Think Pink

More Hours in My Day

I keep telling myself that there has to be a way to fit it all in. I am sure that there is.  Little things keep falling into place that make my life that much easier.  So now my task is to take what I have and make it into a plan that works for me. There are many little things I want to do: write, study, journal, read, crochet, walk and they always seem to go by the wayside to the louder, more demanding things.  Yet I know that if I utilize the time I have more effectively, I can find the time to do all the smaller things that keep me sane rather than barely keeping up with the larger things that drain me completely.

It has been a wild ride since we got home.  Starting school, funerals, worship team, Disciple class, co-op, a million little errands that accrue when you have been out of town for weeks at a time.  Every night I turn off my brain and sink into an exhausted sleep only to have the alarm sound and hit the ground running yet again. I know that part of it is things revving up and there will be a leveling off once we reach our cruising speed, but in the mean time, I want to learn to better manage the time that I have so that cruising speed is a pleasant experience for us all and not just a mad scramble from task to task.

In the end what it all comes down to is focus.  Isn't that always what it is? Focusing on the task for each moment as it comes, focusing on an overall goal that will be accomplished when the tasks are completed.  Embracing that which will grow me, and dismissing that which distracts.  This weekend I hope to find a little more focus by taking some time off from the big, distracting, wonderful world of the Internet and the communities therein where I have found friendship and fun, and simply listening to the God who has counted the moments of my days and the hairs of my head.  He has the answers.

See you Tuesday.  I'm actually planning to fit blogging into the the randomness of my days--somehow.

Making Stacey Proud

Miss Stacey is my hero.  From the top of her adorably curly head, right down to her dancing, unpedicured feet and all the lightning fast hooking hands in the middle.  She is my organizational guru.  And so, today, in her honor, I present to you.. my Menu for this week, AND (this is the part where she stops breathing)... THE EIGHT THINGS ABOUT ME meme.  That's right. Here we go.

Monday: Brats w/ green pepper & onion/ chicken drums and fresh fruit (Mexican salad for me)

Tuesday: GIRLS NIGHT! (I'm in charge of DESSERT); the kids are having homemade pizza and Craig will have chicken breasts w/ veggies and cheese

Wednesday: Spaghetti and salad

Thursday: Tilapia/ veggie or salad and fresh fruit

Friday: Roast Beef and Shrimp, broccoli with cheese, Strawberry/ Orange pasta Salad

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: out to eat with friends

WHEW! I did it! One week.  I'd really like to start to have a kind of theme for certain nights but that's a plan for another week.

and now 8 THINGS ABOUT ME. I was tagged by Kris

The Rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their 8 things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1) I am currently obsessed with fresh tomato sandwiches.  Everyday I pine for lunch so that I can have their fresh tangy goodness between two slices of yummy bread.  I have been known to have one for breakfast and lunch.

2) I never ate any vegetable but corn until I was well into my 20's.  Now I am a vegetarian, a fact that continues to amaze people.

3) I would like to learn another language, maybe Italian.

4) I am on track to read over 200 books this year.

5) I first started taking voice lessons when I was 7 years old.  For some reason that also amazes people who think that singers either "have it" or "don't have it" Talent is about 10% pre-disposition and 90% hard work.  I work at what I do well.

6) My aspiration is to learn to play guitar next year. I will mostly likely learn to play right-handed though I am left handed.

7) My hair has not been it's natural color in over ten years.

8) This weekend I was told by our new pastor that he'd been trying to figure out how to set me up with his college age son.  Unfortunately it was also brought to his attention that not only am I in my MID-THIRTIES, I am his co-worker's wife. heh.

There.  Now that I have done this I am supposed to tag 8 other people, but well.  I DID it. Isn't that enough? You want it, DO IT!  I'll be happy to read your 8 things.

I Have a Plan

It's not as inspiring as having a dream, but I DO love a plan.  Oh I do! and I have one for this week involving menu's, several projects, more organization and watering the lawn as it is never going to rain again, EVER (all my Texan friends are shaking their soggy fists at me right now).  It is now one week until Disciple class starts,  and my heart is all a-flutter.  Public school started today which means we now enter a nine month period where syrupy sweet smiling mouths will ask us "No school today?" everywhere we go during school hours.  I also will have to listen to the endless string of excuses why people "could never do what I do." Really.  It's OK.  I won't judge you, and you don't have to explain.

We are going to continue on with edumacation.  Without thinking about it being school time I agreed to letting Lindsay be away Weds-Sun this week, so I am going to have to do some alteration to the week's plans.  That is the one drawback of having us all do the same study plan, when one is gone, it's hard to maintain with the others.  But I will figure something out. 

We had a never-to-be-repeated moment this week when my oldest wailed "MOOOO-OOOOOM I have too many clothes!!!" Unfortunately, she is right.  The closets and dressers have gone out of control over the summer months so this week will feature the Great-Portwood-Hand-Me-Down Festival and while we are at it, The Wearing of the Pants.  Luckily, I am feeling pretty good about not actually needing to buy many things to get us though the winter months.  Though I am going to have to demand that Lindsay stop growing longer and taller because it is truly a miraculous moment that we can get ankles, wrists and stomach all completely covered by fitting clothes. She's like a tall quadrapus.

Having finally decluttered my desk top this weekend, I will be cleaning up all my files this week, deleting the detritus and finding a place for everything so that we can write all my content onto disks and reformat this poor ailing beast at which I am typing.  All in all it still serve me quite well, but it needs a tune up and to do that effectively, I've got to get my cyber-clutter under control.

A bit later today I will be posting my menu plan for the week.  I did it for a few weeks this summer and it was delightfully freeing, then vacation came and I let it lapse.  But I want that freedom again, of not thinking "Oh CRAP what are we going to eat!" at 5:30 pm.  I may be anal, but it leaves me time to read.

Speaking of reading, I am also performing a MAJOR overhaul on my book blog this week.  It needs it, and unless I do it soon, I am going to be hopelessly and forever lost and behind in my reading schedule for the rest of the year.  I just can't have that.

On my calendar for this week is Girl's night, worship team practice, Wednesday night church kicks back in, kid's worship team practice, 5 services and dinner with some good friends.

I think that covers this week in a nutshell. If you stayed with me, more power to you.  I missed exciting somewhere about the second sentence.   

What Weekend?

This weekend is packed full of activity.  After starting school this week rather suddenly, we dubbed today park day.  It was actually pleasant when we rolled out of bed and the breeze was off the ocean so we packed up and spent the morning jumping, running, sliding, swinging and yelling. We'll be going basically ninety-to-nothing until Sunday afternoon now.  Which is OK; I just forgot how to schedule downtime instead of it being at hand most of the time.  Next week we continue with school, and I really and for truly start exercising.  I can't just overhaul everything all at once or I freak out and shut down.  Do you do that?

You will be happy to know that I am back to playing nicely.  We had some lack of communication issues that prompted my post yesterday.  Now that I am all in the know about the pertinent details (I don't want to know everyone's business, but it's fairly important that I at least know about mine! ) I am sure it won't be long before I am stirring the pot again.  It's my lot in life: pot stirrer.  Better than pot sticker, I'm sure. Hunky Hubby thinks that I am cute.  That's all that matters.

Speaking of Hunky hubby, he got his stitches out the other day.  It still gives me the bootie shivers to look at it.  He, on the other hand, delights is sharing it's gaping pinkness to all who come within a few feet of him.  Olivia has taken to walking around with her eyes closed.  It's just dangerous around here.

and now, memes:

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day? I usually do two loads of laundry on Mon, Weds and Fri.  I do linens on Tuesday- everyone gets their sheets changed every other week.  Don't wrinkle your nose at me, they go to bed clean.

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old? I am skipping old. We are going young to dead.  That old stuff isn't for me.

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both? Read every Pulitzer Prize winning book and every Booker Prize winning book.  And lose weight--don't I ALWAYS want to lose weight?

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately. ummmmmm.  oooh THIS.  **shudders**

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today? today? hmm 6, maybe 7.  It's been awhile since a 10 day.  I'm working on it.

• the sea breeze
• new tomato plants
• strawberries
• baked potatoes
• encouraging friends
• the start of new things
• Craig
• Dave Crowder

Doesn't Play Well with Others

I think I have become the thing I never wanted to be.  I'd explain but it takes a few background points to get it all so we have to back up to go forward.

1) I have really really high standards for myself.  I got this from my mom who had really, really high standards for herself and for me. Sometimes I set those standards too high and I beat myself up.  Mostly though, I am on speaking terms with my standards.  I, in turn, have high standards for my children, AND for the people I interact with.  Many issues arise from this (not from the children, who hold up pretty well under scrutiny, but with the other people that flit in and out of my life).  Now, I don't think I am unreasonable (I appreciate things like promptness, consideration, tact, respect, courtesy).  I believe you get what you pay for (or you should--woe to you if I don't), that a smile and a kind word go a long way, that please and thank you are mandatory, that my time is valuable, and so is yours.

2) I need schedules.  I just do.  I am attempting to coordinate the lives of 5 people with as much time together as possible.  As the kids get older and do more I need something on my calendar so I don't forget.  Going back to the "my time is valuable" bit, I don't do well with sudden changes and last minute obligations.  Google Calendar is my latest and greatest best friend.

3) I have tall mommy hackles and sharp mommy claws (these all extend to a wife version of hackles and claws that come out when necessary).  I can take a lot of abuse and be forgiving, but don't mess with my kids.  Mess with my kids, and you will come out limping, and you might get ambushed again later ( I also hold grudges, it won't get it's own point as it is not pertinent to this story, but I do).

4) I have a streak of individualist that borders on rebellious.  If something is band wagon popular you can bet that I won't touch it.  I don't do things the way everyone else does.  I parent differently; I live differently; I think differently.  I don't mind being different until you want to impose your "everyone's doing it" way of doing things on my individual way. 

5) My husband and I really are our children's primary caregivers in every aspect.  We supervise their spiritual growth and education, their daily education and we have high standards regarding those into whose care we might temporarily place them.

I understand that these things make me a bit different from the mainstream, and being fairly self-sufficient, that doesn't often bother me, but there are areas where it seems I can't just be myself and make that merrily be part of the living process.

I have become "a problem parent."

Sadly most of my parenting problems center around church (though, I think that can probably fairly be attributed to that fact that that is one of the only places that my my own children are part of the "masses".  I imagine I'd be a problem parent if my girls went to school as well.).  Let me start by saying that I don't think our church has a bad kid's program, far from it.  But it isn't one that we really fit into, and that has caused me stress on more than one occasion.  I appreciate that much of the take home assignments and work are a help to many families, but I already have a Bible curriculum in place, and really not a lot of time to do more.  However, if my children don't do it, then they are left out of prizes and games that are a result of participating. I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, and really it isn't.  Except that it is the springboard for other things that are becoming bigger and more bothersome.  I have stopped trying to just deal with it and integrate it and have tried to come to some sort of compromise so that our choices can mesh with the agenda.

Now we are having problems with the children's worship team and once again I am having to step up and, not unkindly, advocate for my children's feelings and their right to be a little bit different from everyone else.

I didn't set out to be a problem parent, and I certainly don't like the fact that I am probably seen that way now, but I only get one chance to raise these girls, and I will do the very best job I can because they deserve it.  And God have mercy on anyone who stands in my way.

I didn't want to do it

oh the list is long long long...

*I didn't want to turn on further comment protection.  Nothing irks me more than trying to decipher those stupid blurry letters.  It will stop me from commenting sometimes.  Alas.  I am sick and freaking tired of spam freaks so I had to up my security.  I hope you will be bigger hearted than I and still leave the occasional comment.  I, on the other hand, promise to comment more often and to respond to the ones you leave here (something I am trying to do more anyway)

*start school today.  We originally said NEXT monday.  But we really couldn't go another week without SOME structure.  So we started. Today went well.

*consider hurricane supplies.  I thought we might eek by this year, and we still could.  But Dean is out there, lurking.  and 2004 wasn't that long ago.

*stop eating crap and start eating right.  Ah vacation....*fondly remembers eating and drinking all manner of delectable non-healthy items*... but you know the song dance.

*keep a calendar with schedules and plans and long range forecasts  (not actual weather mind you..just life forecasts), but today I loaded up the google calendar and went to town.

*go away for Labor Day weekend. 

But I guess I couldn't float around in la-la land forever.  Had this summer held more, or been less laid back, I think I might have broken down.  But it wasn't, and I didn't; I'm still here. 

Still here....cause there is still a lot that I really DO want to do.

Friday Felicities 7/10

Somedays, you gotta look for the silver lining:

*the library - I just consider it the east wing of my own personal library.  They even pull the books for me. I *HEART* my library

*A cool breeze on a hot day.  We are finishing up an audio book and just parked by the river to listen for a bit and opened up all the doors and windows and caught the most AMAZING ocean breeze and listened to our book.  How we got a full 30 minutes without microwave style heat indexes I'll never know.

*Fresh cut grass.  I hate the process but MAN I love the results.

*Garden grown tomatoes.  So good my toes curl thinking about it.

*igoogle

*A new school year.  Even when you stay home, it's exciting.

*home. Be it ever so humble....I missed my space like the dickens.

*Remembering "the Noodle Brigade" (see tomorrow's blog for details)

*skinny dipping

*Miz Booshay over at A Quiet Life. She is all lovely, fun all the time.

*Remembering Nattie.  I have decided that I don't want to get over missing her.  I want to miss her forever, because loving her was a delight, and I don't want to lose that.

And in honor of Miz Booshay...Friday Feast

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie? My mom's homemade apple.  There really isn't another pie even close.  I don't care how cliche it sounds.

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.  This cartoon.  I am Ego-Man

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid? Go naked.  HEEEEEEEE. People everywhere are SO GLAD that is a joke.  Swim, hit the beach, drink fruity rum drinks.  Think about October when it's open window season again.

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up? My room.  All new furniture.  Most of what we have we have had since college, or childhood.  I would love a fancy-schmancy sleaigh bed with matching dressers.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.

My daughter says no, but I tickle her anyway.

Copy Cat

I know that many of you are on the edge of your seats wanting to know about the stitches, so I will share. On Thursday of last week, the day before Craig was leaving Mi, there was a horrible Texas Caviar accident.  Let's just say gravity and concrete were not Craig's friends when he went to retrieve the yummy dip goodness from the fridge where it resided in a large heavy stone-crockery glass bowl.

Alas, it was not a hand friendly combo (pictures left small for the squeamish, click to make larger).

And that effectively ended Craig's vacation.

The good news for him is that it was merely a flesh wound and none of the fun, fun follow-up that I  underwent a few years ago was necessary.  I wasn't aware that he needed the extra attention and would attempt to emulate my own injury history.    

Home Again; Home Again

Jiggety Jig.

16 days

2200 miles

6 states

temperature variations of up to 55* degrees

10 stitches

I need a vacation from my vacation.  Did you miss me?