Today was a long day. Before we left Austin I ran a Christmas present errand and then I stopped by Starbucks. No big convo about my name this time. It was fun to play Santa for just a bit and a grab a coffee in peace. Then I loaded up the kids and all of…
Fixer Upper
I walked the dog through my parents’ neighborhood yesterday, trying to remember which families lived where. I passed by my childhood friend Corrie’s house, and thought about the fun we used to have there and how we made prank calls once to ask people if their refrigerator was running and if so, they better go catch…
Thankful
I am thankful for so many things in this life of mine. My children My parents My brothers and their families My home My friends My faith My talents/abilities My dog It is no small thing that most of these things are people. Because what I am…
Puzzling
When my brother Larry and I still lived in the same house, back in the late 80’s, early 90’s, we used to sit in the “game room” at my parents’ house with the t.v. on and build jigsaw puzzles together. It probably wasn’t your most usual way to bond but we had a lot of good conversations…
Don’t Cry For Me…
Last night I had a good cry. I don’t cry that much anymore. I mean, sure, I cry sometimes, just like any normal 40-ish year old woman. But I do not cry nearly as much as I did about 10 months ago., or even six. Last year at this time this week I was still…
Mistaken
Last night I stood by the stove top, in front of a pan full of taco meat, something I have done MANY times before. The t.v. was on and there were kid voices all around me, requesting things and making exclamations. On one side of me, near the pantry was a child nagging me for…
Twelve Hundred Miles
I put over 1200 miles on my mom van last week. The purpose of the first leg of the trip was to pick up the oldest at camp. The rest of the trip was full of friends and family. And water. LOTS of water. Road trips are second nature for me now. I’ve been driving…
Moments
I am a working woman now and my days seem to fly by, even though summer is here. The kids are spending most of their days with a trusted “sitter” and someone who has become a friend since we’ve known her, beginning at 16 years of age (she is now 22). While I miss those…
How “The Middle” Saved Us
Television sitcoms were a staple in my childhood. Reruns of shows like The Brady Bunch, Three’s Company and Happy Days were always on after school, before my mom watched Tom Brokaw report the world’s happenings and Alex Trebek asked intelligent people for questions. In the evening we watched the ones that were on in “real time”,…
Recently*
Staying busy is good for me, especially when it involves time with cherished family and friends. Thankfully, I have been able to spend quite a bit of time with both lately, and most recently my family. During the middle of March my parents came for their first visit here in a year! They were supposed…