Halloween & Taxes

      Halloween, one of my favorite holidays as a parent.  Yes it's true.  Since I've been a mom I have a new appreciation for this Autumnal Feast day.  When I was little I had so much fun trick or treating and carving Jack-o-lanterns with my grandmother.  My friends and I would go out in a herd, and back then (the stone age) you could do that without much trouble.  We knew when to be home and we'd go home to something cozy and warm, like soup or hot cider, and we'd sort out our candy and get all the makeup off and just relax.  This was also when the Halloween booty was really something - homemade treats like little baggies of cookies, big red apples, carmel and candy apples, and the shinning star - homemade popcorn balls!  You really had something if you got a carmel apple or a popcorn ball.  That was treasure for sure.  Those days are long gone.  It's too bad, because I can remember my little grandmother making popcorn balls and carmel apples.  We had such a good time doing that.  We'd wrap them up in cellophane with ribbon. What a treat.
      Now that I'm a parent I do special things for Kaysie, and we always make a night out of carving pumpkins.  I remember the first time we did that - Kaysie was 2 years old.  We had just moved into our current appartment and there was a pumpkin patch close by.  We took our little Abby dog and went and picked out our pumpkins.  I let Kaysie pick which ever ones she wanted and we carved them all.  Big little and in between.  I have some really sweet pictures of her scooping out pumpkin guts.  She had the best time.  That was also the year she was Tinkerbell.  I made her wings out of irradescent cellophane and 18 gauge wire.  They were so cool looking.  I dressed up like Peter Pan and we were quite the pair.  After that year she was Ariel, Mulan and Captain Jack Sparrow.  It's always fun to see what she'll come up with.  This year she was a cowgirl, and she looked so cute.
    This year she came home from school and said she had to pay "Candy Taxes." Her teachers suggested that the kids pay "candy taxes" of 10% of her total haul.  For her it was only 8 pieces of candy but she decided to take in 15 pieces since she's not really a candy person.  I thought that was more than generous.  What a good idea.  They sometimes get candy for rewards at school, and what a fun way to keep the coffers full!  I know I like that idea.  We end up throwing out a bunch of candy that doesn't get eaten within a couple weeks.  Kudos to Mrs. Wilson and Mr. LeFleur.  Great thinking.
      Me, I like to dress up and hand out candy.  This year I dressed up in my best Sybil Trelwany outfit.  Just incase you don't know - she's the Divination teacher at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies, played by none other than Emma Thompson. It's quite a transformation for both of us let me tell you.  I had fun with it this year.  I even ventured up to Walgreens for more candy all dolled up.  Nobody batted an eye.  I guess they are just used to odd balls in Portland!
     I hope all of you had a great time this All Hallows Eve.  Tomorrow is all Saint's Day.  My favorite is of course Joan of Arc.  Who's yours?  Trick or Treat!
     

Autumn

I love the change of seasons. When my daughter and I returned from vacation it was dark outside and we couldn't really tell if we had missed the beautiful fall colors while we were away. Last Sunday was a feast for the eyes! The trees had begun to change before we left and now they were in full color! The ones that were in our neighborhood were just beautiful. Reds, golden yellow and on some trees a lush hot pink! As an artist, the changing seasons makes me very happy with all of the beautiful colors against the steel grey Oregon sky. The contrast in colors is stunning.
The change of seasons is also a time for preparation for me. The Oregon summers are amazing, with their cerulean skies, warm days and the focus is on being outside and being active. The winters...well they are wet. Lots of rain, lots of snow in the mountains, and lots of time spent indoors. The Fall is a chance to prepare for all that. This year I did some canning. I made jam, pickles and I'm in the middle of stocking up on home made applesauce. The jam and the pickles are a summer thing, but the applesauce, now that smells like fall and it makes the house smell amazing! This is also the time I get my winter reading list together. I've already started downloading books on my Kindle for those wet weekend afternoons.
I appreciate these changes though. They allow us to wind down and rest. Animals hibernate and I think to some extent, we do too! For me being indoors brings the focus back to my family. My daughter and I love to cook and bake. We make many of our holiday gifts, and we love to do crafts and puzzles. We usually get a new video game that we can play together and spend many happy hours figuring those out too. There are trips to local ski resorts for sledding, snowboarding and cross country skiing. Those are some fun times too! Then just when we've about had enough of being cooped up inside, the seasons change again, and we look forward to the next season and the fun activities to be done. Not a bad way to live!
Have a safe and happy Halloween/Harvest weekend! Cheers!

The Place I'm Meant to Be

I believe that everyone has a place they are meant to be. My place came to me through a series of events that more than one person has told me had the hand of God all over it. When I tell the story of how I landed in Portland, people are amazed at how precisely it all worked out. Just like the pieces of some huge puzzle. I've told that story a couple times while visiting my home town over the last couple of weeks. Mostly because I haven't seen many of my friends from high school in years and years. So the story goes like this: As I have mentioned before, I have never been keen about flying. Ten years ago I was getting ready to fly to China to adopt my daughter Kathryn. I had been working on conquering this fear of flying. I had a couple good friends who were retired flight attendants, and they suggested taking a practice flight, where I could practice some of the techniques to help me be more comfortable. I had a friend who lived in Portland, so I decided that would be a good place to fly off to. I had never been to the Pacific NW and thought it would be a fun trip. I took the trip and on the way home I sat next to a nurse who was close friends with a gal who worked in Surgery at the hospital where I work now. She said the nursing shortage had hit this hospital really hard and that they were looking for nurses. I was looking for a new place to live and work. She gave me her friend' s numbers. When I got home that night I tossed and turned and decided to call her friend the next morning. By the end of the day I had a plane ticket back, and an interview for the very next Thursday. I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, and I returned to Portland. With a new navy blue suit and my nursing portfolio I showed up at my interview. The lady who interviewed me was so impressed, she hired me on the spot. So eight weeks later, I said good bye to the east coast and watched all my things get loaded onto a moving van and on March 17, 2001 I landed in Portland in the Great State of Oregon. I still work at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center. I traveled to China that August and brought my beautiful daughter home to Oregon. September 11th happened about 2 weeks after I returned from China. I was in Delaware with my daughter so the family could meet her, and we were able to get back to Portland as soon as the planes were flying again. Yet another sign that Portland was the place I was meant to be. I love my life there. It hasn't always been easy being so far away from my family, but I feel like I'm a stronger person because I forged on ahead. I have a great group of friends who are very supportive and have become like a family to Kaysie and I. I do not deny that God's hand was in all of this. It was like a gentle nudge to stick it out. I love traveling to Delaware to visit family and friends, and my daughter loves coming as well. It is usually a welcome treat to visit. We enjoy our time but are always happy to arrive in Portland. We'll take the rain and all the bridges, and all the quirky little things that make me say, " it's good to be home." Thank you to all my friends and family for our wonderful time together this visit. Many memories and re-connections were made and we will be so excited to come back again as soon as we can! Cheers!

Seventeen Again

Time flies, no doubt about it. You wonder where it goes, and then you wonder how to get it back. There are times I have wished for a "rewind." Lately though, I just want to move forward from here. This past weekend I attended my 30th High School reunion, and not only did we all get a rewind, time seemed to standstill for just a weekend.
The first get together was Friday night. There were people there I had only seen on Facebook since we graduated. It was fun chatting with them and catching up on their lives and their kids, etc. Saturday night was the BIG party and that night lasted just about all night. Time stood still for my friends and I. We left the big party and kept on visiting at another place and then the call came out for Scrapple, a local breakfast food. An all night diner was the next destination. We sat there for what seemed hours, laughing and talking, and having fun, just like the old days. We left that diner full. Full not just with food, but with the fullness that comes with reconnecting with old friends; those that know you and accept you faults and all. As I looked around at that group of people I thought about all we had been through over the years. My friend Susan said it best " we're all the same people, with same values we had back in high school, just a little older. These are my friends, and I hope it never changes."
Every one of us made it right back to breakfast just a few hours later. We all admitted to being really tired, but it was the good kind of tired that comes with being with your friends all night hanging out - making up for not seeing each other as much as we'd like to. I just want to say thank you. It was the best time I've had in a long time. Time indeed stood still, and just for one night, we were all seventeen again! Cheers!

A Velvet Voice in the Night

It's a fact, I don't sleep much. I've been doing better, but honestly I think half the time I have too much on my mind. My mind races some nights and no matter how hard I try, some nights are just plain sleepless. Enter iHeart Radio. I love that app. It's my favorite one. I can find any kind of music any time of day. A few years ago I became a loyal listener of Delilah. She used to be on K103 in Portland in the evening. But about a year ago programming changed and they pulled her show. I was very sad. However, a few months ago I found her again on iHeart Radio. My nights were saved again.
If you aren't familiar with her, Delilah, is the number one radio personality in evening radio. She's the self-proclaimed "Queen of Sappy Love Songs." I've been told, that's what she has on her business cards. Delilah has been on the radio since she was a teenager in Reedsport, OR, and you can just tell that she's a woman who loves her job. She blends great music with stories and live callers, and I have to say, most nights it makes for interesting radio. She's a soothing spirit for those in love, broken by love, or love reunited. There's also the grateful caller who wants to celebrate a best friend or the awkward teenager looking for some motherly advice. That's a tall order for one lady.
Let me tell you something, she can handle it. She's a single mother to 12 children! Three of her own children and 9 adopted children. Delilah also is a woman of strong faith, and she's not afraid to share that either. In her spare time she's an avid gardener, and she also has a non-profit organization called Point Hope whose focus is on refugees in Gahana, West Africa, as well as foster children in this country. I'm not certain, but I don't think she sleeps much either. I've heard her talk about her kids, and some have some medical issues that require constant attention. I mentioned her faith, and I'm pretty certain that gets her through a lot and is a constant source of strength.
I want to meet Delilah some day. As near as I can figure I'd need probably about an half hour of her time to ask her all the questions I have. The time it would take to linger over a latte at Starbucks. I'd want to know how she does it all, and still stay sane. Although I think I can probably figure out the answer on my own, I'd still like to hear it from her. I do know she broadcasts her radio show from her home. She has a studio in her basement that she calls her sanctuary. I guess someone with seven children still at home needs a place to escape to every now and then. I almost feel sheepish to admit that I get overwhelmed as a single mother of one, but after this vacation, that's going to change. Ghandi said "You have to be the change you wish to see in the world." I think that Delilah has taken that quote to her heart and she is changing this world for the better every single day. I hope that I can find the same passion for my life that she has for hers, and that when I'm through the world is a better place.
Have a listen sometime, and know that Delilah is more than just a velvet voice in the night she's the change in the world that Ghandi talked about. Cheers!

Angels Among Us

There are angels among us. I learned that first hand late last night. When we arrived in Philly it was late and we were really tired. We had been on an airplane or in airports since the early morning hours, and while still on West Coast time it had been a long day. I had arranged for a rental car on line, and let me just say that I DID NOT read the fine print. It was late, and I was in a hurry when I made the reservation. We got to the rental car place, the fine print that I neglected to read came into play, and a car was not to be had. We were waiting for the shuttle to take us back to the terminal and a gentleman who looked like he was about my dad's age, came over and gave us the phone number to customer service for the rental car place, and offered us kind words and good luck. I wondered after he left if he might have had a daughter and a grand daughter, because otherwise, why would he stop and do that for us? Another young man offered us a ride to a nearby city, but with no guarantees of transportation further on our journey we thanked him for his offer and returned to the terminal. When we got back there I found a nice lady who directed us to the Ground Transportation desk. This is where we met Karen, our first angel. Karen was at the end of her shift, but while she waited for her replacement, she assisted us with a happy heart and lots of information. We called shuttle after shuttle, all to no avail. We even tried Greyhound who wasn't going our way for two days. Finally, a cab driver showed up looking for fares, and Karen seemed to know him. She went outside and talked to him and then asked me what our budget was. I told her, she talked to the cabbie, and he said, "I'll do it." The cabbie was angel number two. He was a youngish fellow, probably of Indian decent. I couldn't read the name on his license because it was blocked from my view. He turned off the meter and after many hugs to Karen from both my daughter and I we were off. We stopped for gas, and I bought our driver coffee, it was the least I could do, and at that point all I could do for this sweet man. We met my mom about an hour later in a mall parking lot, and she tipped him and thanked him over and over for bringing us safely to her. While we were in the cab, my daughter and I listened to the radio and laughed and talked about how God had sent these angels to help us. What had seemed scary and impossible at first was working out pretty good. As a mother I try really hard to make sure, even when things are scary and uncertain that we are always safe. Sometimes, however, you need a wingman. Last night I had two. I hope I get the chance sometime to be that wingman for someone else, because I'll probably not run into Karen or the cabbie again to be able to thank them. If you are ever stranded in Philadelphia at the airport late at night, I know where you can find an angel or two. Coincidentally, Karen, my angel, works the Ground Transportation desk inTerminal A. Cheers!

Going Home

Today I am going home.  I am returning to the place  where I started out to the people who know me best.  Yesterday I spoke with both of my parents, and both had words of wisdom for our day of travel.  Dad told me not to be shy when boarding the plane.  "Get right up there, he said, "so you can get space in the overhead compartment for your bag." he would know, he travels all the time.  Mom ran down my to do list with me.  Do have this done? Did you print this out? What about the rental car? She's always been the "organizer."
     So here I sit on the plane. Jetting toward Phoenix on the first leg of our trip.  God and I had a little moment before I got on the plane, and all is well there (see yesterday's post for that story).  Kaysie is snoozing, her first trip in first class and she's sleeping! The red hills of the desert are right outside the window, and I am feeling the most peaceful I've felt in months.  Vacation is off to a fine start. 
         A famous writer once said "You can never go home again.". I think that's partly true.   You can go there but it's never the same once you leave and live your life away from there.  Home to me is memories of my growing up years with family and friends.  Many of those memories  are happy and a few are not.  I don't think that's too unusual .  We all have some things we'd rather forget.  I try to focus on the things I love about being there. Knowing that I will travel back to the place that I am meant to be seems to keep things balanced.  I cannot return home to stay.  That pains some of my family, but we raise our children to spread their wings and fly. I spread my wings when I moved to Oregon. I know that's where I am meant to be. It's my spot, and now my home. Some day Kaysie will do the same. I know that, and although I might dread it, I also realize that's how life works. I have seen far too many people try to live their lives for other people and it never works out right. There will always be a place for her in my home, but I will never expect her to stay.
I hope that those of you who travel home from time to time find the happiness and the memories of the place you knew at another time in your life. Go long enough to remember, but don't expect or be expected to stay. If you are just starting out on your life's journey, call your mother from time to time. Visit when you can, but don't forget that it's your time to fly and find where you are meant to be. That is the fun part of being young and on your own. Safe travels to the class of 81. See you all this weekend in the place where we first started out. Cheers!

Fearless

Are you fearless? I am not, and tomorrow I will be staring down the demon that has caused me much anxiety and panic my whole life. I will be putting my life and my darling daughter's life in the hands of a US Airways pilot and his crew. Yes, I am afraid to fly. I absolutely hate it. I have tried everything I know to conquer this fear. I have read books, talked to retired flight attendants, and I've even taken long practice flights before big trips, but none of it helps. Being the parent I have had to swallow my fear and smile while gripping the armrest with a white-knuckle death grip, so that my darling daughter wouldn't be afraid. When she was little I'd hold her on my lap and hug her tight while we took off and landed. She's too big for that now, so on will come the brave face.
     Being as how I am facing that fear I wondered what else I am afraid of, and it turns out the list is pretty short. In addition to flying, I can add to that list dying, and that's about it. I think we all have things that we are afraid of, and my little short list has two common denominators - I have no real control of either one. I am putting myself in someone else's care and I have to trust that everything will be ok. I remember my dad telling me one time on a fateful and VERY turbulent ride from Palm Beach to Baltimore that the pilot wanted to get on the ground just as badly as I did, and of course everything was ok. As for the dying, I have to trust that God has all of that under control. I guess my point here is that we have to trust those who are in charge.
     I am reading a great book right now called Fearless by Max Lucado. It's a great book. He talks about all kinds of fear and how God has told us over and over that when He is in charge there is nothing to fear. It sounds so easy. Trust God. Tomorrow as I get on that overgrown bucket of bolts I will be doing just that - trusting God. I am finding that the older I get the easier that is. For those of you who are young and trusting God, I think that is so excellent! I have to say that knowing what it is that I need to place in His hands is half the battle, but when you are afraid it can be anything but easy.  God can handle it all. I would encourage anyone to find their fears and place them in God's hands. If you stop and be still you might even hear his gentle whisper in your ear "I've got this. Do not be afraid anymore. Relax and enjoy your flight." Here's hoping He's got it under control tomorrow!
Cheers!

Say What You Need to Say

      Say what you need to say... This is a popular song by John Mayer.  It has a great message "find your voice," something everyone needs to do at some point in your life.  Weather you are mustering up the courage to ask for a raise at work, or having a conversation with one of your children about making better choices.  We also have to have difficult conversations with our parents or our partners from time to time.  This is a skill that I wish I had learned way earlier in my life.  I think there might not have been as much pain an heartache throughout my young adult life.
      My daughter is very shy.  As she grows older I have watched the shyness fall away little by little.  This week however the shyness was back.  She had to ask for help with a task and she just couldn't muster the courage to do it.  I helped her begin the conversation by emailing her teacher, the rest was up to her.  I was very proud of the way she handled herself and her teacher wrote me back and said she asked for what she needed and seemed pleased with the results.  When I picked her up from Cross Country practice that day she was so proud and happy.  When we talked at dinner she thanked me for helping her to start the conversation.  I told her that as her mom, that part was my job, but that she handled the rest with maturity and grace.
      I also have had to "say what I needed to say" to a co-worker just this week.  That is never easy, but I just said what was in my heart with only the kindest intentions.  I believe when you have to say things that are hard to hear that is the best way.  I have always maintained that a message well delivered is one that is not only heard but accepted by the receiver.   They might not like it, but at least you said what needed to be said with only the best intent.  It went well.  The message was clear and well received.
     I truly believe that we all need to find our voice from time to time.  That is a life skill; one that will be repeated over and over again.  Sometimes it's easy, and other times it's just downright hard.  When it's hard; it's worth taking the time to chose your words carefully, and putting yourself in the receivers shoes. Words can be very hurtful.   How would you feel hearing this message?  As John Mayer says : "Do it with your heart wide open, and say what you need to say..."  I don't think you can go wrong when you express yourself that way. Check out John's tune  "Say" on iTunes.  It's a great song.   Have a great weekend everyone!  Cheers!

Steve Jobs and Apple

     Today the news was sad.  Technology visionary Steve Jobs passed away.  He stepped down from his beloved company over the summer and handed the reins to successor Tim Cook.  His health issues were no secret over the last couple of years, yet he continued to steer the "Mothership" in Cupertino with courage and dignity.
     To me, Steve Jobs was a pioneer and a visionary.  In fact, tonight's tribute was composed on the notepad feature of my beloved iPad while my daughter took her martial arts class.  His computers changed how we do things and his company set a precedent for outstanding customer service as well as quality products.  I'm a firm believer in the old saying that "you get what you pay for," and when you buy a device from Apple you get a lot.  I futzed around with p.c.'s forever, only because Macs were a little out of my budget and believe me I lamented that fact for a long time.
     A few years ago my p.c. crashed and all of daughter's baby pictures along with hundreds of dollars in iTunes music were gone in an instant.  I had been saving up for an iMac and I finally had enough money in the bank.  I called the Apple store and they said come on in and bring your p.c. tower.  If we can turn it on we can get all of your music and pictures back.  Don't worry about a thing.  They were true to their word, and in a little over an hour I walked out the door with my new iMac complete with all of my pictures and music, a two year care plan, and a year's worth of classes so that I'd know how to get the most out of my new computer and have fun in the process.  I have not had one single regret.  No buyer's remorse for this girl AT ALL.
     There are folks out there that don't appreciate Apple or Mr. Jobs and his efforts to take us to the next level in computer technology, but I would respectfully ask that those folks think before they respond.  Apple donates many computers and software to many of the local schools in my area, and nationwide I would imagine.  Our nation's students who are lucky enough to work on iMacs and now iPads are being given a great opportunity to use the latest in technology and make learning fun, while helping to keep the ever rising cost of books lower and our planet a little greener.  Apple goes to great efforts to make their devices sustainable and as earth friendly as possible.  They will even recycle your old p.c. for free when you buy a new iMac.
      All these things were important to Steve Jobs and he took them along with his beloved company into the new millenium.  He made the impossible possible.  As a young boy, I'm sure he was a daydreamer of epic proportions.  The difference between him and all the others was that he made those epic daydreams come true when he grew up.  He lived "the dream," and personally I think the world needs more people like him.  This evening I would ask that everyone light up their iPhones, iPods, iMacs and Mac Books in honor of Steve Jobs.  I think he would love that!  Cheers!

Monday Oh Monday

     Monday only comes once a week, and I've decided that there is a good reason for that.  Even for the most positive people, myself included, Monday can be just downright hard.  If there's one day when anything and everything can go wrong it's usually Monday.  I wonder sometimes if it's just a problem of perspective.  Here comes the back to work day after we've had fun and relaxed all weekend.  We aren't ready to field the curve balls that come our way as we begin a new work week, and by the end of the day we are crying "Only four more days until Friday!"  I think everyone strives for peace and routine in their work and school life.  We like things to go smoothly, and when it doesn't it throws us all off kilter.  We panic, we get anxious and before we know it our emotions take over and we are reduced to a "puddle of our former solid selves." 
     For years, I dreaded Monday.  It was one of our busiest most chaotic days at work.  Whatever trainwreck had occured over the weekend was usually returned on Monday usually either first thing in the morning or as we were all planning to leave for the day.  Never mind that we had our usual schedule to keep.  I don't dread Monday much anymore because I decided that I was giving too much power and energy to things that were beyond my control.  I feel funny telling people that because I think there is so much emotion wrapped up in that kind of thing that it is just off-putting and flippant. 
      This was very much the case yesterday in my own home.  I am always happy to get home to my little family.  I always try to walk in the door with a happy heart.  I look forward to changing and getting to work in my sanctuary known as my kitchen.  I can oversee homework from there, I can listen to Delilah on the radio and for me it's a place of peace and happiness.  My little dog usually curls up in her little bed and I feel like I have all I need.  Well, last night, that was not quite the case.  I walked in to a maelstrom last night.  The dog was "vibrating." The child was spinning and the TV was on full blast.  What the heck?  My daughter was in a tizzy.  She had again forgotten a book she needed for homeowork.  She had lost her pencil case with her id and some other important things in it, and there was some crazy thing about a chain letter that was coming true by the second.  No matter what I did or said, it wasn't the right thing.  Before too long we were in the eye of the storm.  Calm for the moment but not quite over.  I retreated to my kitchen during this time and decided to ride out the storm.  When it was over I knew that thankfully Tuesday was coming.
     The solution to Monday was found this time in a mother's instinct for comfort.  The promise of help, a steaming bowl of ramen, and a trip to the hot tub in the pouring down rain.  As I tucked my daughter in to bed last night I turned on her "sleepy music" and kissed her on her little head.  I congratulated her and told her that Monday was over for another week and that even though it was hard she survived.  Also that it's ok to be upset and frustrated, but that we have to take heart in the fact that we have each other to rely on, on even the ugliest of days.  I hope she is having a better Tuesday and that everyone else who had a rotten Monday is too.  Cheers!

The Gift of Time

     Tonight I was given a gift.  Time.  Time to wonder around my favorite store (Tarjay), time to read a wonderful book (Fearless by Max Lucado), and time to just "be".  It's been amazing and absolutely what I needed.  In a little bit, I'm going to go and get some physical rest, so that I can finish off my time with a cup of my favorite coffee on my wonderful back porch, listening to the rain that has begun to softly fall signaling the fact that Autumn in the Great State of Oregon really has arrived.  Then I'll go and do some grocery shopping for the next 10 days and get ready for the week.
      Time is a gift.  I just learned that recently.  I have spent a lifetime wasting it, and that makes me a little bit sad, because once it's gone it's gone and you can't hit rewind or playback and get it back.  (Bummer).  I read one woman's assessment of time which was pretty much like mine, and she says she tries really hard to not waste it anymore.  She says she rarely watches TV, doesn't play video games, or spend too much time on Facebook.  She has many hobbies and that's how she chooses to use her time.  There are several other people whom I greatly respect, that said they are also re-evaluating how they spend their time.  I think it's a worthy thing to do.  Lately, I know I have been getting caught up in things that I have no business getting caught up in because they are mentally draining and probably not a good use of time.  It just got the best of me, and here I am...in a retreat, but I needed it anyway.  I'm getting ready for a journey of life changing proportions and this time has allowed me to prepare for that journey.
     When my journey is done I will be using my time far differently.  I have already started to get rid of my old bad habits, and honestly I don't miss them.  I tried to watch a movie tonight and it only lasted about 30 minutes.  I just felt like there were better uses for this precious time I have to myself tonight so I went back to my book.
      Sunday is one of my favorite days of the week.  Even when my daughter is around I still take time to be still and do special things for our little family.  Usually Sunday afternoon we bake cookies together for the coming week's lunches and snacks.  Tomorrow we are making my grandmother's sugar cookies.  I am also going to jar up some home made apple sauce.  The crock pot is coming out for dinner prep and of course there will be laundry and packing for our upcoming vacation trip.  It's ok, I got what I needed tonight, and it has been absolutely wonderful.
     Before your busy week starts I would encourage you to take some time to just "be".  Time is a precious commodity.  We only have a given amount, and so I've decided it's meant to be enjoyed, and not wasted.  How will you use your time today?  Let me know what you did and how it made you feel.
Cheers!