Color Blind

My daughter has wanted to paint the walls in her room for years.  Every birthday...every holiday...the only gift she ever requests is that her room get painted.  For some parents that may be the perfect solution to the infamous, "what-do-we-get-her?" question.  For this parent...it's the kiss of death.  I am not crafty.  I am not artistic.  I am not wired for home improvement projects.  After putting off the inevitable for the past six or seven years, give or take, I finally realized that she really meant it when she said she wanted her room painted.  I also realized that it was now or never since she will be graduating from high school in 2 years.

I don't know why I have such an aversion to projects of any sort.  I just.........I don't know.  Am I really that afraid of making a mistake?  Do I run from things that require my total concentration?  These are the sort of questions I asked myself.  These are the sorts of things that ran through my mind these past six or seven years.  Am I really that afraid of change?  Why must I analyze everything?

Anyway....I finally bit the bullet and marched my little self to Home Depot and said, "yes," to the colors my daughter picked out.  That's right...colors...as in, there has to be an accent wall....duh!  So...I've never painted anything other than a rock and a paint-by-number of a butterfly when I was under the age of 10.  I knew, though I don't know how, that I needed that blue tape stuff.  Other than that I was pretty clueless.  Enamel?  Indoor/outdoor?  Topcoat?  Huh?!  Oh, wait?!  I'll need brushes, rollers,....a pan.....uhhhhh.....thinking along these lines tends to make me put off painting my daughter's room for another six or seven years.  Nope.  This time I'm going to follow through.

So....with a bucket...I mean, a gallon, of hot pink paint and a gallon of dark brown paint later I started rolling paint onto my daughter's bedroom walls.  After two fuchsia splats onto my dark pine dining room table chair I recalled the words, "drop cloth."  Fortunately, I am a hoarder.  This means that I had, in my immediate possession, several used, plastic, shower liners.  I was actually starting to get the hang of it.  Or so I thought.  Not one to fret over 'exactness,' I 'accidentally' got a few bright pink 'marks' on the ceiling....oooops!  Then, when my daughter and I 'finished' painting we realized that, perhaps, we should have used wider tape.  Oh well.  Creative expression.....isn't that what true artists have?  When we pulled the blue tape off the baseboards we quickly discovered that it would've been better had we waited for the paint to dry.  No worries....we can 'touch up' later.  (Not exactly sure when 'later' will be).  Also....I kinda forgot where I put the switch plates and outlet covers.  Oh well.  You can hardly see the light switches or plugs since my daughter and I painted them.  We erroneously thought that 'that part' will be covered by the plate/cover anyway,'.....wrong.

Now, several weeks past the 'day of painting,' my daughter's room is very cute and cozy and oh so gorgeous....as long as you don't turn on the lights or plug anything in.  As far as the dangling blue tape above the doorways and along the baseboards...well....we consider that 'decor!'

Monkeying Around

This is the sight that greeted me when I came home today after leaving the kids home alone while I was at work.  Tonight I am writing out a detailed list of chores that absolutely must be completed before they can burn their stuffed animals at the stake.  Meanwhile, the kitchen showed signs of use as well.  I had to resist the strong urge to wipe up and wash out...after all...I wanted to have something for the little darlings to do tomorrow when I leave them alone again.  See, that's the "fun" of going to work...you never know what surprises await you once you return home.  It was so "exciting" to find mystery stains on the couch pillows and such a "joy" to notice how many pots and pans had been used in a single day.  I especially liked discovering that honey was a part of lunch today.  So now I'm left wondering which is better:  having to monitor every single move your toddler makes...or being completely unaware of your teenager's activities.  Yes, I know, "good" parents know everything their teen is up to....but still....ignorance is bliss!!

Friends Unearthed

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the home of a dear friend of mine.  This lady is just that...a lady...in every sense of the word.  Her home was a true reflection of the genuine and elegant nature she exudes in person.  Her private and personal world felt welcoming and real...and I love that in a person as well as in a home.  Through the years I've been blessed with a group of women to surround myself with.  It has been said that you become like the five people you hang around with the most...and if that proves itself true then I am in great company! 

My friend's home got me thinking about who we really are at our core.  Who we are when no one else is looking.  Home has always been a refuge for me...the place I long to be more than anywhere else.  I have a sign hanging in my house that says, "Surround Yourself With Things You Love," and to me, that includes our friends.  I am extremely fortunate in the fact that I get to work with and interract with these wonderful ladies every day.  This leads me to believe that these women were placed in my life for a reason.  Each of us has our own passions and quirks and each of us loves the other for them.  With each passing year our group learns more and more about the other; and as each layer of our persona is unearthed we becomre more and more exposed for who we truly are.  As both the years and the layers have passed by and peeled away we have only grown closer and loved deeper.  My dear friends...you are my home and I love you all.

Closed for Nesting

I have just spent the night alone IN MY OWN HOME!!!  The family had been farmed out to various locations and I was the one who got to stay put!! Hee Hee...I'm so giddy I'm frozen to the spot.  I know that this time is precious but also fleeting.  The clocks are spinning way too quickly around here...I'm running out of time!!  I am trying to "relax" and enjoy the solitude but at the same time I'm wanting to be productive.  I'm trying to cram in a lifetime of wants in a short amount of time.  Yesterday I had a dear friend over and we were able to catch up, laugh, and visit uninterrupted....I know! WEIRD!!!! It was amazing!  After she left I could immediately feel the heaviness of the blanket of quiet that fell upon me.  Should I watch a movie of my choice? Nah...don't want to "waste my time" sitting and staring for 2 hours.  Maybe I could write a little...nope...have nothing to say since my day went without chaos.  I know...I'll read....nope....that'll only make me tired.  Bath?  Wine?  Organize?  Exercise?  Okay...delirium was obviously starting to seep in (organize?!...exercise?!) So I ended up doing what any busy mom with time to herself would do...I went to bed early...IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BED with my hands and feet touching all four corners....and I slept all night long!  It was glorious!!

Ta-Dah!

"Thank You....Thank You Very Much!  I'm so glad you have been enjoying my crowing practice every single crack of dawn morning of your summer vacation!" 

Ahh...livin' the country life!  Some people actually leave the convenience of the city to spend the weekend in the "peace and quiet."  Oh sure, it's quiet here...relatively speaking.  I sleep with earplugs every night and I can still hear the roosters' crows, the cicadas' songs, and the peeping of the peepers.  But these "noises" are very soothing and remind me that nature is "alive" all around me...even when things appear to be still.  It is nice to sit outside and hear the whir and zip of a hummingbird...the skitter and scratch of a tree lizard...the whistle and snort of a doe who saw you before you saw her.  There is truly something magical about living out in the country...about not seeing another human for days on end.  My country home affords me the luxury of solitude and reflection.  At home I am able to watch and learn from the animals who teach me something new every day.  Sure, the crowing contests outside can be a bit annoying (especially when they take place around 4 a.m.) but they can also be comforting as well.  In fact...they remind me of my own brood...the ones who scratch and peck...strut and crow...sleep and eat.  The ones who are starting to venture out a little farther from their coop with each passing day....but who, at least for now, return to their home nest every night.

On a Roll

I take great honor in knowing that I have what it takes to change a roll of toilet paper.  It must be something I inheirited from my mother, as she too was gifted in this department.  Not only can I change it but I can sense when  it's going to need to be changed....I know....amazing!  It's like having "the right stuff" without having to fly to the moon.  I don't think there is a badge awarded for this skill of mine but if there were I would iron that baby on pronto!  Not only am I able to accomplish this feat at home, I am able to help out my workplace and the community at large as well.  Yup...the roll always ends when I enter the room.  I'm just lucky that way I guess.  Last week my son and I were visiting one of our favorite thrift stores when my bladder started to swell.  I asked the shop owner where the nearest restroom was with the hopes that she'd say, "Oh we have one here!"...instead she replied, "Uh....um....the nearest one is at Church's Chicken."  With this in mind I did the only thing a girl could do...I kept shopping for bargains.  When I simply could not hold it any longer I politely told the shop owner that I wanted to keep shopping but that I would be leaving my pile of goods and my son behind to waddle across the street.  This worked because she immediately reached underneath her counter and pulled out a key on a stick and a 4-pack of toilet paper.  I sh** you not!  She proceeded to tell me that she hadn't had a chance to replenish the TP and hated for me to go back there without it (sweet lady).  I grabbed the package and the numchuck-looking key and raced to the rear ...of the store!  Like a fireman and a Navy Seal all wrapped in one I broke through the door, ripped apart the plastic, and, in mere  seconds I was on a roll!

Simply Stuffed

Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!  That's what I kept telling myself that I was going to do as soon as I was off for the summer.  I mentally prepared myself to toss everything I ever owned except for my coffee maker...and my mug...and my favorite blanket....oh yeah...and that little swallow's nest I found on the ground.......

This was obviously going to be harder than I thought.  I've steeled myself against sentimentality...I don't want to live in clutter and be surrounded by junk only to one day die and have a house full of strangers pick through my belongings.  I want to own my stuff rather than having it own me (yes, I've been reading "How To Organize" books...but now I have so many of them I don't know where to put them)!

I go back and forth between craving a minimalist and modern existence free from clutter and opting instead for my "lived in/everything has a story" reality.  Every now and then I pretend that at tornado is on its' way and realize that not much of it really matters anyway...I would certainly live without my dust collectors...yes, life would go on.  I've thought often about the possibility of boxing up all of my stuff and storing it (but that would mean I'd have to purchase a barn the size of a warehouse). 

Everytime I opt to carry a small purse I inevitably need my hand sanitizer, my laundry stick, some tissue, the bug spray, and a travel pillow.  But when I bring my huge purse...okay...BAG...I can't find any of the items I know are in there.  I like being prepared...I just don't like to prepare.  I am getting extremly tired of thinking ahead and predicting any and all possible outcomes to any situation that might present itself.  Since I've been off work I've packed and unpacked twice and am getting ready to pack again.  Both times I overdid it..as usual.  Both times I didn't have what I needed/wanted... or did I? 

Getting Organized

Well....here I am...staring my end-of-summer-deadline in the face...the countdown is on and I have been pulling several all-nighters-in-a-row attempting to get done "all the things I said I'd do when I was 'off for the summer' before Tuesday, August 11th. I simply chose (as I always do) to cram it all into the final four days of my summer instead of spreading it out over the past eight weeks. That's just how I roll. My summer goal was to SIMPLIFY and to ORGANIZE (which has been my goal for the past twenty-plus years...but I digress....). The difference is...this time I am actually doing it. Take my pantry for example: the "before" picture (which is not shown...for obvious reasons) always lead us to believe that-even though we could never find anything to eat, we just knew there had to be something edible in there. NOW....now that all is organized we KNOW that we don't have anything to eat. But, like most things in this world...it's not about what you have...it's about how you look...and my pantry looks GOOD!!!

A Mouthful of Memories

Yesterday, while killing time before picking up the kids from their summer celebration vacation bible school, I stumbled upon this wide-mouthed frog...and I just HAD TO HAVE IT! Here's why: one of the things I remember most about my grandmother's house was the ceramic, green, frog sponge holder that sat to the right of her kitchen sink. For some reason this kitchy little gadget appealed to me (she also had an orange one in her bathroom). While hers did not have a hinged "lid" it is still the same, basic concept...AND IT WAS ONLY $4!! (Thank goodness there was only one left or else I'd have a rainbow of frogs to deal with!).

It's Like Beating a Dead Rug

It must be the heat...it has to be...for I actually swept, vacuumed, and mopped part of my house......I know!!! But, after "walking" for half an hour hunched over trying to coerce dirt particles to release their grip within all of the score lines in our concrete I decided I could call it a day...I mean...I was tuckered and my back hurt. I think housework is bad for my health!

All throughout the school year I kept telling myself that I would clean my house once I was off for the summer. And then summer hit. Why on Earth would I want to clean house, now?! When I'm on vacation?! I just didn't make a lick of sense. And, considering the fact that I prefer to simply throw things away rather than clean, fix, or wash them I was stuck with the dilemma of just how does one go about throwing away their house?! It would be sooo much easier to simply relocate into a sparse, clean, condo somewhere...with all white furniture...and windows you could actually see out of...and maid service...and....

Then the realization hit that if I wanted some semblance of clean I would have to do it and I would have to do it now. So, rather than vacuuming the rugs I drug them outside and flopped them over the fence. I beat the filth out of them with a broom and then lugged them back inside--knowing full well that they would be riddled with dirt within the hour. That's the thing about cleaning...there is no long-lasting result. Take mopping for example: now my floors are just clean enough that you can see the tread from my flip flops as I followed along behind the mop (why are there riding lawn mowers and not riding mops? It's not like footprints show up in the grass. Hmmmmm....)

So, even though it will be hard to tell that I actually cleaned the house by the time evening comes I can at least say that I did it. Another exciting rendition of "How I Spent My Summer Vacation."

The Two Hour Delay That Made My Day

I felt human this morning! School was delayed for two hours so the kids and I were able to wake up with the sun and mull around the house with the Today Show on in the background. I actually cooked us breakfast (okay... it was cinnamon rolls...but it involved the oven)! We were able to take our time and we even managed to get to school/work early. It was simply glorious!

After I got to work it seemed the everybody else's morning was just as wonderful. Everyone commented on how nice it was to have that little bit of extra time in the morning. The atmosphere was a pleasant one. I just can't imagine if every day started off like this one did.

All day long people wore a smile...coughs and sneezes be darned. Yes, the side effects of hot and cold days, and windy and drizzly days, combined with over 700 noses...all crammed inside one building day after day...well...let's just say a big "Thank You" to the tissue companies of the world...and let's give an even bigger Shout Out to the antibacterial soap manufacturers of the world while we're at it!!!

I guess what I am getting at is this: despite a day spent with watery eyes, itchy eyes, burning eyes, and tired eyes; despite a day spent clutching wads of damp tissues and applying Zovirax to a fever blister; despite a day where Vaseline lived in a smeared smudge between the bottom of my nose and the top of my lip...I was happy. I was happy because I had a little bit of a morning to call my own...enough time before work to actually make my bed...and when I return home late tonight the sight of my made up bed will complete the circle of my day. Just thinking about it makes me happy all over again.

The More Things Change

Funny how the little things that once annoyed you don’t seem so bad after all. In fact, you actually find yourself welcoming them into your life. Take feeding the rabbit and listening to the incessant chatter of the parakeets for example. After just one day back at work I find myself looking forward to cleaning cages rather than being put back in one myself. I’d rather scoop it all out than have it all heaped upon me. But, such is the working world of which I am, unfortunately, a part of. After having spent many luxurious weeks at home doing what some would consider the mundane I am having to face the fact that the time I once claimed as my own is no longer that. But wait, maybe I can still carve out some of that time and reclaim it. Maybe I can go to bed a little earlier and rise a little earlier. Early enough to absorb the things that make me smile. Then, should my well run dry at work I will have a reservoir of memories to sustain me throughout the drought I consider work. I am so very grateful to have every summer off. I relish the opportunity to recharge and relinquish myself to all things slow and unhurried. My prayer for this coming school/work year is for inner peace. A quiet existence where I allow myself chances to take it all in and store it all up for future reference. I wish for self control and self assertiveness. I hope for happiness and contentment. I seek order and love. I hope for a life well lived.
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The above entry was written on August 15, 2006. I found it while I was going back through all of my old journal entries and printing them out. I find it amazing that no matter the year my feelings remain the same. This entry could have very well been written today…except for the fact that the rabbit and parakeets have died. I hope it wasn’t because I went back to work and thus neglected their basic needs.

Concrete Plans

I can now check "make a sidewalk" off of my list. That's right folks...yours truly was part of a four person team (i.e. my husband, our two kids, and myself) who worked their buns off pouring a sidewalk from our mudroom to our carport...outside...in the HEAT. I have to admit it was kind of fun getting cement splatters on my expensive sunglasses (not) and blisters from my fake Crocs (not). I especially enjoyed yelling at my daughter to "Hurry Up with the trowel!" Oh, I also don't want to leave out the permanent indentions that are now on my knees from the sticks, rocks, and dirt. I looked especially stylish in my fluorescent orange "jogging" shorts (at least I got some use out of them this summer) and my baby blue field day t-shirt from work (which now hugs my tummy just enough to make sure everyone knows where my belly button is). My toneless white legs spilled out below and landed inside my navy fake Crocs from Wally World. To top off "the look" I had on my extra large and fancy black and white sunglasses and a camouflage floppy hat.

When all was said and done we somehow managed to get the job done in two and half hours. I was proud that I actually had dripping sweat as proof of my efforts. Now I can honestly say that I am looking forward to it actually raining so that I can get to my car without making a muddy mess of my high heels. I am hopeful that this will also alleviate the amount of grass, hay, muck, dirt, dust, and filth that seems to stick to my kids and live in my car.

As a reward for our hard work the four of us headed down to our local dive for a superb Mexican meal. We are so fortunate to have such a tasty establishment so close to our home. Now we are all bloated and tired and ready for a movie. It'll have to be pay-per-view (amazingly enough this will be our first ppv experience...I know...a computer, the internet and pay-per-view...all in the same year...the end must be near!) because we are nowhere near a Blockbuster and I don't think any of us can move. At least we can all go to bed knowing that we worked hard as a family, and that will forever be set in stone.

Help Wanted

After spending several days at the lake for the 4th of July weekend it is good to be back at home. Thank goodness nobody came by and cleaned things up while I was gone! I don't know what I would have done if they had. At least now there is plenty to do to help me feel right at home. Now that it is almost 5:00 in the evening I have finally finished washing dishes and dragging all bags to their prospective rooms. I had my daughter sweeping and vacuuming to help me out but it almost wasn't worth it having to bear the extreme eye-rolling and downward turned mouth. She looked like Cinderella (not the "going to the ball version" either). I felt like the evil step mother. But I got over it.

My son helped his dad move a small storage barn of ours using a bobcat tractor. My son is an excellent operator! He handles that bobcat with ease. Having said all that I hate to divide the kids' work up into such stereotypical jobs: the girl in the kitchen and the boy in the field. It just ends up that way. I mean, I too can drive a bobcat but I'd rather work inside (even though I loathe housework). My daughter thinks she is getting the raw end of the deal but she doesn't exactly like yardwork all that much. Basically it comes down to the fact that everybody needs some help with all of the responsibilities of life.

My husband is off from work for a few days and he is trying to get multiple things done around here. The problem is that he needs my help. Don't get me wrong...I don't mind helping it's just that his needs include sweat, heat, and dirt. Oh, and heavy lifting too. When and if I ever ask for help it is more to the tune of "could you pick up your stuff?" Maybe I need to ask for more help more often. It just doesn't ever occur to me to inflict misery and suffering on others. If I don't want to scrub and fold and wash and wipe why would anyone else?

Great...now there's a clean spot on my carpet!

(note: this entry was originally written on May 13, 2008--while I was still juggling many a plate)

The sophistication fairy must have run out of dust by the time she flew over our tiny town. At the end of a long and questionable day all I wanted to do was finish the last twenty pages of the book I have been trying to read since May 6th (I know the date because I've been waiting for this book to be published for a year now!). Anyway, bound and determined to not only cook but to cook healthy I had to feed the rascals. Then I had to lash out orders to my daughter about vacuuming...multiple times. Then I had to help my son with his homework. Then I had to walk with the kids to see the progress on their aunt and uncle's house. Then I had to clean up the kitchen (fyi: "healthy" eating requires constant grocery store visits (no stock piling the fresh veggies); PREPARATION (ugh); more than five minutes...way more than five minutes; planning ahead and timing; seasonings; cutting, chopping, rinsing, draining, straining, simmering...MORE THAN ONE POT/PAN/UTENSIL).

Then I had to wash my face. Then I had to change clothes. Then I had to let the dog out. Then I had to enforce bath time. Then I had to enforce teeth brushing. Then I had to say prayers. Then I had to tuck in. THEN I poured a glass of red wine...into my PLASTIC wine glass (topped it off to be precise). Then I put on my WHITE nightgown. Then I set my wine glass...er...wine plastic onto my nightstand. Then it toppled over to the right (toward my cell phone...my brand new cell phone...toward my laptop, which was resting on the CARPET...the LIGHT OFf-WHITE CARPET). Then I grabbed it. Then it toppled over to the left (toward my BED...my PILLOWS (already stacked up awaiting my arrival),my light BEIGE bed skirt, and my favorite WHITE blanket). The glass...uh, PLASTIC apparently separated itself from its base...not when I poured the wine IN THE KITCHEN...but when I set it down on my nightstand.

I spent the next twenty five minutes soaking my CREAM colored bath towels into my carpet and sopping up whatever I could of the wine off of my grandmother's buffet table which sentimentally serves as my nightstand. I threw everything into the bathtub-house shoes included, turned the water on hot and dumped a couple of scoops of OxyClean into the makeshift washing machine---BAM! When I opened up one of the table's leaves (it swings upward) the wine droplets that were previously stuck in the wood's crease dripped down onto the carpet so I had to repeat all of the steps I mentioned above.

Now get this...I have since discovered that Woolite's PET STAIN & ODOR REMOVER with Oxygen REMOVES RED WINE STAINS FROM LIGHT COLORED CARPET, WHITE NIGHTGOWNS, AND BRAND NEW CELL PHONES. The only problem is that now I have a very visible clean section of carpet in my bedroom.

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation!

The swallows are rebuilding! And rebuilding! In fact, our wraparound porch has become a condominium of sorts to several families of swallows. Earlier this month I told the story of how our single, beloved swallow nest was "taken down" while trying to lure a snake out of it. Not to be deterred the swallows have been working tirelessly to make a new home...apparently they told their friends, family, and neighbors about their new location. After closely observing the swallows' method of operation I noticed that they liked to slap a few pieces of mud onto the rock wall and then fly away and observe it from a distance...much like we would do with a small swatch of paint. When it becomes obvious that this location "just won't do" they stick another splat of mud somewhere else and repeat the process. Finally, "the perfect location" is chosen (preferrably over an entrance or above a window, thus increasing the likelihood of smattering bird droppings all over the welcome mat or the window sill). This being said, some of the new nests are being built over the back door and above my son's bedroom window.

If I could get my computer to catch up with the 21st century I'd share some pictures with you of the swallows collecting mud and straw. It was incredible to watch them work as a team. One would fly down to the ground where it was nice and moist (thanks to a water hose that was accidentally left on too long) and dip its beak into the mud until it was nice and packed. As soon as it flew away another landed almost simultaneously. The second would have a few pieces of grass or hay and it would moisten these pieces in the water. They flew from nest to ground repeatedly all throughout the day.

It has always amazed me at how capable and brilliant the swallows are. Their nests are true masterpieces. Every time I look at one of their nests I think of God. And that is when I am convicted. If a bird can work so hard and produce such purposeful results then what is my excuse? All too often I waste my time and have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. I know we all need our days of rest and our quiet time (trust me...I totally believe in that!) but I must also get my head on straight and start to focus on some of my goals. While I have achieved many of my goals there are still many more I wish to see to fuition. Truth be told many of my earlier "goals" could better be defined as "dreams." I am starting to come face to face with the fact that my life is what I make of it and right now I don't feel like I am making anything. That is one of the reasons that I started this blog. I have such a strong desire to create and I have always been driven to write. I want to take this particular "dream" of mine and prune it into a definitive goal. And then I want to work hard at achieving it.

If, like the swallows, I spend my time purposefully working toward a goal (and employing the help of my family and good friends) I believe that I can build something for myself. I realize that it may be muddy sometimes, and I might even encounter a few snakes, but, in the end, I just might find my niche...and hopefully there won't be bird sh** on my welcome mat!

Repeat Performance

I thought my nerves were embedded deep within my body…but somehow my kids found them…and they’re on them!!! Every little thing that happened today irked me. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have spent every day since school let out cleaning my house…and it does not look like it. Maybe it has something to do with the scorching heat that has us trapped within the house from morning until night. It could even be that we are running out of food, and with the high price of gas right now we are trying to limit our sixty mile commute to the nearest grocery store to one day a week. Today was not “the day.”

In some ways this is good…no milk=no quicky breakfast…no eggs=no long and drawn out breakfast…no bread=no lunch…no meat=no dinner…no dish soap=no dish washing…no laundry detergent=no clothes washing.

In other ways it is bad…no food=cranky people…no wine=cranky mother.

And so, we sit and watch television. Did you know that the forecast calls for more heat, high gas prices, and bad vegetables? “Tomorrow we can expect more of the same.” Gee thanks! When the evening finally rolls around we all sit and watch television. Did you know that Nashville Star has some really talented singers (but I can’t tell you who won the title the last several seasons), the Jonas Brothers are monopolizing our world (so far so good), and Betty White recently guest starred on Million Dollar Password? (now that brought back memories from my own childhood summers spent indoors watching t.v.).

When my husband came home today I immediately looked at him and by way of greeting blurted out, “I am extremely irritable today!” By way of loving me he did not comment—only smiled and gingerly walked away.

Tonight I think we’ll divide up the soggy graham crackers, draw straws for the single orange (though that is not really its color anymore), and swig some unsweetened sun tea. For dessert we’ll chew gum while watching Nashville Star.

Tomorrow we can expect more of the same.