Back from “Vacation”
I wish I could have figured out how to connect to the free wireless service in our hotel room. I had so much to share, but now we’re home and current events could keep me quite busy for several days. It’s Thursday, my co-op order is coming in today, and then when Trip gets home from jury duty, I think we are going to drive out to Stephanie & Mike’s house. I’m stranded here at home with no car and it’s raining. I am hoping to get the house all tidied up before my mom comes tomorrow morning for a weekend visit. Saturday is my favorite event – the 4th of July Parade in Ocean Grove. I’m having issues with Nathan and his constant requests for “Meum Meum” which is his word for nursing. I purposely wore a dress that makes nursing inconvenient and he asked me to put my real pants on. Honestly, I could use a break from these guys – I’m pretending I can’t hear them. I kind of want to just walk out the door. I might resort to a video. They are really driving me nuts. And my best buddy is away on vacation – or I would be on the phone with a smile while she talks me down and amuses me with tales of her vacation from hell.
Missing in Action
Too busy doing and not taking the time to write about it. I’m now about to get to work on my list of stuff to do before my trip to Virginia with Grandma on Monday. I’ve got to pack road food for the pickiest eaters ever as we plan to visit my Grandma’s aunt whose idea of cooking is to throw whatever it is in a pot with a bunch of grease and a ham hock and boil it to death. Perhaps I exaggerate, but it’s going to be a little rough for the boys and I given our mostly vegetarian diets. I have a feeling I’m going to need to explain that this includes chicken.
I have been enjoying some of the fruits from our garden in Belmar. Delicious strawberries and snow peas & lettuce. My home garden is looking great. Aside from killing some of my purple pansies (I believe root rot from over watering) I have been very diligent – and even the lawn has been kept mowed and watered.
I worked for Frank for an hour today, so I feel good that some $ will come in for my efforts. Trip just told me the train fare is going up $30 a month, which almost sent me in to a tail spin. Any time I think we can tighten our belts and do a little better something screws up the plan. I hate that train and I truly wish he could find something closer to home (and cheaper commute! – right now it’s almost $400 a month for commuting alone! And the time is insane. I don’t want to dwell on this right now – it’s not a good idea if I want to keep a positive frame of mind. When I get back I’m going to throw some energy into growing the food co-op and getting some more jobs at home.
Today was Elliot’s last day of school and I’m actually (crazily) toying with the idea of taking the boys into the city tomorrow for a fun day visiting Daddy at work. Maybe that’s a dumb idea considering all I want to get done before I go, and Sunday being Father’s Day. Better to wait till we get back and pick a less busy time. I’m so glad I am able to let go of crazy distractions and focus right now. I guess I’d better work on my to do list while I’m in the right frame of mind. Later!
Making my Shrine
After assembling a few elements I have collected for my artwork, I started working on my baby altar yesterday (read more here). I haven’t ever gotten back to the counselor who first introduced this idea to me, but I am so pleased with the process, and I’m surprised I didn’t think to do it myself. I thought back last night on the many times I have created artworks that inspired and cheered me up and gave me an outlet for a powerful feeling. It is the same in this case. I have admitted to myself that I have a block against making the baby things for Kim & Valerie’s grandkid, even though they are partially started. It’s a shame and kind of strange how I am able to focus on my own project but not theirs. I am feeling kind of bad about another thing – I had a big pimple on my face (not even showing yet over the weekend) and I messed with it to the point that I have really done some damage to myself. I am so embarrassed – my only saving grace is that I can hide it by wearing my hair down. Still – it’s pathetic and ugly. It’s a totally compulsive behavior and I’m disgusted about the whole thing. I can’t even believe I wrote about it!
In other news, I’m still depressed. I haven’t exercised, who knows what I weigh. I’m going to try to think of something positive to write instead – this is going downhill.
I got the car fixed up yesterday. Only $32 for a job my dealership said was going to cost $569!! These guys dropped the boys & me off at the playground, fixed the car and picked us up. Of course, the park was hot as balls and there was barely any shade to be had, but the boys ran around and had a ball, and I actually organized some paperwork while I sat. Then I came home and balanced the checking account and paid a bunch of bills. Another recent accomplishment was that I finished my mom’s scrapbook and gave it to her when I saw her after Mother’s Day, but now I have scanned all of the pages I wanted. I am really happy with the way it came out. And mom LOVES it. I guess I’ll end on a high note. Later.
Nuthin much
I haven’t been here a while. I can’t recall all that has gone on in my absence from posting. I have kept up with my wonderful cleaning progress, so I’m happy with the house. I made great progress on my garden in the back yard! I have flowers in a bed now, with some herbs and tomatoes, and Trip installed a hose manifold so now we have a soaker hose for my flowers, and another thing for the reel hose and two more extensions. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’ve haven’t killed any of my plants! I’ve been pulling off the old blooms and watering and weeding! I’m ordinarily a “Black Thumb” which I inherited from my mom and Grammie. So that’s all good. The boys are all terrific, except that Nathan had 3 or more super tantrums yesterday. The kind where he flips out and cries inconsolably for a long time and no amount of calm discussion or appeasement attempts will console him. We had a little car maintenance done, and I got my DVD player fixed for free (after it was broken for over a year!) and I’m so happy about that! Just in the nick of time for our trip to Virginia. I was so excited and thinking about that long car rride, I decided to vaccum out the car – and when I took Elliot’s 3rd row seat out the freaking seat managed to slip so that one seat clamp was locked but not the other and I got stuck out there for about 40 minutes trying to release the seat so I could put it in properly. I can probably count one one hand the number of times I’ve gotten that pissed off. I was cursing and actually kicked the bumper! Finally I fixed it and now the car is gleaming. I’m just pricing the tune-up we’ll be needing before the trip because the dealer wants $569!!
I’m waiting for Elliot to come home so we can go out and get his hair cut. Then I’m hoping for a quiet evening at home. I’ll write tomorrow if not later tonight!
Gossamer Threads 