attention to what he was doing. he came back moments later, and showed me this:



i LOVE that kid!!

in the still of the night

i don't know about you, but my favorite time of the day is usually after matty and jack have gone to bed, and i have the house to myself. (matty rises at 4:30 am, so he typically can't stay awake past 8:00 pm. jack can be more of a challenge, as he is currently having difficulty falling asleep because he's "scared." is this typical of children with active imaginations? that's what i keep telling myself, anyway...)

last night, i was set by about 9:30, and i got busy packaging up my valentine's good mail.



it was so gratifying to see all the little packages ready to go. i also got our invitations together for our first annual soup swap, and they are ready to go also.

after the recipients have gotten their valentines, i will post what i made. i'm rather proud of the little design.

a trip to Dagobah

so last weekend, my sister came over to make some valentines with us while her husaband watched the bears game. i wasn't really prepared, but i had a few crafty items around. i had picked up some word charms, and katie, jack and i got to work assembling some cards.

here is the card that jack made:



it's a little hard to read, but the charm he chose to use says "destiny."

or, as jack insisted, "JEDI destiny."

what's for dinner?

so, i've been thinking that we should be using a crock pot in our house. the thing is, i've never really cooked in a crock pot before. i typically have used it for keeping hot dips hot.

i'm sort of at a loss for recipes, and i'm finding i don't have a ton of time to traverse the www looking for them. and? if it comes with a recommendation of total yumminess, i'm much more likely to try it.

do you have any favorite crock pot recipes you'd like to share??

creative sunday

jack and i had a very creative sunday, in which he sharpened all of his broken crayons into shavings, and i finished my valentine's presents!! three days ahead of schedule!!

we still need to melt the shavings into our project (we made hearts like these a few years ago. they look so *happy* hanging in the windows of our new sunny house!). jack has decided to add to our collection this year, and his color scheme is decidedly more blue and green. i can't wait to see how they turn out.

so, it's off to the post office to send my good valentine's mail - i hope i remember to photograph it before it goes!




how was your weekend??

the tough part

the tough part of being a manager is that, every now and then, i am faced with having to let an employee go. this is especially difficult when the employee is someone i like a lot, and with whom i have spent countless hours trying to groom for a "better" position.

sometimes you can spend hours trying to groom someone, and they will never achieve what you were hoping for them to achieve. i never stop hoping and trying, though.

as i tossed and turned over this last night, i was overwhelmed, as always, that sometimes the path of another person's life is literally sitting in the palm of my hand. isn't that a tremendous amount of responsibility?

i know that i did everything in my power to avoid this outcome.


a feel very small in a huge universe today.

i heart you

as i am determined to create and mail the valentine's gifts that matty and i have talked about sending, i sat down to the computer last night to begin the process. so far, i am pleased with how they are turning out.

i've spent the past few years creating valentines in my mind's eye for jack to share at school. you know, some over-the-top design that would require hours of preparation, that any five year old would cherish forever!!

however, he always votes for "regular" valentines (which usually feature spiderman!) and, really, they are his to give. finally, this year, i had an *a-HA* moment: why don't i just make valentines for MY friends??

i'd love to get them in the mail by february first, so how did it get to be the tail end of january already?!?

the woes of work

i try not to use up too much of the blogosphere with my trials and tribulations of being a working mom. because? i really like being a working mom. i am the type of person that feels adrift when i don't have work to do. when jack was a newborn, and i was home, i fell into the deepest depression i have ever experienced. i know part of this was due to hormones, but the other part? i don't do stay-at-home very well.

and, it's a definite bonus that i LOVE my job. i have worked very hard to get where i am, and this is the job i will most likely retire from. but, there are just. some. days.

i have spent most of my monday morning (usually a time i use to catch up on blog reading after an internet-free weekend) stripping guestrooms and helping out the housekeeping staff. see this adorable play housekeeping cart??



i wish being a housekeeper was this cute! it is HARD work to clean up after *other* people. i've developed such a respect for the people in our communities who do this thankless job day after day after day.

at least it's helping me get some extra steps in today!!

i'm stuck!

ugh! i'm trying not to be a slave to the scale, but i was so disappointed when i weighed in this morning. it hasn't budged since last week!!

i've been so enthusiastic about my workouts, congratulating myself for literally walking through the wind and rain and cold (well, as cold as it gets here). i was totally psyched to see my measurements are all smaller than this time last year. so, why am i still so focused on the darn scale?!?

last monday, i could just feel that i had lost weight. you know that feeling? all day yesterday, and even this morning, i've been stressed because i didn't have that feeling. and for good reason. the scale didn't budge!

(i should be focusing on the fact that it didn't budge upwards, huh?)

it's too early in the game for a plateau, i'm sure. i need to pat myself on the back for getting rid of 8 pounds since we came home from vacation (or, as we lovingly refer to it, "eating our way through Disney!")

looks like it's going to be a cold, wet walk tonight! and i'm actually looking forward to it...

in search of

on a trip to target post-Christmas, i picked up this candle. for me, it is the most amazing scent. light and citrus-y and fresh. i love to have scented candles burning in my home, but i tend to be soooo picky about the scent. i steer clear of things like "floral" and "jasmine" and "berry" scents.

so, i've been thrilled with this citrus amber candle, and i should have bought 10 of them!! you may recall, i live in a teeny tiny town, and the closest target is not-so-close. and they are sold out on target.com!! aagghhh!!

maybe, maybe you've seen them at your local target??

when i look to the star

OK, funny story to follow. something funny, hilarious, even, happened to ME! yes, ME! nothing funny, or at least funny-in-a-blog-worthy-way ever happens to me, so i am thrilled to be able to share the following:

i don't consider myself a scattered person. in fact, given my obsessive & compulsive tendencies, i very rarely get myself into situations for which i am unprepared. or, well, stuck.

last friday night, as i was getting ready to leave work, i pulled my door shut, and heard that familiar 'click' of the lock. and my next thought was that my car keys were sitting on my desk, inside my locked office. rrrggghh. i had grabbed my coat, but not my keys. my next thought was that my keys to the office were in my car.

and of course, my car was locked!! i can't tell you how frustrated i was! all of the following things were running through my mind:

1) it's friday night, and i want to go hoooome
2) i just had my office re-keyed, and there are only 2 keys. my assistant, with the other key, had already gone home (he lives about 15 miles away)
3) when i got back from the store with some copy paper earlier in the afternoon, i parked under the drive through by the front door
4) i thought i was only going to stay at work for a few more moments, so i left my purse in the car (with my office keys in it)
5) there were some strange looking guys checking in to the hotel when i parked, so i locked my car (with my purse inside of it)
6) i misplaced the second key to my car this summer, and haven't gotten around to replacing it yet
7) it's friday night, and i want to go home!

so, i called my assistant, who grumbled a little and said he would head over.

but then, i remembered, it's OK! because i have OnStar!! i'll just call OnStar! no matter that my membership card is locked in my car. surely they can help me out.

a very nice customer service employee named patricia walked me through about 8 steps to find my membership. phone number? nope. it didn't match my records. oh, wait, what was my phone number at my old house where i lived when i actually got this membership? nope, doesn't match my records.

no worries, they can use the last eight numbers from my VIN. i jotted down the jumble of letters and numbers and rattled them off to her. no, sorry, that doesn't match our records.

can you just search by my name? (i KNOW! what was i thinking?) and amazingly enough, patricia was able to find my membership. i happily confirmed that my car is a white trailblazer! yes, it's outside in an open area! yes, i will patiently wait for up to minute while you remotely unlock my door! she asked for a phone number to call me back in the event we got disconnected. i gave her the number at the hotel, which, as it turns out, is the phone number i used on my membership. who knew?!?

after about 30 seconds, she came back with the sad news that the unlock came back as failed. was i sure the car was not in a garage?

i'm sure! oh, but wait, i'm parked partially under the drive through at the front door of the hotel. so they attempted it again. another fail.

i knew by now that OnStar would not be able to help me out this time. but they were really, really nice about it. patricia even chuckled when i commented that next time i planned to lock my keys in the car, i would make sure i was parked in an open area. ha HA!

by this point, my assistant would be pulling up within minutes. i thought maybe i should give him a little tip for his trouble, and there just happened to be some money in my jacket. and, as i reached into the pocket...

yup, my car keys.

i called him immediately and told him OnStar had come to my rescue (because there's no harm in a teensie white lie, is there??

i have a new respect for ryan seacrest

the scene: ryan seacrest and jonathan are listening through the door in seattle to jonathan's new "friend" audition

jonathan: shoot. he didn't drop his jaw
ryan: what?
jonathan: he didn't drop his jaw. shoot!

you just can't make up these conversations!

one step at a time

i've been walking almost every day, and those little reward stickers are just smiling at me from my calendar. how many days does it take to make something a habit? or rather, how many steps will it take to make this a habit?

my pedometer needs a new battery, so i'm not entirely sure how many steps i am taking a day. i do know that i feel better, i look better, and i don't have that arthritic feeling in my knee.

so, for now, i will continue to put one foot in front of the other.

won't you join me??

SNAP to it

OK, since i'm fairly new to this blogging thing, i always get tickled pink when i learn about a new blog gadget. today's cool thing comes from kristi, who never ceases to amaze me with the things she shares through her blog.

so, check out snap and see how it can make your blog look oh, so hip. it's a simple & free download (two things that i LOVE!!)

now, i really must get to adding some links to my blog, so you can all (and by "all," i mean "the person who might read my blog one day by accident") take a peek at what i peek at every day.

100 things

1. I am the oldest of four girls.
2. I have lived in New York, Maryland, Georgia & North Carolina
3. I love Walt Disney World, but I don’t love Disney characters on adult clothing
4. I have one son
5. If I have another child, I think I would like another son (even though we miss out on all the cute girly clothes!)
6. I met my husband 10 years ago, in a restaurant where we both worked
7. He used to bring me Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups before we were dating
8. We have had a lot of personal struggles during our relationship
9. I haven’t grown as much as he has
10. I started decluttering my house 3 years ago, and it’s really changed how I feel about myself (thank you flylady!)
11. I have always struggled with managing my finances and living within my means
12. I have kept a journal since elementary school
13. I love to speak in front of groups of people, but I tend to feel anxious about making small talk at social gatherings
14. I am very picky about who cuts my hair
15. My short hair is always in need of a trim (because I’m so picky!)
16. I live in a teeny town, and sometimes I miss the suburban sprawl (and Target!)
17. I chose to live in this teeny town
18. I love to read, but normally I only find time to read in the bathroom
19. I’ve never been in a book club
20. I have very clear visions of things
21. I tend to forget to share my visions of things
22. I get frustrated when my visions of things don’t happen like I envision them
23. I have played the piano since I was 5 years old
24. I love musical theater and performing on stage
25. Music can make me cry
26. The first song that ever made me cry was “Never Gonna Let you Go” by Sergio Mendez
27. I was about 11 years old
28. I have always struggled with being overweight
29. I eat too quickly
30. I felt my best in 1995 and 1996, physically and emotionally
31. I am a control freak
32. I am compulsive
33. I am a little obsessive. At night, I have to check my alarm clock three or four times by actually touching the set button
34. I have spent more than ½ of my life living near the coast
35. I don’t like oysters or mussels, but I love my mom’s recipe for stuffed clams
36. I have taken sailing lessons in my life, but I still get nervous sailing because there are no brakes!
37. I find it hard to exude sympathy
38. I love to be a big fish in a little pond
39. I shine in group settings
40. I am a spiritual person
41. I don’t go to church as often as I feel I should
42. I enjoy preparing food, but don’t enjoy the planning so much
43. I am a “book cook” – I will follow a recipe to a tee
44. I am usually turned off by a recipe that has more than 6 ingredients
45. I don’t consider myself to be very athletic
46. The last organized sport I played was junior high field hockey
47. I enjoy walking outdoors, but NOT on a treadmill
48. Sometimes, I find it hard to get motivated to go out for my walk
49. After I go on a walk, I feel like I could take on the world!
50. I am getting ready to direct the show “Godspell.”
51. Watching “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” brings me to tears
52. I went to music camp for four years as a camper, two years as a counselor
53. I was in marching band in high school
54. I never thought of myself as a music geek
55. I love pizza with sausage, peppers and onions
56. I have become very good about sending thank you notes (thanks, mom!)
57. I haven’t kept very many friendships from high school or college, but my two oldest friends in the world are still a part of my life
58. I love peppermint stick ice cream during the holidays
59. Since I started lurking in the blogosphere, I have learned to make homemade marshmallows, I have made an effort to take better pictures, I have made an advent activity jar, I have read “Gifts from the Sea,” and I have started to send good mail just for the heck of it
60. I am a coffee in the morning girl
61. I tend to over commit myself, and then stress that I don’t have enough time off
62. I feel adrift when I have “free time,” hence the over commitments
63. I prefer Crest toothpaste, and never had to have a filling until I was 35!
64. I have worn glasses since the 3rd grade
65. I had braces two times!
66. I look like both of my parents
67. My hair is becoming very salt & peppery, and I think I’m OK with that
68. I have hazel eyes, and one of my eyes has a mole in it
69. My very first “job” was teaching kids how to make ribbon barrettes at a local store, circa 1979
70. My youngest sister got married in 2006, and we made ribbon barrettes during her “bachelorette party”
71. I hate to talk on the phone
72. I have spent a good part of my life thinking I’m not “cool enough”
73. I’ve been a Rotarian since May 1, 2004
74. I write with my right hand, and eat with my left hand
75. I get giddy over fun things in my mailbox, but I’m usually disappointed with a mailbox full of bills and junk
76. I typically look through a catalog eight or ten times. The first time, I want to buy one of everything. The next few times, I pare down the list to things I “really” want. I hardly ever order anything!
77. I enjoy camping, as long as there are some “basic” amenities (i.e. toilets and access to potable water)
78. I enjoy listening to live music, but not at concerts! I think they’re too loud! I prefer open-air music festivals and other places where the music is all around, and I can sit on a blanket and picnic.
79. I need new shoes!
80. I love platinum and white gold jewelry (although most of what I have is sterling silver!) I love chunky bracelets and interesting necklaces
81. I’ve had my ears pierced 6 times (four on one side, two on the other), but now I only wear one pair of earrings
82. I never wear matching jewelry sets
83. I can’t stand to have dry lips, so I am always using lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm or chapstick. I could never fall asleep if I didn’t have something on my lips!
84. I believe in chiropractic care and holistic healing
85. I also believe in Advil liqui-gels
86. I read something inspirational each morning, before I start my day
87. I leave my husband inspirational sayings taped to the bathroom mirror
88. I drive a Chevrolet Trailblazer
89. I’ve never traveled overseas
90. I think it would be fun to drive Route 66 in an RV
91. “I may not be perfect, but I am excellent!”
92. I make my son’s Halloween costumes
93. When I was younger, my sister and I took sewing lessons from a neighbor. She bartered for my mom to give her children piano lessons
94. I love it when my house feels and smells fresh. Fresh, to me, smells like citrus and bergamot or lavender or “fresh linen”
95. I hate overhead lighting. I NEVER use the fluorescent light in my office
96. I love the sound of snow falling
97. My favorite season, hands down, is fall
98. My birthday sometimes falls on Thanksgiving Day
99. I have always felt that someday I would be “famous” for something
100. I believe in Destiny

malaise

maybe it's just january, but i have been wandering around in a funk the past few days. nothing i can really pinpoint, but i felt low energy all weekend, and unfortunately, it seems to have carried over into today.

when i feel like this, i tend to drift from thing to thing, without accomplishing anything! not good for getting items marked off on any checklist!

i am very determined to finish my "100 things" by tomorrow. that will provide a post in and of itself. for now, i am going to head home for my walk, which should give me an energy boost for this evening.

i go out walking

recovery from vacation is coming along. i thought i'd be more inspired to blog about the trip, but so far, i'm content to keep the warm fuzzy memories to myself, sort of like a steamy mug of ginger tea. plus, i'm really dissapointed with most of the pictures. maybe i'm not blogging about it because i feel like the pictures would add so much to the story.

enough about that. i did print some of my photos onto cute notecards, and actually mailed them. after all, what's the point in creating good mail, if you're not going to send it??

i've been walking in the evenings, and it's already helping me feel so much better about myself! i'd been stressing about finding time to walk, possibly *creating* excuses like: it's too dark to walk when i get home from work. so, i got over it! if it means i need to leave work 30 minutes earlier right now, then i will. i am so lucky to have the ability to make that decision.

last night, during the drive home, i was seriously deciding NOT to go, until i walked into the kitchen. the first words matty said to me were, "you better hurry if you want to get your walk in." i immediately felt like going. it meant so much to me that he was able to show support like that. especially since he was already a little bit stressed out about making it to play practice.

anyway, i'm glad i went. i give myself a little sticker on my calendar every day that i walk. it seems ridiculous that the old-fashioned reward sticker can make me feel so good. i did this the last time i was serious about exercising, and it was a huge part of my motivation. it's awesome to look back on a week, a month, etc., and see all those stickers!

do you talk yourself out of exercising?
how do you motivate yourself?
how do you reward yourself?

When you wish upon a star

we had such an amazing time celebrating mom & dad's 40th anniversary at the Walt Disney World resort. there will be much more to come on this subject. for now, i am simply stuck in that post-vacation fog, with one foot still at disney, and one foot back to the grind.

En route

I am getting ready to close up my office for the next 6 days as we head to Florida. It's been 20 years since I visited the Mouse, so I am really looking forward to this getaway. Taking an *almost* 6 year old along will add to the Magic, I'm sure.

i plan to carve out some time with myself to finalize my New Year's commitments. i feel good things about making this year productive for me, in a way that will nurture my body and spirit. i kind of feel like the first half of '06 was crazy, busy, and the second half felt sort of quiet, lonely. i'm hopeful that this was just sort of a hibernation period.

happy new year to all!

this little meme

at the risk of finding no good way to sum up the year, i will instead give you this list of everything i would've included in my wrap-up, plus plenty more. er, thanks, jess.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before? Allowed complete strangers to look at my financial affairs
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I accomplished some things, I've carried some over for next year. It's sort of a running list.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No.
4. Did anyone close to you die? No.
5. What countries did you visit? I'll have to think on that one. Um... None!
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? Money in my savings account.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? March 31st. The day we closed on our house.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Buying a house. My biggest achievement for 2007 will be staying in this house.
9. What was your biggest failure? I didn't do anything for my body, my spirit. I was a total slug all year.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? No, I have been so lucky.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Our home.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Jack is learning to read! On the global scale, I fell like I should have an answer, or several...
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Britney Spears, George Bush, various teenagers who should know better!
14. Where did most of your money go? Mortgage, tuition, car payment, and it should also be going to several other loans we have.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Wow. Is it sad that I really can't think of much? I am, however, really, really excited about going to Walt Disney World on Wednesday!
16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Lips of an Angel, Oklahoma!, anything from XM Kids
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? happier, fatter (probably), poorer (but it's worth it)
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Physical activity, creative projects, going to church
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sleeping
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Among family.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006? Every day
22. How many one-night stands? None
23. What was your favorite TV program? Lost, mostly for the camaraderie (we watched with my sister & bro-in-law)
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't think I hate anyone. I definitely get aggravated, though.
25. What was the best book you read? Wicked
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Jack singing Oklahoma!
27. What did you want and get? A new house.
28. What did you want and not get? A lighthouse award.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? I never make it to the movie theatre. But Netflix has become a very good friend.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I stayed home with Matty and Jack and turned 37
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Feeling better about my health and my finances.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? Shabby. and not in the chic way.
33. What kept you sane? Reading blogs and getting creative again

Good-bye 2006! And best wishes to everyone in 2007!

december 2006 - a recap

wow. i had every intention of summing up our wonderful holiday season, complete with photos!. however, i seem to have misplaced the USB cord for my camera... rrggghhh.

so, for your non-viewing pleasure, i will now scroll the photos on my camera and tell you about them(in no particular order):

Little Christmas Eve - alas, i did not take any pictures the whole evening!! it was a great evening, though, and i'm sure we will continue this tradition. oddly enough, mat and i have done some sort of entertaining on Christmas Eve most of the years we've been married.

Our Christmas puzzle - we finished!! all but one piece! ack - between the month it sat out, and the moving from room to room, we seem to have lost track of one piece of snowy sky. i still have faith it will turn up.

Christmas Eve candle - we lit the red candle in the window when we got home from church. this is a lovely, quiet tradition that i look forward to carrying on.

hhmmmm, something tells me this isn't quite as exciting for you as it is for me! i am so thankful to have the entire collection of advent activities forever captured in this blog. it was the perfect way to jump into this blogging thing!! i'm looking forward to continuing this *tradition* in 2007!

up on the soapbox

i was really excited to get this news last night. it's early for me yet to start thinking about the 2008 elections (the whole campaign "season" is out of control, as far as i'm concerned.) however, i really developed a *like* of this candidate when he ran on the ticket with Kerry. i also feel that north carolina connection more than i thought i would.

i'll be curious to see how my feelings change as more candidates throw their hats in the ring. i just found it a little refreshing to get a glimmer of hope right now.

and is it O.K. for me to say i really like the campaign logo? that's not a shallow observation, is it? ;)

24 december - Christmas Eve

i woke up this morning and puzzled and puzzled and drank coffee, and relaxed. mat and i took turns running out for a few last minute items. and jack pretty much entertained himself while having an early viewing of a DVD that matty bought him for christmas.

we gathered ourselves together and went to church. it was a beautiful service, and thanks to all of the "families" it was loud enough that we didn't get too sensitive about jack energy aura. the minister, whom we just met at my parent's house few weeks ago, gave a sermon that really spoke to both matty and i.

they finished the service with one of my favorite traditions: the singing of Silent Night to candlelight. i remember doing this at St. Francis in Potomac, and of course, it reminded me of the candlelight service at Holy Trinity in Greenport. i am so glad we went to church, because i've really been feeling an emptiness there.

jack had a quick bath, and fell asleep quick as a wink. so did matty! i had the whole evening to wrap presents and listen to the Messiah. while savoring a few glasses of wine, i listened to Christmas Music presentations on public television. until i realized that it was after 2 am!!

i never saw santa, though!

23 december - Little Christmas Eve

we had a lovely open house, with just the right amount of people stopping in. matty saved us by doing ALL of the food prep. it's amazing that he enjoys cooking again. he's still a mess in the kitchen, but i definitely notice that he's making more of an effort to clean up behind himself.

i tackled the rest of the house, with jack in tow. he really wanted to "help." it was just so aggravating, because i was in my uber focused mode, and i felt like everything he was doing was a) creating more work to be done, and b) not fitting in with "the look" i was going for. UGH! why am i cursed with the stress of needing things to be JUST SO. i mean, so what if the piece of ribbon he taped on the pantry door looked awkward and chintzy?!? sometimes, i just need to get over myself!!

but, back to the party. we had plenty of food, featuring the baked ham with root beer glaze, and swedish meatballs on our julbord. we puzzled, and played board games, and all in all, it was a perfect evening.

22 december - play board games

note for next year: advent activities should possibly only be scheduled for the first three weeks of december, after which time, lethargy will consume the family, and all activities will be suspended...

we're winding down, and the past few nights, we've all been content to get in our PJs and watch TV. i did run around wilmington all afternoon, to pick up some things. crazy, rainy, last-minute-shopping weather.

we had every intention of polishing up the house this evening, but per usual, we will have the mad dash to our open house tomorrow afternoon. and it will all be O.K.

21 december - Solstice

ahhh, Solstice. even the name is soothing. we had our annual celebration with our great friends. it is the perfect way to take a deep breath before addressing the last minute Christmas frenzy.

we started our celebration three years ago, and it has quickly become an evening i look forward to with a lot of anticipation. the boys can play together, or work on decorating an (all-natural) gingerbread house, while we snack on pre-prepared food (rotisserie chicken, anyone?), dim the lights, and sit around the fire talking. good, old-fashioned, cerebral, spiritual conversations. it's amazing to me how i don't feel like i get much of that these days.

then we go around the circle, and we each light a candle and talk about whatever we want to talk about. it usually ends up being something we're thankful for, although i know i also mention some sort of resolution for the upcoming year. we ramble about druids, and seasons, and yule logs and misteltoe, and we are able to bare our souls in way that many people don't get to do anymore.

the celebration has come to mean so much to each of us over the years. this year, we almost scrapped it, as our friends were dealing with the death of a dear pet. and i think a part of me was even ready to put it off (i've been so tired lately). but i am SO thankful we got together. now i am refreshed, and ready for some Christmas magic!

20 december - make Solstice stars

OK, so no stars, and still no cookies!! have i tried (AGAIN!) to cram too many things into advent???

jack is fighting a cold, and i am just feeling t.i.r.e.d.

looking forward to our annual solstice celebration, even minus the stars!

19 december - bake a batch of Christmas cookies

too. tired.

will persevere tomorrow.

18 december - have an indoor picnic

we all were thrilled with tonight's activity. we were home together, there were no social obligations, no big food prep, etc.


(i don't even want to know how much meat matty put on the big sandwich.)


we moved aside the coffee table and just camped out. this is definitely an activity we should carry on from month to month. it's a nice break in a hectic schedule.

self-portrait, jack, 12/18/2006

17 december - make a gingerbread house

jack and i had our annual gingerbread adventure while matty worked. jack was seriously tired from his sleep over, and i was seriously regretting agreeing to do another gingerbread house. i have royal icing issues.

we were smart enough to put the pieces together so they would stay standing while we decorated. at least we learn from our bad experiences (2004, 2005...) but the icing. the icing. i can't stand the smell of it, the feel of it, the way no matter how much i twist the icing bag, some of it oozes out the back end. i can't stand the way it turns to cement immediately when you drip some on the table, yet when you try to glue a gumdrop on the side of the house, it persists on dripping, dripping, DRIPPING!

the amount of cursing i do under my breath during these gingerbread adventures is going to cost me in future therapy for jack, i can just tell. i need to just give it up!

16 december - special treat

the activity today stressed me out!!

originally, we were going to go to the holiday flotilla over on the big lake. however, i had a call a few weeks ago to set aside the date for a get-together at the home of a family we know. the get-together was to be followed by jack sleeping over for their son's birthday.

well, the thing is, we have a very awkward relationship with this family. neither mat nor i feel like we've really "clicked" with them, despite many efforts. many. efforts. they recently moved several hours away, but are keeping their home on the island as a weekend retreat, for now.

so, there was this loose invitation, and i didn't dare tell jack that there was a sleepover involved, in case it fell through. we just kept thinking they would call when they got into town to give us specifics about the evening. we wandered sort of aimlessly through the day, knowing we were expected to make an appearance at their house. we were all pretty tired, and even spent part of the afternoon watching a DVD. that is unheard of for us!! squandering away a saturday!

(it felt pretty darn good...)

we have no current phone number for them, since their cell phones have changed, so we literally had to go to their house to see if there was a party!! i had all sorts of schemes in my head of how we would turn around in their cul-de-sac if no other cars were there!!

turns out there were a few families there, and they ended up having 7 kids sleep over, and jack enjoyed himself, and matty and i endured the endless small talk. we have nothing in common with them!! even though it seems like we would: we have children who are close in age, we have similar education levels, we have similar tastes in music, in decor. we just don't.

all in all, it just felt like a wasted day and night. in my opinion, if you are still struggling with small talk with a couple you've known for almost two years, you need to just go your separate ways, and not try to force a friendship. it just seems so much more complicated when the children are all friends.

maybe this is why i feel like i have so few friends? does anybody else struggle with this?

15 december - campout around the Christmas tree

ah, the sleepover that never was... after spending the evening at my parent's third annual holiday oyster roast, jack was heard to say as i was tucking him into his bed, "it wouldn't have worked to sleep in the living room anyway." we were all exhausted, and thankful to be sleeping in our comfy beds.

as much as i love to look up at the christmas tree lights, i love being comfortable when i sleep just a little bit more!

14 december - have hot chocolate with all the fixins

wow, hot chocolate (as opposed to hot cocoa) is reaallly rich. i don't think any one of us took more than a few sips!! it was fun whisking the chopped up chocolate into the milk. and we even had a little science lesson, trying to explain why the whipped cream that we put in the bottom of the mug floats to the top when we add the hot chocolate.


anyway, after hot chocolate, it was off to printing labels for Christmas cards and making treats for the cookie exchange at school today. thanks to the world of blogging, i found this great idea that was perfect for child-with-short-attention-span participation. bagged 'em up and tied 'em with a bit of ribbon, and jack fell asleep watching the bonus material on 'The Santa Claus' of wolfgang puck making cookies and hot chocolate.

oh, it makes my teeth hurt...

13 december - make a Christmas craft

our 'craft' was a food craft, at jack's request. he came home from school, where they are learning about winter celebrations, and announced that he wanted latkes for dinner.

mmmmmm.

so, after a walk through the neighborhood to deliver chex mix to a friend, we set about making latkes. chef jack mixed the flour and egg, while chef mommie grated the onion and potatoes. thank goodness for our Kitchen Aid food processor! as i was squeezing handful after handful of potatoes, i couldn't help but think of the generations of women before me who did this by hand!




the last of the batch were by far the crispiest, as the oil was HOT and the pan was seasoned. matty and i loved them, jack stated they weren't as good as the ones they made at school (thanks, jack), but he cleaned his plate.



Happy Hanukkah!

12 december - learn an Irish Christmas custom

So, representing the O'Neill side of the family today, we talked about Christmas customs in Ireland. They are very similar to the American customs we celebrate. The two that we focused on were: lighting of a red candle in the window on Christmas Eve, and Boxing Day (December 26).

I really like the symbolism of putting a candle in the window to show our hospitality for all weary travelers.

CANDLE IN THE WINDOW
Many homes in Ireland still today will show a lighted candle, or perhaps todays equivalent, and much safer, electric lights, in the window of their home on Christmas Eve. This stems from the custom that to show a light in the window lighted the way of a stranger out after dark. It goes back to most ancient times, when the laws of hospitality were stronger and not abused. To have a light in your window on Christmas Eve to welcome the stranger meant that you were welcoming the Holy Family too. To have no light meant that you shared the guilt of the Innkeeper at Bethlehem who said, "No Room"!

I think it's eye-opening to realize how the "laws of hospitality" have definitely grown weaker from generation to generation. Nowadays, who really would open their home to a complete stranger?? Growing up, my parents hosted many friends-of-friends, or people-visiting-for-work-purposes, etc. They may have been strangers at the beginning, but some created truly life-long connections.

Several years ago, we hosted two college students who were on a choral concert tour. They were with us for maybe 12 hours, most of which time was spent sleeping. I don't remember their names, but I will always remember the experience: making up the guest room, driving them home from the concert, talking about their college and choral experiences, introducing them to our toddler, showing them hospitality.

We should do more of that. Open our home, expand our little world to include the unknown, the different, the potentially life-long friend.

11 december - go to a Christmas concert

in what has sort of become a tradition, jack and i attended katie's chorus concert tonight. i had visions of the two of us dressing up, having some dinner, and enjoying an hour of holiday music.

em...

here's the thing: i have a 5 y.o. son with a LOT of energy. literally. he cannot sit still for longer than 15 - 20 minutes at a time. and he's a multi-tasker (much like me, much to my chagrin.) for example, he will sit still for reading, but he'll fidget with a toy while he's listening (maybe he needs more visual stimulation?) and these days, he's very sensitive about getting one-on-one attention, liberally using the phrase "nobody loves me," to pepper his running commentary.

so a high school chorus concert rates pretty low on his list of fun-things-to-do. i thought ahead and let him bring a bag of toys, thinking he would quietly play while they sang. i spoke to him ahead of time about my expectation that he NOT slide around on the floor. ("but they MOP them").

we had a great time at dinner. and the first few moments of the concert (pre-singing) were fine. but, there was nothing for him to look at (visual stimulation), the majority of toys in his bag were cars, so he had to slide around on the floor with them (the 'mopped' floor), and i agreed to watch after his 18 m.o. cousin (why are you only paying attention to him?)

so, again, i spent the concert out in the hallway, hushing, pleading, apologizing. way to set us up for success!! sign the kid up for an activity he is predisposed to despise!

note to self: jack does not enjoy concerts. how about an evening at the skating rink instead...)

10 december - make Christmas treats for the neighbors

jack and i made batches of chex mix today. i plan to have it available for gifts to drop off at our neighbors' houses, send to school, use as hostess gifts, etc., etc.

one of the things i love most about this season is that i really tap into my creativity. it was such a simple thing to package up the mix, and i am thrilled with the final result!



i tried to print out some labels, but for some reason, the red ink on my printer was not cooperating. not great, when you are going with a red and green theme!

i took an hour last night to whip up some festive pillowcases for us. what an awesome idea. i even made a little one for jacks pillow that he refuses to give up. (WHY didn't i think of that before??) anyway, i have visions of making pillowcases for all sorts of occasions, because it seems like such an easy, inexpensive way to brighten up any holiday. i'll never buy designer sheet sets again!!

(p.s. we finally got all of the nativity scenes set out. i'm not sure they are in their final places, but at least they are out of their boxes!)

9 december - trim the tree

today was the day we got our Christmas tree! we had fun in wilmington this morning, stopping by the crafts store and target. we got out of target with only a new coat for jack, some pjs and 2 action figures!! i fondly remember the days when i would visit target daily!! over the past few years, i've had to scale down on the target adventures (it helps that it's over 20 miles away!!). i definitely appreciate that i've cut down on the clutter in my home since i weaned myself. there have been several times that i've seriously gone into target looking for something to buy, and have made the better choice for me, and walked out!

the tree is so cute! it's a narrow tree that jack picked out. matty said he wanted a narrower tree for the space we have in our new house. it's funny, becuase the pictures of trees that have been appealing to me this year are tall, skinny trees...

it was just a magical family day for us. saturdays have become so special for us, since it's the only day of the week we are all together. i remember those long, long saturdays when matty worked doubles, and jack and i would lock horns all day long. i don't miss that time.

8 december - watch a Christmas movie with popcorn

our activity was to watch a Christmas movie with popcorn tonight. doesn't seem very special, does it? considering jack's been watching Christmas videos for the better part of two weeks now.



however, i decided to buy Rudolph, to add to our growing collection of movies. matty was able to stay awake for the whole movie, and we did have popcorn, and it turned into a wonderful night. and? jack has declared that Rudolph is now his favorite movie, so he watched it about 12 times over the weekend...

7 december - have breakfast for dinner

wonderful. matty cooked up our favorite breakfast, a recipe we stumbled upon for camping trips, actually. it was warm and comforting. he fell asleep in his "new to us" chair while jack colored in his new coloring book and i watched silly television.

a perfect night.

6 december - set up the Nativity scenes

well, we didn't even attempt tonight's activity! by the time i got home from the huge QA inspection at work, it was all i could do to put on my pajamas and snuggle up with jack on the sofa!! there's still quite a few surfaces i need to clean off before we can set out all of our manger scenes. with this year's addition of the Mike Tucker "Made in Turkey" set, i think we're up to 8 different scenes!!

5 december - learn a Swedish Christmas custom

in an effort to learn more about the heritage of each side of our family, we spent some time this evening talking about how Christmas is celebrated in Sweden (mat's side of the family.)

we talked about St. Lucia day (and how we most likely could not celebrate that in our house, given that there is no daughter, and jack is not quite able to prepare breakfast in bed for us!!)

we learned about the jultomten. we had a set of 4 tomtes in our house growing up (my sisters still argue over whose is whose...) after mat and i were married, my father made a trip to Sweden, and was able to pick us up a tomte for our house. now jack is convinced that the tomte is helping Santa by keeping a watchful eye over our household.

we also learned about the traditional celebration of "Little Christmas Eve," featuring a julbord (the Christmas smorgasbord). i think we are going to have a Little Christmas Eve open house, which will be a great opportunity to show off our house!! (i'm planning baked ham, meatballs and rice pudding, but i think we are all in agreement that we'll skip the lutfisk!)

later in the evening, we watched Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and it struck jack that Mrs. Claus looks a lot like our tomte. (he's going to have to be extra good now...)

4 december - do a Christmas puzzle

it was coooold last night! below freezing, which is about 20 degrees colder than normal for our insulated beach area. a perfect night for working a new puzzle in front of the fireplace. i found a Santa puzzle at The Christmas House (thank goodness i didn't have any more money with me... i could have spent sooooo much!! the puzzle is 1000 pieces, which is a HUGE amount for jack. i think he is a little overwhelmed by the number of pieces. he would drift away, and come back to work a little bit at a time. i, of course, was riveted to my spot, determined to get the border put together. i came close!


here's a pic from the parade on saturday. note our creative use of tinsel to decorate our 'elves.' that didn't last long!


here's a shot of jack on a "shocker slide."

today and tomorrow will be very hectic for me, with the QA inspector set to check in this evening. thank goodness our Advent activities are well-planned, and give me some down time at home. i'll be puzzling away!!

3 december - write letters to Santa

jack and i spent the entire day in our pajamas, while mat was at work. i guess yesterday took a lot out of us.

it was fantastic to have the fireplace hooked up finally (yay, mat!), and we lounged around, watched a few holiday videos. i did typical sunday chores, and took a few minutes to 'organize' the boxes of Christmas decorations that have taken over the front room.

we read stories, and i even played the piano for awhile. it was cold and rainy outside, and i can't think of a better way to while away a sunday afternoon.

when mat got home, i did run out to the grocery. he made burgers for us, while we lit the advent candle. jack was very nervous about saying a prayer, because it had the word "Jesus" in it. and Jesus died (eventually, jack.) he really is going through this phase of being scared about the most random things. well, seemingly random. it's been difficult to have him physically attached to me almost every moment of the evening. i'm sure this is a manifestation of stress (the past few months have been very stressful around our house...) i'm hoping he will continue to grow out of this.

anyhow, we tried to talk a little bit about what advent means to each of us, and i stressed that, for me, it is a time to be quiet and thoughtful, and to light candles and think about a time when our ancestors lived in the cold darkness. i continue to be intrigued by the links between our Christmas traditions and the ancient Solstice traditions.

as for those letters to Santa...we didn't get very far! mat was in bed by 7:00, and jack had no more concentration left at the end of the day. ah, well.

2 december - Christmas by the Sea Parade

today's activity was riding on the hotel float in the annual Christmas by the Sea Parade. (again, an activity which has been on the books for awhile. all we had to do was show up, set up the float, and ride!)

we featured Santa riding in a Cloud 9 bed, obviously pointing out that Santa chooses the Hampton Inn for the best night's sleep!! the crowd seemed to really enjoy it (a little more than i was anticipating. perhaps it was just the holiday spirit??)

one woman called out, 'how can i get a good night's sleep like that?' and mat quickly responded, 'make a reservation!' sometimes he really slays me with his quick wit. i was very thankful to have him ride with us.

as a surprise, jack's friends who were visiting for the weekend, showed up just in time to hop on the float. jack was thrilled, and i gave myself a pat on the back for keeping it a secret. (ok, granted, i only had to keep it a secret for about two hours!!)

following the parade, we settled in with our friends for dinner (which was supposed to be homemade for my birthday!) they had all been tailgating during the parade, and were pretty sloshed by the time we got there. we stuck it out, they ordered in some Thai, and the boys played together until we were all about ready to fall asleep.

we tried to watch "Miracle on 34th Street" when we got home. almost as soon as it began, i had second thoughts about jack learning anything about the questionability of Santa. i certainly am not ready to be a part of chiping away at his innoncent beliefs. i don't want there to even be a flicker of a doubt in his mind at this point!! fortunately, he fell asleep pretty early on, and i didn't even finish watching the movie. i am totally O.K. with perpetuating the story of Santa Claus!

1 december - visit at max's house

last year, i was intrigued enough by this holiday project to sort of "give it a go." (via loobylu ).

i got far enough along in the process to come up with a list of 24 activities that we could a) handle financially, and b) accomplish among 2 working parents and a 4 y.o. full-time student, without all of us spontaneously combusting after dinner.)

where i got stuck was the execution of the project, because i wanted it to be PERFECT. i wanted it to look like the picture above. sigh. (this is about the point in every project where i stop. it is soooo difficult being stumped by perfection!!)

anyway, i got enough out of my list of activities that we had a rather enjoyable holiday season, and completed a handful of the fun ideas i had compiled. it definitely added to the overall enjoyment of our simpler Christmas.

this year, i got a little more organized, pulled the list back out (tweaked it a little), and prepared to welcome december 1st. it is a nice tie in to the start of the Advent season, which, we are learning, plays an important role in the Swedish holiday celebration. of course, i was up past eleven last night, stressing over what the final project was going to look like (!). it's not fancy. i'll have to share a pic later.

anyway, jack was thrilled to read the activity for today, a visit at max's house. honestly, the visit was already planned so that we can go to mat's Christmas party tonight. i'll try to blog all 24 activities. i'm really looking forward to it.

thank you. no, thank you

about a month and a half ago, jack's school held their annual golf tournament/fund raiser. this thing is a big pain in the patoot to organize, i'm sure. it usually falls on the shoulders of one or two parents/teachers to coordinate, advertise, rally sponsors and teams, etc., etc. (incidentally, since we both work full time, we are not able to help with the "hard work." we typically sponsor a team and then show up to golf. tee hee. i said 'we golf.' that's funny...)

it as billed as a fund raiser, and therefore one would assume that the golfers would focus on the fun of the event and the benefit to the school. of course, since we live in a population chock full of golf-playing retirees, there tend to be alot of teams who focus on the quality of the course, their position in the line-up, the amount (and type) of refreshments. (these are the teams that make me edgy on the course, because heaven forbid they get behind me!)

as we were leaving the event, i took 35 seconds to stop and thank the mother who had put it ALL together. i think i said something as simple as, "thank you so much for all of your time and effort putting this tournament together."

this morning, as i dropped jack off at school, she approached me, and said that she had been wanting to thank me for the kind words that day. she said it was the nicest thing anyone said to her that day.

wow.

i can't describe how warm it made me feel to know that i really connected with this person (a woman whom i barely know.) that my simple words meant so much to her when she needed to hear them. thank you to my parents and grandparents and all of the adults in my life who instilled in me the importance of "thank-yous" and kind words.

that simple gift (or rather, re-gift, perhaps) i received this morning has really set the tone for my holiday season. i hope you might enjoy similar small moments throughout your season.

you can call me 'jacques'

jack has recently become aware of all of the other 'jacks' in the world: jack frost, jack be nimble, jack sprat, jack and jill, and so forth. he truly believes that all of these jacks are named after him, because he is so famous.

he is so famous, because back in the spring, he was in a fishing tournament, in which he received a trophy for catching a turtle. it was a very small fishing tournament, and it's a small trophy, and the fish he caught was a, well, it was a turtle. however, he believes he is famous for this.



i don't think i will ever tire of him expounding upon all of the other 'jacks' who have been named for our famous jack. may he always feel so good about himself!

Day 5 1/2 (!) of vacation

i finally had to pull out the arts and crafts. 5 1/2 days of jack is a lot. we didn't go outdoors enough (my fault), we watched too many videos, etc., etc.

it was just a lot of time. together. alone.

he still has the ability to make my heart melt, even in the midst of a meltdown. and he picked the craft himself. it actually kept him occupied for the better part of an hour. he hung all the ornaments on the little tree in his room, and it is precious.

note to self: in the future - schedule things to do!! and find the energy to do them!!

Thanksgiving

A few things to remember from Thanksgiving 2006

brined turkey
corn and wild rice pudding (too much corn? too much liquid?)
brocolli a la ritz
stuffins
cider pie with whipped cream
using fine china

however small the gathering (it was just the three of us), i am glad to have made the effort.

Of Charlie Brown and Cider Pie

we are staying put for Thanksgiving this year. and the rest of the family is headed elsewhere. i am thankful for the break (and thankful that i get to see my family all the time).

with no cable, there's no macy's thanksgiving parade, although there are places we can go to watch it, if the spirit moves us. we didn't get the gas logs hooked up in time either, so no cozying around the fire.

however, there IS netflix, and turkey and our first Thanksgiving in our new home. i'm going to try a recipe for cider pie (linked from not martha, and i plan on sitting down and writing a note to a blogger who has touched me, connecting two little corners of the vast internet.

i'd like to get myself organized for holiday season. my goal is for it to be as simple and as wonderful as last year.

how does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?

For the boys 'over there'

last night was opening night of 1940s Radio Hour at Brunswick Little Theatre. i was exhausted, and really wanted to stay home and sleep, after the week i've had at work. of course, i went, and it was a great opening night.

my jaws ("chops") were really tired. i've played the sax/clarinet 4 nights this week already. that is a TON, considering i haven't played at all in 19 years!! the other musicians were asking me how i was enjoying the experience. i can honestly say that it has been a blast. michael and nick keep me in stitches throughout the whole show. and listening to them play is a treat.

i am soooo thankful that i have an ear for music, and an appreciation of music. it makes my life so much richer.

a wilmington paper gave us some great press. all in all, it's a fantastic way to kick off another simplified Christmas season!!

reading, writing...

found this addition to my weekly shopping list. i had to blog it so that i would remember how amazing it is to witness jack learning how to read and write. he stops to sound out every written word he comes across.

when do we lose that thirst for learning?

once, i had a wire whisk

i bought a trendy kitchen aid gadget set, mostly because of the solid-handled wire whisk. i loved the thought of feeling the weight of this utensil. i loved the thought that it would match my kitchen aid kitchen.

and then. and then my monster-in-law came for Christmas, and we didn't have a gift for her. so... i wrapped up the gadget set and gave it away.

and now, my last wimpy wire whisk has bit the dust (o.k., well it's been several months now. i just couldn't stand the skinny, poke-me-in-the-palm whisk any more.) with the holiday baking season just around the corner [and let's face it - since i won't be watching any season's eatings, i'll just have to make my own], i've renewed my search for the perfect whisk.

or whip? which is it?

cocktails

please, oh please, remind me to make this drink sometime soon.

i don't drink cocktails that often, but when i do, if it can include gin? and ginger? in the same delicious glass?

sounds like i may have found myself a holiday treat.

in the belly of the beast...

yesterday, at my darkest desperate time, the hotel called me from my fetal cocoon, and made me come back. back to a place that i wanted, more than anything, to run from. to hide from.

as if, to say, no, eleanor, today is not the day you give up. today is not the day you give up on me. nor will i give up on you.

crawling into that elevator shaft in my pajamas i realized, much later, lying awake trying to calm my thoughts... THAT was the moment i turned back to the hotel and said, ok. i tried to turn my back on you. but you are much stronger, and apparently wiser, than i.

so, here i am. back at work. more focused, and somehow stronger than i was before i crawled into the belly of the beast.

Interesting enough??

ah, the ultimate dilemma of blogging...am i interesting enough??

which, if you want to be real about it, translates to...will other people like me??

i've been really trying to push those thoughts out of my head, otherwise, I WOULD NEVER BLOG!! i'm trying to keep this blogging thing in a small, manageable package. hopefully, it will evolve into a life of its own.

beacuse, the popularity thing? i've lost that battle so, so many times.

Grrrr...

has everyone taken an "i wan't to annoy eleanor pill" today?!?!

i voted

whatever happened to the little stickers you would get after voting?

i stopped and chatted with a guy i know as i left the polls. he said, "doing your civic duty?" and i said yes, i am.

but it's more than that, isn't it? i was raised in a family of voters. it's a duty, and a right, and your CHANCE to contribute, because, how many of us really have aspirations for political office?

i voted. did you?

comfort food

mmmmm. i've been wanting to make individual serving macaroni and cheese for 3 or 4 years, ever since i first saw martha serve it up in a photo shoot. of course, part of the comfort for me, in that spread, was the rosy-cheeked kids in stocking caps and snow.

while we didn't have snow, what we DID have was jack's first sleep over guest, and the perfect opportunity to wow two five year old palates. of course, they reminded me, often, that this was not mac and cheese, but penne and cheese.

cheeky monkeys...

Craving

oh, T***-W*** Cable, why have you foresaken me??? why does it have to be so expensive to have the Food Network, HGTV and hi-speed internet connection at home? why is it always the first of our unneccessary expenses to get the boot??

i've been 2 months without cable, and i'm staring at a holiday season with no Season's Eatings, no Grinch, no Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!

i'm feverishly trying to figure out how to pay our past due balance and get back in your good standings.

oh, alton, i miss you!!

montessori

i spend so much time raving to people about how jack just "gets it" at montessori. i really should try to spend some time actively bringing those elements into our home.

this article inspires me to do just that.

kalamazoozoozoozoozoozoo

i'm loving playing sax and clarinet in this show! we just had a reed rehearsal, and i really was able to lose myself for 2 hours. who would have ever thought that after 19 years i would pick up the sax again?!?

playing this show has put me back in touch with a creative outlet that i had almost entirely forgotten about.

cool tunes. nice charts, man.

The Force is strong with this one

yoda 2, originally uploaded by lelly.

Jack had his first sewing lessons while we stitched up this outfit. One of my favorite things in the world is creating Jack's Halloween costumes!! Now that he is old enought to help in the process, it's even more fun!

Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-YoDA

coffee-dyed, hand-made, community-centered Halloween.
love

pictures to come...