Maybe I'm just weird

Kathryn has been cleaning her room - alot! Today she found an old notebook that I used to take notes on our 2000 cruise and on homeschooling way back then. (Kev didn't like to do math problems once he got the concept).

Anyway, one day the kids and I drove to South Ft. Worth for a writing class led by two homeschool moms who had actually been published. We did a 10 minute writing exercise that had 3 rules -- don't stop (keep hand moving, don't fix anything), don't worry about spelling, grammar, or mistakes, and Let Go! (They did talk about editing later)

Part of what I wrote about was that we had driven there in the rain and I had almost got lost but I turned around as soon as I realized it. However, it made me wonder what would have happened if I hadn't turned around -- we would have left the metroplex and been on an adventure. Now I quote myself from 8 years ago -- "Sometimes I want to get lost and just go on an adventure. Just go where the road leads me. Sometimes it's a pain to be the prompt one, to be the one who has to be where she said she would be when she said she would be -- you know, THE responsible one. Sometimes I just want to be free! Oh well back to the rain. It almost made me late and I hate being late. I must have an inner conflict within me -- being responsible and being carefree. Are they really at two ends of the spectrum or can they coexist together?"

I'm still conflicted! I guess it's part of adulthood.

Crying over nothing

Have you ever had one of those days where you just need to cry? That was today for me. I goofed off all morning and then went to the library to do my volunteer hours. DD was at church helping with daycamp so she didn't go with me. She has been helping the middle school girls do a servant event -- they have worked at the Feed The Children program, the local food bank, and organized closets at our church. Last night they had a lock in and dd was a pseudo chaperone for them. In other words dd was very tired.

After the library, I stopped at the McDonalds to get an ice cream cone (also called a 3 pointer) and almost cried remembering taking the kids there before it was attached to a Chevron station and them playing forever in the playground area.

I came home and shortly afterward dd came home. I told her that we really needed to nail down the dates to go to Fredericksburg and then I sensed that she was about to cry. So we just hugged each other and cried for a minute -- then we laughed. We felt better!

Another Decade!

I had my birthday last weekend and my new age ends in a zero! It isn't too big of a deal as long as I don't think about it too much.

DH was at Boy Scout Wood Badge training on my birthday -- something we had discussed before he signed up for it. So DD and the dogs and I drove to Tulsa to spend the day with my family there. They really know how to treat a birthday girl. First I had a massage at 10:00 at a ritzy salon. Then met the parents and daughter for lunch. It was nice enough to eat outside which is unusual for Tulsa in July. Later in the day, dd and I had pedicures/manicures. Later sisters and their husbands came over for dinner which was great. DS called and he and his friends sang happy birthday to me. It was a wonderful day.

Drove home the next day to celebrate my birthday with my husband. We went to our favorite Italian restaurant and out for ice cream afterwards.

Now back to normal!

It's Sunday!

This is the week that I turn a year older and wiser! I've already had one birthday party. Three of our Thursday morning breakfast group has birthdays in July so we partied on Saturday night at another of the group's house. It was fun to get together in the evening.
I'm still doing doggie duty and going out with them several times a day. I am looking at secure pet doors -- although at the moment we still don't have a fence.

At church we are having a sermon series on the Beattitudes. So far we have had three of the sermons and they are pretty good. Today's was "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth". These are pretty good sermons and I am learning from them. After church, we have breakfast in the big room with others from church and visit. One of the things that the pastor mentioned earlier on was that the Beattitudes aren't a to do list -- they are about blessings that we have from God. In other words to be meek is a gift. So much of what the Bible teaches us goes against what the world teaches us. i.e. the world teaches us that we need to win at any cost. The bible tells us that we have already won -- Jesus did that for us. (nuf preaching).

I realize that I have a year before I have to buy dorm stuff again -- but I am already getting choked up about dd leaving in a year. I don't cry or anything -- I just think about it as I walk through Linens n Things, etc. In a couple months though, they will take all the dorm signs down and put up Christmas decorations. I'm very proud that my kids are sure enough about themselves to leave home and venture out!

Oh another thing that is totally unfair that I had forgotten until dd got home from her conference in DC. She had to wear professional clothes for part of the conference so we bought her a suit from Dillards. Well, she came home and mentioned how unfair it is that guy's suits have an inside pocket and women's suits don't. I totally agree! Why can't we have an inside pocket -- even if they have to make it a little lower due to pleats or whatever.

Also...why does our cat like to catch geckos?

Friends etc

Last weekend, we spent the 4th at a friend's house. They have an annual 4th of July party. These are very good friends that we go to church with. I don't remember meeting them so I'm not sure how long I have known them -- probably 10 years; but we have been close friends for about 5 years.

On Saturday, we had dinner at some other friends' house. We have known this couple for 19 years. I don't exactly remember meeting them, but we met when our boys were 2 years old and in daycare together. We get together periodically and just talk and have fun. The boys are grown and not usually with us anymore when we get together.

Monday of this week, I spent it with Sandy (of the first paragraph) as it was her last day of vacation. We had an adventure as we tend to do -- we drove to Weatherford for peaches and I bought some zipper peas. Then we ate lunch at Babes (ok ready for my kids to really be annoyed by that). Before spending the day with Sandy, I had coffee with Karen. I sometimes refer to Karen as "my smart friend". She really is smart! I've known her for as long as I've homeschooled (9 or so years) and we started homeschooling at the same time. Her son and my daughter will graduate together next May.

Tonight, I had dinner with my friend Sandra. I've known Sandra for about 8 years and I met her through homeschooling. She homeschooled her kids through middle school and then sent them on to public high school. Her youngest has graduated and is off to college in August. We get together about once a month and just catch up -- good times.

Tomorrow - my great friend, my daughter is coming home from Washington DC. It'll be fun to talk about it and be together again.

Sometimes I take my friends for granted. I'm not the type of person to have tons of friends, but the ones that I do have; I am close to and I cherish them.

Late Wednesday update

Just an aside because I just wrote Wednesday and I explained why I got married on a Wednesday to my neighbor recently. I didn't just get married on a Wednesday because Friday was Christmas, I had always wanted to get married on a Wednesday because when I was a little girl I though Wednesdays were for weddings because they both started with wed!

Today at work which was four hours of tutoring, I tutored a college student on logarithms, real roots of polynomials, and basically helped him prep for the final; I also tutored a young man who is going into high school -- who definitely did not want to be there! I also tutored a delightful young lady who is going into high school and realizes that her math abilities need some work before August and she just sits down and starts working. Then for the last hour, I tutored 2nd grade math -- subtraction without borrowing. So from roots of a polynomial to subtraction without borrowing -- it was quite a spread of my academic knowledge tonight.

The house is quiet -- we are empty nesters at the moment. I apologize to my son for never telling him that his sister was going to DC for a conference -- didn't withhold the information on purpose, just never got around to discussing it with him. Perhaps I was in denial!

Got a couple more pages done on the scrapbook -- still far behind my goal but doing much better this week on the goal than last week. Twinkie, the scrapbook room cat, clearly likes me to visit her as long as I don't accidentally bring the other cat! Hope I'll get more Twinkie time tomorrow.