TIVO, please!!!

It's a guilty pleasure night so this will be short and sweet! So You Think You Can Dance begins tonight and then later Dancing With the Stars Results Show will be on. My dilemma - these shows will overlap for one hour. This means Ron is going to be flipping back and forth with the remote and driving me crazy because we will miss something important on one show or the other...I REALLY NEED A DVR!

Theatre and Movie Review Monday

I took this photo on the sly with my cell phone camera when we went to see Wicked last Wednesday. I haven’t had the chance to write about it yet. It was the one bright spot in an otherwise crummy week, but I'm not going to dwell on the crummy part. I had this show before with Jennie, but Ron had never seen it - there was a special on tickets so we went. It’s an interesting spin on the Wizard of Oz and what happened that led up to the Wicked Witch of the West getting melted by a bucket of water. It’s a fun musical – my favorite songs are "Defying Gravity" and "Popular." It's not Les Miserables or even Phantom of the Opera, but it's fun stuff.

Otherwise we did go to the movies on Saturday. Since Ron went with me to see Where the Wild Things Are last week, I thought it was only fair to let him pick the movie this past weekend. Guess what we saw…yes, we went to see Couples Retreat. It was not as bad as I thought it would be - but still it wasn’t great. The characters were all over-the-top caricatures of 4 different married couples. The scene with the yoga instructor was really uncomfortable for me and I could have done without it completely. I'm not a prude or a snob it was just NOT FUNNY! It was not an authentic portrayal of real life or marriage. This movie couldn’t decide if it wanted to say something serious about marriage or if it wanted to be a silly comedy (and really not that funny). All the problems that the couples had were magically resolved by the end of the movie just like in real life – right? WRONG! My recommendation - save yourself $10 and Skip it.

I did watch one of my favorite movies again the other night – Sense and Sensibility. LOVE LOVE LOVE Emma Thompson, Kate Winslett and Hugh Grant in this. I recommend it highly if you enjoy a good romance and if you like period films. It’s just a lovely movie.

Re-feathering the nest

I've changed the sheets on their beds and fluffed their pillows...now I'm just waiting for my chicks to come home.

Jenn is here and now I'm waiting for Mandi & Beckie! We are going to have our Beeson Thanksgiving on Halloween! Significant others are coming, too! Sounds like a perfect time for a family portrait! Please indulge me, Girls!

Everything happens for a reason...right?

I have always been a firm believer in karma, destiny and that everything that happens to us is meant to teach us something. This is not always comforting - especially when bad things happen to good people. Earlier this week, I was present at a very sad occasion - one of the most difficult I've ever witnessed. No one died, but a very vital program was put to rest.

MACSA Adult Day Health Care was established in 1986 to care for frail seniors and disabled adults for the purpose of delaying and preventing premature placement into skilled nursing care facilities, to assist caregivers by offering them respite, and to provide therapeutic and recreational activities to improve and maintain their highest level of functioning. For many of the seniors who attended, it was like a second home to them. When they attended the program they received compassionate care from nurses, therapists, social workers, and activity staff. They received a hot meal at lunch and diet counseling from a registered dietician. For 45 years, the Mexican American Community Services Agency has been committed to improving the quality of life for underserved youth, families and seniors in the Latino community. The agency itself goes on, but the ADHC is no more...at least for now.

This program's last day was October 21, 2009.

The sadness shared by the participants, volunteers and staff was overwhelming. I was invited along with other former employees and volunteers to come say 'good-bye' - a final 'despedida.' One by one, we gave what encouragement we could and expressed our sadness, love and support for those who would no longer have their 'second home' away from home. Everyone tried to be strong, but the tears came anyway. We all shared our memories, a wonderful meal and then it was time to say adios. I left before the final farewells - I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't strong enough. By the time I left there, I felt like I had been hit by a bus...

But this wasn't MY tragedy. What I mean to say is please don't feel badly for ME. Feel badly for all those participants who will find it extremely difficult to find another place to go. There are very few options for them. Sadly, many will end up in nursing homes or will be left at home alone - their safety will be compromised. Families once given respite from caregiving will have few alternatives - some may have to quit a job to care for a loved one. It's all incredibly heartbreaking.

So what's the lesson in this tragedy? It makes no sense to me, so it may be awhile before I can sort out exactly what I was supposed to learn from all this. For now I will hold onto hope that something will happen to turn this around. I will keep the participants in my thoughts and pray that they will be safe and well. I will also send out positive energy to my friends and former co-workers that they will be able to find work in this horrible economy.

Still recovering...

...from one of the most emotionally draining days of my adult life. Not ready to say more than that at this point, but here are some pics I took not too long ago when I found that someone else was taking time to stop and smell MY roses.

Girlies

Just cute - that's all I have to say about this!

Oh, and I love them!

Max IS King!

Ron has wanted to see Couples Retreat since it opened a couple weeks ago. I was told that that it wasn’t all that, and I’m tired of going to movies where the funniest scenes have already been given away in the trailers. I just didn’t want to see it. So, when he asked me if I wanted to go to the movies yesterday, I asked him if I was going to have to see Where the Wild Things Are by myself. And here is an example of just one of the reasons I love my husband so dearly. With as much enthusiasm as he could muster he said, “No, I’ll see that with you. It does look interesting.” Fifteen minutes into the movie, I heard the deep, even breathing pattern of a man falling asleep…To be fair, Ron never read the book. He’s more a fan of Dr. Seuss, Mercer Mayer and Stan and Jan Berenstein. So, he didn’t ‘get’ Max. Ron wasn’t a Wild Thing of a boy….as a man, well, that’s another story…

Back to the movie – Max was played by the very sweet-looking-but-with-a-mischievous sparkle-in-his-eye young actor, Max Records. He is a beautiful boy and did a lovely job of being wild, but thoughtful as well. The Wild Things were FANTASTIC – a combination fabulous costumes and cg animation – the expressions on the faces of the ‘things’ were so REAL. I do think that this movie isn’t so much for young children – Baby Hurricane is truly a Wild Thing, but I wouldn’t take him to see this, because he’s only 3. It was a bit dark and sometimes sad, but I think that’s exactly the way Maurice Sendak meant it to be and isn’t that the way life is too?

Bottom line - I really think that if you read and loved the book, you will love the movie too.

This should even things out

My favorite Halloween costumes ever (that I made myself)!

This and that and a pumpkin hat!

I checked the weather report for Half Moon Bay this morning – “Cloudy, cool with a high of 64 degrees…” Exactly my kind of day. Perfect weather for the opening of the 39th Annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival! Ron and I got up early this morning so that we could head out and beat the traffic…well, that was the plan. It took us an hour and a half to get there. Not too bad.
We have been to Half Moon Bay many times but this was only our second time at the festival. It’s great fun...a parade, artists and vendors selling their art and goods, the great pumpkin weigh off, different bands playing at various stages along Main Street. People watching is my favorite activity at this event. Children of all ages come in costume…newborns in little punkin suits to grannies wearing sequin covered witch hats. My favorite this year was a dad, mom and baby dressed as Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Baby Frankenstein. I wasn’t brave enough to wear a costume, but I did buy a really great pumpkin hat!

There are artists and vendors from all over the country – great stuff! My lovely husband bought me my first handblown glass pumpkin (looks like I've started a new collection!). The food is the typical and delicious festival fare, the kind of stuff that you only let yourself enjoy when you are at an arts and crafts festival or renaissance fair – turkey legs, tri-tip sandwiches, corn dogs, roasted corn on the cob, garlic fries, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread and pumpkin ice cream. Yummy!

The only that kept it from being a perfectly wonderful day was the weather. As it turns out, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. It was, in fact, not cool, but hot! Not Arizona hot, but hot enough to make me perspire in my turtleneck, black long sleeved t-shirt, black jeans, scarf and pumpkin hat. When we were driving away from the pumpkin patch (our last stop before we headed back to the East Bay), I noticed that the car thermometer read 81 degrees! No wonder I was sweating! I may even have a little sunburn on my nose. Even so, it was a lovely day…

More nostalgia

Jenn's 1st Halloween -1986 I wasn't brave enough to sew a costume yet but wasn't she cute anyway?

1987-Jenn was the bumble bee to Aunti Lisa's flower-they won 2nd place in a costume contest at Pistol Pete's Pizza Parlor!

1988 - Twins were only 9 months old so who had time to sew?

Mandy Mouse

Becky Bunny

Jenn & Derek - Upon reflection, maybe the costumes should have been reversed!

About a boy...

Three years ago today, I was a witness to the arrival of the beautiful baby boy known here as Baby Hurricane. For those who don’t know the story – a little background. This little boy came into my life just a couple weeks after Ron and I left our youngest daughters for their freshman year in college. I can’t begin to express how difficult it was for me when our girls went to school - Jenn in 2004 and then Mandi & Beckie in 2006. Let me be clear about something…our girls were NEVER given the choice about whether they would go to college or not – they were going! It was part of our parenting mantra to them…”When you go to college...” “When you live in the dorm…” “When you choose your major..." "When you graduate…” Always WHEN – never IF. So, they went. I wanted that for them with all my heart, but I also wanted to have them close by for me. They were all accepted into a great school that happened to be a 5 hour drive away. I still remember those trips back home from Santa Barbara - Ron trying to comfort me as he drove (nothing makes him more upset than seeing me cry). I felt broken. It was as if there was a big hole right in the center of my being.

And then came Viliamu Keopulani Baker-Kline, my precious little Hawaiian-Samoan-Mexican-Irish savior! I had been lucky enough to be at every doctor appointment with his mama while she was carrying him. She always thanked me for going with her as if I was doing her a huge favor. The truth was that she was giving me a gift that I would never be able to repay. I was so thrilled when she asked me to be in the delivery room for his birth. Aside from the births of my own children, watching Viliamu emerge into the world and take his first breath was the most amazing moment of my life. On October 16, 2006, Viliamu was born and I fell completely and helplessly in love. He has been like medicine for me!

Over the last 3 years, we have gotten to have him over on Sundays and for occasional sleepovers. It is such great fun! I must sound like a grandmother or auntie when talking about him, (far too young to be a granny), but he is the most terrific boy I know! He is a beautiful, energetic, loving, energetic, intelligent, energetic, charming, mischievous, and hilariously funny child. Oh and did I mention, energetic? I have found this baby boy to be amazingly different than my girls. I've also determined that "boy" toys are much more fun to play with than are "girl" toys. Now that he's 3 years old, we have really interesting conversations on a wide variety of subjects - he teaches me something new every time I see him. The most surprising thing about this boy is how attached he and his "Buddy" (Ron) are to each other - two peas in a pod. We've even been through the flu together - someday I'll write about the week that we had him when his mom was out of town and all three of us got soooo sick! Maybe that's when Buddy and Baby bonded. All I know is that they "get" each other in a way that I don't - it's got to be a boy thing.

Watching him blow out his #3 candle on his chocolate birthday cake tonight, it occurred to me that I have been there for his birth and every birthday since. I can't imagine not being there for him because he has been there for us. So, thank you, Baby Hurricane, for all the splashing in the bathtub and fingerprints on the sliding glass door and toy cars & trucks all over the floor and sticky kisses and peanut butter & jelly hugs, sidewalk chalk handprints on the walls and all the fun and love and joy that you have brought into our lives. I still miss my girls every day and sometimes, so much that it hurts, but having you in our lives has taken the worst of the "empty" out of our nest.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Viliamu! I love you!

This will probably get me in trouble...

In honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday, I thought I'd start sharing some pictures of my girls through the years. This was #1 daughter's 2nd Halloween, but it was my very first handmade Halloween costume. Pretty cute, huh? This was back when she allowed me to dress her and didn't seem to care what she looked like when I did...that didn't last very long.

My costumes got better as the years went on...we'll see if I'm allowed to share more pictures once the girls get wind of me sharing them here...

Otherwise, it's time for dinner, then So You Think You Can Dance and GLEE!

Until tomorrow....

Rainy days and Tuesday...

I love rainy days - when I can stay indoors – when I can keep my pajamas on – when I can sip a cup of hot chocolate – when I can wrap myself up in a fuzzy blanket and watch a romantic comedy – when I don’t have to worry what the humidity is going to do with my unruly mop of thinning curls...but it’s Tuesday and I had to go to work today. Believe me when I tell you that rain and normally chaotic California highways do not mix!

Ron and I commute to work together every day. I’m so lucky to have him taking on the burden and responsibility of the driving. I complain about the way he drives all the time, but as long as I read or work on the laptop…I’m able to stay calm. If I pay attention to the way he drives, I’m clutching the dashboard, hyperventilating and stomping on the non-existent brake on the passenger side of the car. It’s just better for both of us if I don’t watch.

While we drive, we listen to news radio to find out where the problem spots are on the highways and keep up with the latest news. This morning on our way into work reporters said that there 50 accidents reported during this storm. Neither one of us commented on this as we held our breath waiting for traffic to slow down, bog down as we happened upon one of these unfortunate occurrence. I think we were afraid if we said anything about how well our drive was going, we’d jinx it. I am thrilled to report that we arrived at my office in record time even though the rain was coming down steadily.

I am writing this on our way home from work, the rain has slowed considerably but it’s still really wet and the traffic reports are claiming more accidents across the Bay area this afternoon We are more than halfway home and it looks pretty good – no slowing down so far. The bottom line is that we need the rain – California is in a drought. So we should put up with whatever inconvenience comes our way due to the rain. Small price to pay, right?

We just got home and I see a little patch of blue in the corner of the sky! Things are looking up -Besides, it’s time for Dancing with the Stars and my fuzzy jammies!

Movie Review Monday

So, the truth is that we were so busy doing things around the house that we never made it to the theater this weekend. HOWEVER, I did manage to watch 4 movies this weekend on HBO and/or pay per view. These are movies you may have seen before......

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas -I have such mixed feelings about movies like this. Historical movies are so important - especially ones about the Holocaust and other atrocities. It's important that younger generations are taught about what happened and that the rest of us don't forget...This film made me sad because of how horrible people are capable of being to other people. It's hard to say that this was a good movie because of the subject matter. It was well made, well acted and thought provoking - I wouldn't see it again for the same reason I won't see Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan again - too painful.

I decided to lighten my viewing by getting a p-p-v movie - Adventureland. Starred Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg and Ryan Reynolds. Now I know why this movie wasn't in the theater very long - so mediocre...don't bother...trust me.

Next up was Juno with Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Allison Janey (i just love her!), Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. I know this movie is a couple years old but it deserves another viewing. The dialog is just clever and different and you can't help getting involved with the characters - I love little films like this. Another movie along this same line is Lars and the Real Girl. More great characters.

Last but not least, I watched Marley & Me with Owen Wilson & Jennifer Anniston. Now I have to say that I read the book and it really was better, but the movie was still good. It's all about the dog. If you love doggies, you have to see this - especially if you ever had and loved a naughty doggie. I think these people were amazing.

That's it for tonight - Looking forward to Where the Wild Things Are this weekend. Not sure when we'll see it since it's the Baby Hurricane's birthday on Friday - he's gonna be 3 years old - might be time to start calling him the Toddler Tornado!

Signing off - it's time for Dancing With the Stars!

Lovely day

I was strolling down University Avenue in Palo Alto early on Thursday evening and saw this movie marquis at the Stanford Theatre...it was a sign in more than one way! I truly believe that when the universe talks to you - you should pay attention! I don't think this could have been any clearer.

I tried to sleep in this morning - really I did, but Ron was up early to shower and head off for his day of golf. Once he left at 6 am, I couldn't get back to sleep. My mind wouldn't quit listing all the things I could do with a big chunk of the day all to myself. I learned long ago, that if I start making lists while I'm still lying in bed that I might as well get up and start doing something so that I can cross things off. Maybe I would take a nap later. So here's how the day went...
#1) Made coffee. #2) Started a load of laundry. #3) Drank coffee while watching a movie, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," (review later) and sorted clothes for ironing. #4) Vacuumed downstairs and put all the shoes back on the shoe rack in the garage (we have a shoeless house). #5) Had another cup of coffee, put the clothes in the dryer and arranged the pumpkins we bought last weekend. Pulled out some Halloween decorations. #6) Cleaned bathrooms. #7) Had another cup of coffee and ordered "Adventureland" on pay per view...ironed Ron's shirts while watching mediocre movie (review later). #8) Started working on a photo project for my old friends - had one more cup of coffee. #9) "Juno" came on while I was loading the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen - watched it while straightening up the Hurricane's toy area. Ate a can of Spaghetti-o's with meatballs - yuck! #10) Called my brother and had a great chat!#11) Somewhere in this sequence, I did shower.... #12) Hit the road to do some shopping for some odds and ends - Dollar Tree, Goodwill Store, Michael's, Ross, Old Navy, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Safeway. #13) Came home and found Ron napping, fixed him some dinner and woke him up.

OK, so I didn't get "The Big Sleep" that the universe was telling me to get, but I had a wonderful day all to myself and got several things crossed off my "to do" list. Besides that, it was the loveliest of fall days and I got to be out in the coolish air for a bit as I hustled here and there. No, I didn't sleep in or rest, but I spent the day doing what I wanted to do and answered only to myself. I think that was just as satisfying. Besides, it's only Saturday night and I can sleep in tomorrow. Wait, did I take that load of clothes out of the dryer....

Who needs a superhero....

We just got home from work and my husband went off to the driving range. Years ago when he was first bitten by the golf bug, I would have been really upset by this. For awhile he was absolutely obsessed about golf - watched golf on TV, read golf magazines, practiced his swing with an imaginary club in front of the tv while watching tournaments....OBSESSED!

To this very day, I don't get it. Playing 18 holes of golf can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours out of a day. Now, you should really warm up before you start playing so add another hour. To reach the nice golf courses that aren't right around the corner could take another hour or more to get there and it's always better to start early in the day. So maybe you get up at 5 am ON A WEEKEND...ON PURPOSE!! At the end of the round, the guys are usually pretty hungry, so you gotta stop for lunch at the clubhouse and talk about how great/awful you played...then you gotta drive back home. Forget 4 to 6 hours, sometimes it's an all day proposition sometimes.

I used to resent the fact that Ron would rather spend the day hitting and chasing a little white ball around a golf course all day than to be with me 24/7. I was jealous of those golf clubs...What I failed to acknowledge at the time was that this was his stress relief, his hobby and yes, his obsession. While he was on those beautiful green courses, he was getting some exercise while NOT thinking about work or anything that might be bothering him. He doesn't fool around, drink or gamble. Besides having an opinion about EVERYTHING, telling really awful jokes at inappropriate times (or really inappropriate jokes at awful times) and hogging the remote, he really is a great guy. I'm ashamed of myself for ever having given him a hard time about playing golf and the enjoyment that he got of it.

My husband is a hardworking man who has really been taking care of me since we were 17 years old. He has always put my needs before his own. He's a good dad to our daughters, even though he struggles to be open to them and let them see his vulnerable side. He's a patient teacher to all of us. Yes, he has occasional explosions, but never when or why you'd think he would have them. Case in point - all our cars have been scraped, dinged and even had pieces knocked off of them thanks to our daughters - he's never yelled at them about the damage to any of the cars. For the 10 years that my mom lived with us he was the lone guy living in a house with 5 women and our 2 female dogs! Incredibly, he didn't lose his mind thanks, in part, to golf!

Now that the girls are all gone, you'd think he'd be on the golf course all the time. The truth is that I don't remember the last time he went and played. On the weekends, he pays the bills, does chores around the house (recently, he replaced our disposal - ALL BY HIMSELF!), takes me to the movies, and is the best Buddy in the world to a sweet 3 year old Baby Hurricane. He will drop everything to drive down to Santa Barbara if the girls need us for the smallest reason. And whenever we are there with them, he always makes sure that the car is in good running order and that they have everything they need.

I think he's earned some time on his beautiful green golf course, cussin' with his buddies. I wish he would do it more often - it's good for him. After long days at work, always taking care of his family and loved ones, Superman deserves a break!

24 hours away...

The weekend is almost here again...what sweet relief! I need some sleep.

Ron spent HOURS today ridding our computer of some evil virus - the prognosis is good and it looks like I'll be back in business tomorrow...so until then - Sweet dreams!

Guilty Pleasures...

It's official - Ron and I are becoming old fogeys! We have reached that interesting time of life at which we get home from work and put on our pj's. After that, it's all about what's on TV that night. We have a schedule.

Monday - Dancing With the Stars and Monday Night Football (Ron does that obnoxious switching back and forth between programs at the commercials and we invariably miss something good!)

Tuesday - Dancing with the Stars - results show - gotta know who gets kicked off, right?

Wednesday - Bonus night! - So You Think You Can Dance and GLEE!!

Thursday - another big night - Project Runway, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice!

Friday - Ghost Whisperer, Medium and NUMB3RS

Saturday is movie day. Well, actually, right now it's college football day!

Sunday - NFL games, 60 Minutes, Extreme Home Makeover and Brothers & Sisters!

Whenever an opportunity to do something different on one of these nights, I am ashamed to say that we stop and consider what we might be missing on TV! We are such creatures of habit , but there is something really comforting about putting on my fuzzy jammies and snuggling on the couch while we watch "OUR SHOWS." I nag him at least once a week to look into getting us a DVR or TIVO. Maybe we'll get this accomplished before American Idol starts again!

...old friend....

Just so you know...I so admire your unyielding dedication. In the face of adversity, you are strong, determined and committed. I feel so fortunate to count you among my friends. I am proud of you and inspired by you....and, Girlfriend, I love you!

monday monday....

I'm tired tonight. Still recovering from a day at the pumpkin patch with the Baby Hurricane.You've probably read this before, but just in case you haven't, I wanted to share it. It's called "I will not die an unlived life," by poet and author Dawna Markova. It's a wonderful message...

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days,

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a touch a promise.

I choose to risk my significance

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom,

and that which came to me as blossom

goes on as fruit.

Let's go to the movies...

I don't claim to have any credentials for writing movie reviews. I'm just an average gal with an unhealthy obsession. I started writing my reviews on facebook back in February as a way to let the girls know what their dad and I were doing. As busy as I’ve been lately, I haven’t had a chance to write any reviews for the last three weeks or so. I’ll just give you a brief word or two on the last few movies we’ve seen to bring myself up to date…

The Informant – I’m just not a big Matt Damon fan. Yes, he was in the Bourne movies, but for some reason, I haven’t been able to stay awake for the duration of even one of them! Ron loves those movies! “The Informant” was based on a true story – I like true stories, but lately I wonder how much the writers added or subtracted from actual events to make a film more marketable. At the end of it, I wished that we had gone to see something else.

Whip It – Saw the sneak preview with #2 and #3 while we were in Santa Barbara with them last weekend. LOVED IT! It’s all about GIRL POWER and self determination and doing what you love. Ellen Page is really gifted at giving an understated performance. She’s clever and sarcastic, but not offensive. Very witty. It wasn’t a perfect movie. I squirmed about her relationship with the older guy (he didn’t know she was underage).Otherwise, the skating was fast and fun and exciting. Drew Barrymore was a riot and Juliette Lewis did a great job of making me dislike her. FUN MOVIE!

Fame – There are some truly talented young actors, singers and dancers in this one, but all in all it was greatly disappointing. The musical numbers were great but there were very few of them – not enough to save this virtually plot-less flick. The highlight of the whole thing was when the character “Denise” sang “Out Here on My Own.” She was amazing. There was just not enough time in the movie to cover 7 or 8 main characters through 4 years of high school. Disappointing….

You probably won't get a review of "Inglorious Bastards" or "9" or "District 9" here. My movie buddy isn't interested in any of those films and I don't like to go by myself. Really looking forward to "The Blind Side" with Sandra Bullock and "New Moon" next month.

Weekend

It’s the weekend and I was really hoping to sleep in - it’s funny but the older I get, the earlier I wake up. What happened to the days that I could sleep til 9 or 10 and then only wake up because I was hungry? Oh yeah, I had children! Then my body got used to the routine of getting up and getting on with the day. During the work week I’m up at 5:30 so I guess the fact that it’s 7:30 and I’m still sitting in bed could be considered a success. Anyway, it’s the weekend and I have endless possibilities open to me. What shall I do?

1. Clean house? Really don’t want to but there’s a certain amount that HAS to be done – maybe a load or two of laundry…
2. Read a book? That’s way too frivolous with so many things to do, although I do have a pile of unread books on my nightstand…
3. Watch college football games with Ron all day? I’m sure he’d love that but I’m not interested in being a lump on the couch today…
4. Go to the BBQ like I said we would? Hmmm…I’m sure we’ll be forgiven if we don’t...
5. Go to the movies? You know how I love the movies – that may be the only thing that get’s Ron away from the TV…
6. Maybe I’ll actually use the sewing machine today – lots of pending projects…

Well, whatever I (we) decide to do, I’m going to make the most of it. Tomorrow we get the Baby Hurricane all to ourselves and he will be the one who decides! I’ll let you know how it all turns out!

"Make new friends, but keep the old...."

I work in the non-profit sector. It’s challenging in many ways, but I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have recently gone through a major change in my professional career. Without going into specifics, I will just say that I went from having an enormous amount of responsibility in an administrative position at one agency to returning to direct services with considerably less responsibility at another agency. It was a change in job titles, but more importantly, stress level. In almost every way I can think of, the change has been the best thing in the world for me. I have really fallen for my new job, the agency and my new co-workers and friends – in fact, I regularly compare to whole experience to falling into a pot of honey. I find myself exhausted at the end of the work day, but mostly in a good way.

When this new opportunity came my way, I struggled with equal parts of excitement and dread. The excitement was all about getting back to what I loved and starting over someplace new. The hardest thing about the entire situation, the dread, had to do with leaving behind staff, co-workers, friends and the people that we served. HUGE AMOUNTS OF GUILT. I still feel that guilt. Not only that, but I miss them. I don’t call them like I should or even email them because it feels awkward. On some level, I feel I deserted them. Hopefully, time will take care of that.

The bottom line is that I don’t think I was cut out for primarily administrative work. I’m much happier now that I’m back working one on one with people. I get to play at work again – it means so much to me. Ron doesn’t get that worried look on his face when he asks me how my day was. When my daughters call me and ask how I am, I can honestly answer, “Great!” I look forward to going to work every day. Generally, I’m in much better spirits, my blood pressure is closer to normal, I’m sleeping better, and enjoying the weekends again. It’s so good. It’s hard to admit that I was selfish and did what I needed to do for ME . . . I just hope that I haven’t lost my old friends in the process…

Last roses of the season....

Got home after another busy and exhausting day at work and this was waiting for me in the front yard....

....so I stopped and smelled the roses!