Right Now- First Quarter 2020 Recap

I'm listening to   my inner voice saying "No excuses, update the blog, you'll be glad you did."   As I reflect back on the first 3 months of the year, I think excuses have been the name of the game for me.   I started out with good intentions- 

Exercising routinely...

 Eating Healthy foods...

 making time for friends...

I even found myself trying new things (Yoga- yes folks...those yoga pants I like to wear when lounging around the house finally made it to a yoga class). 

All those new- year resolutions...I was working it hard and doing good things.   

  And then I lost my way.  

I've tried to find my way back...suggesting exercise challenges for me and my friends, hosting a "kindness door contest" for my co-workers...

And I even spent the day with Oprah and friends...

So, the mind is indeed willing...I just need to make it so.

And so here ya go...taking "One day" and making it DAY ONE...

I'm loving that I was able to join my family as we celebrated the life of my Uncle Royal.

While he'd struggled with failing health for years, in the end he passed peacefully.  

 We tossed around postponing, given the national COVID-19 crisis, but in the end, my aunt asked that we proceed as planned.   So, I caught a plane and headed "Home"

 Where my older sister and I loved on our aunt (Our mom's "big" sister)

 Laughed with our cousins...

all 5 looking great despite having just lost their father..

 

Connected with the grands...

minus the 4 that were unable to attend

I smiled as  I watched great-entertaining the little one...

and I Listened to stories..told by master story tellers..

All in all...it was a lovely weekend...

 where I loved being able to walk down memory lane..

and while you can't really go back home..

Would you really want to?  

This is a pretty small house... 

You can ring the door bell and tell the current owners

 that you'd lived there a long time ago...

In other news from the first quarter of 2020-
I'm loving that my hubby made it home for a few weeks to tackle a short but intense "To Do" List.

Said list included an appointment with the VA (he can hear thanks to his new hearing aids), a home renovation project and jury duty (where the jury found the defendant not-guilty but Juror #14 found the process rather tiresome and tedious)
 

 "What's a little mildew" is our new family motto...

"Dom I have faith you can do this" replied our trusted and loyal friend, Mr. B.

5 trips to Home Depot...By golly they got it done! 

Great Job Guys-  Many thanks!!!!

 We also managed to sneak in a family lunch...where yes, we now ask for a table for 5 (it's all good- we like the lady-friend in Thing 2's life)...

I'm feeling the need to be patient

Right now, we as a country (and world really) are headed into some un-chartered territory.   Closures of a wide range of businesses, folks are being asked to "shelter-in-place" and maintain social distancing.   If I let my mind go down the road of "what next", I get into a funk real quick.

Instead- I shall focus my energy on the word I had picked for this year...

RELEASE

Never-ever-did I imagine it would take on such a powerful meaning not even 1/4 of the way into this year!

Until next time...

Sunday Funnies

When I first started blogging so many years ago, one objective was to have a place to record the random funny things the kids would say.   When I  went back to work in 2010, I started to add in the occasional "School Nurse Tale", reflecting on the funny (or stupid) things other peoples kids would do. 

The Things were young enough and their stories innocent enough that I didn't feel I was violating their privacy by sharing their silly remarks.   During the teen years, I found myself holding back- sure they still did funny stuff, but heavily laced with adolescent stupidity.   I shared less- to protect their privacy and well, to hold up some image that I had a handle on this parenting gig (which, really, does anyone have a handle on the parenting gig during the teen era?!)

However, recently I've been looking back through some of those older tales and found myself chuckling.   I had forgotten certain stories but by reading the entries, well, there they were back in the forefront of my memory.

This week, as I shared the latest "can you believe what the Things said" story at work, I was reminded of the need to start writing some of the stories down.    They are back to being less personal, more generalized fun and a true reflection of both their personalities.   As for the school nurse tales, well, we shall see where that goes- I currently work in such a very small setting that it would be pretty easy to connect the dots on which kid said what, and to be honest, most of my work stories these days are more bittersweet than straight up funny.   I love what I do, but I think I'll have to rely on my own memory and keep those stories close to my heart (at least for now).

But, hey back to the kids...Let's start with Thing One-  Mom, I've decided I can't become a drug addict".  I hesitantly replied with a long pause of "OK, tell me more".     "Well, for starters, I'd have to leave the house and you know I don't like that.   And then, I'd have to talk to people to you know, score my drugs.   Those two things together just don't sound like it would be worth it, so no drug addict for me".

Until next time...remember...Life is better when you are laughing

Right Now-December Recap

I'm listening to the silence of the house.   Hubby is off in search of warmth in the Arizona desert (with my blessing- I've decided I am not a December camping kind of gal), Thing 1 is nestled in his cave (aka the basement) and Thing 2 is at his downtown apartment (or at least that's where he's supposed to be).   Essentially, I have the house to myself, a quiet time to collect my thoughts, savor my coffee and enjoy what really is my favorite part of the day.

I'm loving that we made it through the holiday season, without getting our tinsel all in a tangle. 

My dad came for a long weekend- 

and in that long weekend we found ourselves....

 Catching up with the college kid 

with dinner downtown (right before the parade of lights apparently)

 Catching up with colleagues

 These 3 guys and their wives- worked with my dad at a residential treatment facility in Wyoming in the mid 1980s.   What a fun afternoon it was, remembering and reflecting on "back in the day".   I will be forever grateful to the kindness that they brought to my parents lives during what would turn out to be some pretty rough times for my folks (my mom was battling a terminal illness during most of her time in Wyoming).

Catching a one-of-kind art exhibit

My sweet friend, Fran, coordinated a group docent tour which was fabulous.  We learned so much about the works of Monet.   I say "one of a kind" as this particular exhibit included the largest collection of his work to be featured in one venue in decades.   If you live local, make time to see it before it heads out to Germany later this winter.

In addition to company, I found myself busy with the usual trimmings of the season

From a party 

or two...

where we celebrated the gifts of friendship-happy to see that Mr. C is enjoying his retirement and is doing well after having some health challenges tossed his way this past year.   

We celebrated "Early Christmas" as a family

 where gifts were exchanged...

Habits enabled...

and brotherly love was expressed through scoring the perfect gift

 for that almost impossible to shop for Thing 1

As Christmas Eve rolled around...I joined a friend at her church...

and cooked a roast for Christmas Day

With Hubby already on the road, Thing 2 happily agreed to carving up the roast..

"As long as I get the left-overs" added the perpetually hungry college kid..

They humored their mom by posing for a photo

or two...

 Keep smiling- you know how she gets...scoffed Thing 1

and of course, snuck in some bunny ears when I wasn't paying attention

Yes indeed, so much to love in the month of December...

I'm feeling the need to get myself moving.   

My buddy "Gym" is waiting for me...

Until next time...may you find yourself in balance..with family, friends and personal time...