The Adventures of the Headless Family

The Status Update

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 04:23:00 +0000

As I mentioned, we are almost empty nesters.

I'll start at the top, though. HD just had a milestone birthday and unfortunately couldn't celebrate in the way that he has become accustomed... by having 200 of his closest friends in our backyard! It was really weird only having family-Don't read that as 'bad', because it was a wonderful party celebrating my favorite human. It was just different than any of us could have imagined. We did have a few family members here from out of town, and some that are close by couldn't come. See? Weird. The other cool thing that he has done lately is he now has a couple initials after his name relating to a new position at his company. I'm super proud of him; he has worked long and hard for this and he really deserves it!

HG and her husband moved from Colorado to Mississippi and they seem to really love it there and are putting down roots. She has family in the area that she moved to, they have joined a church, and have even become foster parents! Their first placement was a sibling pair, and of course they fell in love. While they have been able to go home, HG has maintained a good relationship with their family and has seen the kids a couple of times since they went home. Someday I might even have grandkids!

HB1 graduated in 2018 and headed off to spend his freshman year in Spain in a First Year Abroad program. He traveled quite a bit fell in love with Europe. I'm pretty jealous of the year that he had! London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Northern Italy, the coast of Spain... And those were just his weekend trips! Since last fall he has lived in Boston for college and has really grown to love the northeast. He told me just last week that he wants to stay for a while because he really enjoys the seasons. Because of Covid he may not finish at his school; online classes won't work for his major and paying private school tuition is silly when he already has an internship and paying jobs in his field. So, he's living and working in Boston and I'm looking forward to visiting one of my favorite cities in the very near future.

And that brings me to the baby of the family. Last year, HB2 decided that he no longer wanted to play football, which left his schedule open to take other classes at the high school that he was interested in, as well as have a free period. He made a lot of new friends, and after Christmas he started working at HD's company as a 'yard guy' for a couple of hours after school each day as a way to make money before he went to college. (Insert ominous forshadowing music here!) In March, when the Covid shutdown hit and schools were closed he started working full time, and became an 'essential' worker sanitizing the offices. In July he decided not to go to college, and instead joined the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,) to go through the apprenticeship program. He will also get an engineering degree, as well as other certifications and training, and he gets to do it all at a company along side his dad and trusted mentors. A pretty good decision!

So, instead of being true empty nesters, our youngest has chosen to stay at home. In a year of unpredictable changes, it's just another change to get used to! We are so proud of all of the kids. Making changes and shifting directions is all a part of life and so far all 3 of them have weathered the changes that 2020 has thrown at them just fine.

Mom on the other hand? I'm ok, but, Man, change can be hard!

Time

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 23:32:00 +0000

I think it's time I dusted this thing off. Not really sure if anyone will read, or if anyone cares. I don't suppose it even matters. I'm ready to write again.

For me.

There has been lots of changes in the last 2 years since my last post. Personally, and in the world. Currently we're in the middle of the Covid outbreak. More on that later, obviously. We're almost empty-nesters. More on that later, too. I'm personally off Facebook, at least for the time being. (Yet another post for another day.) The same week I wrote my last post I went back to work, and now have 2 jobs.

So, that makes about 5 posts in the pipeline. Keep me accountable!

Missing many of my old friends from around these parts. What are you up to? Leave a comment!! I have to approve them, but I promise they'll show up eventually.

We'll chat again soon!!

50

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:26:00 +0000

In one week I will be 50 years old.

Like, really? How does that happen?

Ok, technically, I know how it happens. But we get so caught up in day to day life that sometimes things like this creep up on you and, BAM! You're 50 years old. A half-century. Like when your children are all of a sudden moving out or getting married and you wonder where the years went in between sleepy infant-hood and responsible-bill-paying-adulting? Same phenomenon. Weird.

I'm not to concerned about 50, really. I don't mind the number, itself, but I have started to reflect. Notice changes. And not just the physical ones.

I'm old enough to speak with some authority on life issues, at least in the way that I've experienced them. But also old enough to realize that my experience does not make it law. Old enough and weary enough of life and cycles that I no longer put stock in "politics" or "issues", but in family, and love, and creating a safe place in my home and heart for those that are around me.

I've let go of caring if people know that I've unfollowed them on social media. I no longer have time in my life for people or things that don't respect me or my time or my energy. What does that mean? Return my phone calls, texts, or emails. Honor your commitments to me. Be honest when there needs to be a change in plans, or if I've done something that has hurt you. I'm a big girl. I can take it. I'm also learning how to be honest with the people in my life and have the tough conversations. Sure, it's still a work in progress, but I'm learning. I'm embracing the learning because I know that I (and you,) will be happier and healthier because of it. That is growth, y'all.

50 is an age for reflection like no other before it. I look back on my teens and 20's and am so thankful that we didn't have social media to record all of our mistakes and heartaches. Those years of growth and learning are much better remembered with the haze of time blurring the edges and softening the blow of harsh realities of uninformed opinions and lack of wisdom. Much less comparison of our older bodies and faces mapped with the lines of good living, to the not-even-airbrushed photos of our youth. Sometimes there are things better left unsaid or unviewed! My thirties were a blur of diapers and naps, and cheer competitions, trying to be the perfect wife and mom, and feeling like I was failing miserably. 40 brought perspective. Now 50.

So many things learned in a half-century of living and so many of them long forgotten. Like the name of that boy that I had a crush on, or the address of my first apartment; fleeting things that at the time seemed so important but fade. These things remain: faith, hope, and love. The memories of these things. They remain.

This is what going beyond 50 looks like: holding fast to the things that really matter.

Time and Again

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 17:56:00 +0000

The funny thing about time is... well, it never stops.

See, in my head is till feel like I'm about 25. The mirror reminds me otherwise! And the calendar reminds me that 25 was 25 years ago. Ahem.

And sometimes, if the wind is just right and I'm lost in thought, I'm snuggling my babies while watching Little Bill, and get a big whiff of their sweaty little boy heads. It was just this morning, right?

Or a chill of fall comes through the air and I'm sitting in the stands of a Friday night football game paying little attention to the field, instead, I'm watching my girl dance and jump her way through another routine. A tear of pride blurs my vision....

Was it really 6 months ago that I updated you? That I began to share our 20th anniversary trip and then dropped out of sight? Sigh. So much time and so many memories, so many stories to share, yet where to start? What about you? What has been told in your story this year?

Since time marches on, I guess it's time to update the About page. Dust off the keyboard. Share my stories again and ask about yours. I've been craving your words, and my fingers have been aching to tell the tales.

Dazzle me with you. I'll try to do the same. Let me hold your hand, and you can hold mine and we'll get back to where we used to be... Young and in love with life and time.

And...We're Off!

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 05:38:00 +0000

There is nothing worse than bumper to bumper traffic on your way out of town, mid morning on a Saturday. Thankfully, this was the worst of it!

Because this is our view for the next few days!

Any guesses of where we are? And if you follow me on Facebook you're not allowed to guess!

Patio, Completed

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 04:47:00 +0000

We are thrilled with how the patio came out! The color is perfect!

The lights and fans are great.

We found a local auction that had patio furniture. For a few hours of our time we found this set for about half of what we wee able to find it for anywhere else. Not a bad tradeoff! HD already spends more time out there than inside when he is home. He already has his sights set on an outside heater and a tv to mount on the wall. Looks like there will be even more parties out there!

Going Under

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 04:09:00 +0000

I'm on another launch team! This time for Going Under by Michelle Kemper Brownlow. This is the first of 3 and I've heard great things about Gracie's story. I can't wait to read it and share it with you! Read about it on Goodreads before you can buy it on December 12.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 06:20:00 +0000

Email Etiquette Simplified

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 05:25:00 +0000

One of the classes that I teach at my church is Social Media Communication. This class is geared toward young adults that are heading out into the business or ministry world for the first time. Most of these kids are the last to have any recollection of a time before cell phones and computers were everywhere and need to be reminded that there are many of us that are 'old fashioned' and follow etiquette rules that they may have no idea about. The following is an excerpt from my class, focusing on email:

Email Etiquette (for business/ministry/volunteer situations)

A) Clear, direct subject
B) Should look like a regular letter, like you learned in school
C) Don't "Reply All" unless it's required for the situation. Follow up information should go directly to the person that you have follow up with.
D) Don't use slang
E) Use correct punctuation. More than 1 exclamation point is probably too much.
F) PROOF READ. Spell check is ok but it can't and won't catch every mistake.
*two, too, to, their, there, they're, breath, breathe, more.......
G) Grammar! Verb tense, run on sentences, and other mistakes can usually be found when you read it out loud. If it's awkward, fix it.
H) Don't switch fonts, text colors, etc., in the body of an email.
I) You should respond to most email within 24 hours, weekends excluded.

What would you add? Is there something that twenty-somethings need to know about emailing in business situations that I've forgotten? Let me know in the comments!

What do you order?

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 04:51:00 +0000

"Do you tend to order the same thing at restaurants? Or do you like to jump around the menu?"

I found this prompt on the NaBloPoMo post of prompts on the BlogHer/SheKnows website published in January 2015. I didn't feel like giving you more of the kitchen today, (and I'm sure you're sick of it anyway,) so I went digging for a prompt. Voila!

I am a horrible creature of habit. There are two things that I order at Chili's: a Quesadilla Explosion salad with the dressing on the side, or the Buffalo Ranch Chicken sandwich, sauces on the side. It's like this at most restaurants. At another local restaurant, (not a chain,) I get the Orange Chicken or the Waldorf Salad with Chicken. There are two local bars that we go to rather regularly and if I eat at either one I get the French Dip sandwich. I'm not an adventurous eater AT.ALL. if it's at a restaurant. If it's something that you have made I'm all over tasting it, but just not in a restaurant. I'm also not a big fan of ethnic foods outside of the 'normal' American versions of Mexican, Italian, Chinese, etc.

So, tell me. What do you order when you go out to a restaurant? Always the same thing? Or different things? Do you have a dish that I need to try? A cuisine that you can't believe that I'm not eating? Tell me in the comments!

Patio Demo

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 05:13:00 +0000

So, since we do nothing easy or in order, we had a second project start before the kitchen was done. As much as we entertain, we were ready to get our patio done so we could really use that outdoor space well. The trend here in Southern California is to have a rain-tight patio cover with lights, fans, tvs, and comfortable living room-type furniture. So that was our plan!

Bye Bye Old Patio cover!

Kitchen, Part 6

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 05:45:00 +0000

This is what the wet bar area looked like before:

And this is after:

Although in these pictures it looks the same, the paint is 2 different colors from top to bottom. The new paint color is from Home Depot, Deep Crimson. It's really rich and beautiful. We have another project for this area but this is what it looks like for now. The cabinets hold a ton of stuff! And, it's amazing how much room a tiny bar sink can take up. We capped off the plumbing and it's in the wall now. No one uses a sink on their bar anymore-certainly not us! And we don't miss it at all. One thing I would have done differently in this area is to have measured the height of the shelves before they were removed so I would have some exact measurements to work with. While no one but me can really tell how much they are off, they are. HD wishes that we would have put under-shelf lighting under the middle shelf too. (It's currently only under the bottom shelf. I'm fine with it this way but he seems to think we should have. Oh well!)

Kitchen, Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 04:55:00 +0000

My sink came about the same time that the cabinets were coming out. This is a little peek at it. It is so beautiful! I think it might be my favorite part of the kitchen. A little back story....

Years ago when Pinterest started, I started a board called "Kitchen dreaming" where I put all sorts of kitchen ideas. At the time I didn't think we would ever do the kitchen. Ever. It was just fun to dream and add things that seemed like a good idea or would make life easier. That's what Pinterest is for, right?

Fast forward to this year when we started talking about actually doing the kitchen and I knew one thing: I wanted this sink.

Oh, how I love this sink! I was willing to give up a lot of things to be able to have this sink, including but not limited to food, water, or any number of things essential to life. It took us a while to find it, but thanks to the internet we were able to find it on SignatureHardware.com. Because of the material, we started doing a little homework to see if a marble sink was what we really wanted or could reasonably take care of. Turns out, it's not. HD called their customer service department and spoke with a really helpful guy who said that they only sell those sinks to really high end customers that never use their kitchens. Like, EVER. The material is so porous that you can't even really spill anything on it that has color to it with out wiping it up immediately or it will stain. We are an active household with children, and there is no way on God's green earth that nothing with color would get spilled on a SINK. So, it was back to the drawing board.

(I linked the company above because they were really honest and helpful, even if we didn't end up buying from them. That is integrity. I hope that someday we're able to use them for something because I think that kind of customer service deserves to be recognized!)

I did have a few other sinks on my board so that's where I started, and HD actually liked the copper ones. Cool. Those were a bit easier to find! We kept going back and forth between about 3 designs: plain, one with a vine pattern, and this one with the rings. I'm really glad that we chose this one from PremierCopperProducts.com. Their products are beautiful!

Kitchen, Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 03:51:00 +0000

The upper cabinets came out pretty quick. HD was out of town this particular week and I couldn't move the appliances out on my own, so they sat in the middle of the room for a day or two.

This portion of the old tile countertop was really strong. The guy doing the demo work had nothing left underneath and yet the counter stayed up. He banged and pounded and chipped away at it until it finally came down. He said in all the years that he's been doing this that he had never seen one this strong.

Also, above the counter you can see rectangle sections of the drywall that had been cut. This was where they were running the electrical for the new under cabinet lighting. We also moved the electrical outlets up and turned them sideways.

This is another good look at the holes that they put in all of the walls. They had to move the gas line and they put it in a recessed box so that the range would fit closer to the wall. The water line for the refrigerator was installed the same way.

This shows the framing that was added under the cabinets to raise them up to a finished height of about 37 inches. Standard cabinets/countertops are usually about 35-36 inches. I really love them being that little extra bit higher.

Libby thought the whole thing was pretty sketchy. She was definitely not a fan of construction!

Kitchen, Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000

This was the pantry.

This was the wet bar.

My desk.

The empty pantry.

The empty desk nook.

And the empty built-in bar.

In this picture you can see where they removed a section of wall between the pantry and the desk.

This is a pretty good long view of the entire section of kitchen that they removed the first week. We were able to keep the rest of the kitchen functional for another week. In the mean time they installed cabinets, cut holes in the dry wall to run power for under cabinet lighting, etc.. This was back on September 25!

Next up: full destruction of the rest of the kitchen and the holes. Oh my word, the holes!

Kitchen, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 06:05:00 +0000

So we started making decisions. Granite was a huge one. He likes patterns and grains in the granite, I'm more of a solid color girl. Not good for decision making! I think our contractor probably wanted to shoot me by this point, and we hadn't even given her a deposit yet!

We decided on what appears to be the most popular granite in Southern California, New Venetian Gold. But it is uniform enough for me, but enough of a pattern for him. Who knew?

The top picture also has a peek at the tile that we chose. Or at least one that is similar. Now that I'm looking at it, I don't think it's actually the one we chose. Close enough!

Kitchen, Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 05:14:00 +0000

This is what my kitchen looked like last spring when this whole process started. Well, mostly, anyway. This particular picture was taken to ask my Facebook friends what they loved and hated about their kitchens before we started to make decisions about ours. About 5 months later is when the decisions were actually made.

We knew that we really didn't want to change the footprint of the kitchen, for two reasons. First, we really, really love our hardwood floors, (not pictured,) and to pull them up and have to have the seams matched, etc., would have been awful. Second, we actually like the way that our kitchen flows and how big it is. We talked some about getting a bigger stove, or moving the cooktop to the peninsula, but ultimately decided that it was perfect just the way it was.

Looking at this now it's really hard to believe that it looked like this a few short weeks ago! In the coming days I'll share our process with you and ultimately give you some pros and cons, product reviews, and pictures of the final product! Stay tuned....

My Babies

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 05:17:00 +0000

It's not often this happens anymore. I'm glad I got it on film!

HG was able to come for her youngest brother's 16th birthday a couple of weeks ago. It's tough when she lives so far away and her brothers think she hung the moon. For the first few years since she got married we've been able to see her a couple of times a year since she lived in Colorado but earlier this year she and her husband moved to Mississippi. I'm afraid that we're not going to see her as often in the coming years which is a bummer because we really enjoy their company. Another reason to celebrate her... She finished her Masters Degree in Healthcare administration last January. I just realized that makes her the most educated person in our family. Well done, Bug!!

I have loved my children at every stage, but I am really enjoying them as they grow into adults. We raised some pretty cool humans.

All That Jazz

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sun, 05 Nov 2017 04:56:00 +0000

As you may remember, my Headless Boy #1 got the music gene. He plays piano, saxophone (all of the common ones: soprano, alto, tenor, and bari,) clarinet, and dabbles in trumpet, flute and drums. He's crazy talented, but even more, he is driven to have a career in music. More on that later.

He's a senior this year and turning 18 soon. Moms, you know what that means! I probably have less than a year of him still living under our roof full time. Besides the fact that I really like the person that he is, I love to listen to the music that he creates. If you don't have a musical kid you'll never know the unique pleasure that comes from listening to him practice, write, and give concerts to an audience of one, (or two or three.) There is something magical about him sitting at our piano and making it sing, or sitting in his room improvising over a jazz backing track making it feel like you're getting your own, private concert. I am not wasting this time.

Recently we had the pleasure of being able to watch him perform twice in a week with local bands. For your listening pleasure......... Enjoy!

(If this one doesn't upload properly I'll come back and fix it. Promise!)

2017 JV Champs!

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 20:40:00 +0000

Picture: my son and his football team yesterday on the occasion of completing their 9-1 season.

(Yeah, I know it's not the greatest picture. We're not allowed on the field and since we're getting new bleachers we couldn't even get close enough to get good pictures. I'm sad!) This year and last year (as freshmen,) they won their league. Tonight the varsity squad will complete their season, hopefully as a 10-0 league champion as well, and will go on to the CIF-SS playoffs.

I'm super proud of my son. He is an 'up/down' player which typically means that a player starts on the JV squad and suits up as a back up player for the varsity team. This 'up/down' thing is NO JOKE, y'all. There are about 20 kids that did it this year and they work harder than any other player on any squad. They have double practices, double films, double everything. The amount of time that they have been at the school, starting last spring, is mind-boggling.

My son has worked so hard to secure his position on this team and it is paying off. He was not a starter at he beginning of the season but he is now, and yesterday he started as the center due to an injury for another player. My boy has never played center and he practiced this week to be ready to fill in and he did excellent. There were zero bad snaps. I'm so proud of him!

10 Years

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 18:13:00 +0000

I guess I should have posted this a month ago, but, Happy Blogaversary to me!

I'm finding it pretty difficult to grasp that I've been doing this for 10 years. With the exception of my marriage, children, and breathing, I don't think I've ever committed to something this long.

Back in October 2007 my life looked much different than it does now. I had a kindergartener, a second grader and a senior in the house! Now were down to 4 in the house with less than a year until we're down to three. We were living in the same house but even that looks quite different than it did back then. New floors, kitchen, patio, carpet, master bath-if you've been here since the beginning, then you've seen it all!

I started this blog to join the community of women that I found online that seemed to have it all-a family, some had jobs, but most importantly they had a solid group of friends that they could go to every day to connect. I was a pretty lonely mom back then and these friends that I've made in this space? I'm not sure that I could have done these last 10 years without you. (In no particular order, of course,) Stephanie, Carmen, Jennifer, Shannon, Michelle, Liz, Melisa, Elizabeth, Greis, Jennifer, Tracey, Mary, Debby, Anna, Heather, Issa, Zakary, Mir, Connie, Loralee, Sugar, Kim, Dawn, Devra, Matthew, Josette, Dana, Becki, Michelle, Samantha, Sarah, Trina, Diana, Sue, Robin, Jenny, Deanna, Caryn, Diane, Shannon, Cathy, Mary, Kim, Vickie, Audrey, Jenness, Ashley, Melanie, Mike, Sarah, Kim, Britt, Neil, Christina, Shannan, Amy, Kate, Christina, Aimee, Linda, Jodi, Aviva, Margaret, Glennia, Jill, Stacey, Leslie, Jen, Jennifer, Laurie, Jean, Darryle, Jennifer, Elan, Yvonne, Dre, Lexie, Janis, Jenny, Megan, and so many more, you've all made an impact on my life and I'm so thankful! Who says that internet friends aren't for real???

So, here's to the next ten years of blogging, and the places that it will take us!

NaBloPo.... What??

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 20:51:00 +0000

*Knock, knock* Is anyone still here?? I know it's a little dusty, but not too bad. Right?

Right??

Welcome back for another try at National Blog Posting Month! I fizzled out last year but hopefully I won't this year. I have an accountability partner, of sorts. She's doing NaNoWriMo; I'll be posting here. Probably not 1,000+ words a day though!!

I actually have a number of stories to tell of things happening around the Headless household. Anniversaries, milestone birthdays, moving, remodeling, all kinds of stuff! So I sure hope you stick around this month. I've missed you! Just bear with me as I clean up a little...

See you tomorrow!

Who (or What,) has Stolen Jesus from You?

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 21:50:00 +0000

* I was provided an Advanced Reader Copy of Stolen Jesus in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"We tend to see ourselves primarily in the light of our intentions, which are invisible to others, while we see others mainly in light of their actions, which are visible to us; we have a situation in which misunderstanding and injustice are the order of the day. -E.F. Schumacher, A Guide for the Perplexed

Us humans are pretty good at distorting the truth. Not intentionally, mind you, but everyone sees things according to their own experiences, biases, upbringing. The biggest problem with "religion" is in the application of this quote-we put qualities and characteristics on Jesus that should't be there and don't allow Him to be who He is: All Good, All Loving, All The Time.

Jami Amerine, author of the new memoir Stolen Jesus, writes about the different ways that Jesus was 'stolen' from her by putting characteristics onto Him that were never intended to be there. And, Oh my, can I relate.

Do you only know an Americanized Jesus? "Who is this Jesus who funds trips to water parks with a payment of a ham sandwich to a homeless guy, and destroys a doctor who laid down his life for the least of these?" I sure hope not.

Or what about certain denominations or practices that requires more of us than He does? "...I would almost instinctively question any doctrine that was "cross plus." Jesus saved you on the cross... Oh, and you also need to do this and this and this to earn that salvation. The work depends on you, not Him." Our salvation is not up to what we do, it's about what He did for us. Period. Full stop.

This book has me undone. In a period of uncertainty and change, reading Stolen Jesus was a sweet moment of "Me too," a coffee date with a real friend, a heart to heart with a sister who just gets it, a Q&A with a Christian mentor who has more answers than I do. For me, it boils down to this:

"Failure Is an Option. The first step was to simply succumb to my broken state. I was and am a wreck. Admitting this was both liberating and humiliating. I knew I wanted to change, but the profound epiphany was that I didn't have to."

The love of Jesus compels us to change but doesn't require us to change. The blood worked. We are free if we choose to believe. That's all.

*****

You can purchase Stolen Jesus from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite local retailer. It's officially available today!

I also highly recommend following Jami's Facebook page Sacred Ground, Sticky Floors and the blog, Sacred Ground, Sticky Floors. And as a bonus, here is a sampling of what you'll read each week on her blog: An Open Letter to My Children: You're not that Great

Getting Ahead of the Holiday Crunch

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 19:35:00 +0000

The holidays are upon us, whether we like it or not. Like you, it seems to surprise me every year despite the fact that I absolutely LIVE by my calendar. When the kids were little I was busier with the little things and had to micro manage their lives. Now that they are older I've had the luxury of getting ahead on some things better. Mind you, I'm SO not perfect on these things, but there are a few that I have a grasp on. Here's my list of things that are easily taken care of ahead of time- whether you're hosting a crowd or traveling, or both!

Things you can do well in advance of holidays:

Do your Costco run early-buy all of your toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, extra butter, etc. at this time. Also buy a few things to keep in your freezer for those "Oh crap, I forgot about dinner" nights: lasagne, pot pies, etc. If you have to go back for fresh meat or perishables it will only be a few items and the trip will go much faster than trying to get it all done during the last minute rush, when you also have a house full of people that you would rather spend time with instead of standing in an hour long line to check out.
Shop online for gifts and have them sent to your destination. You can usually add "Attention: Your Name" somewhere on the mailing label so that the resident of your destination will know to put your things aside rather than opening them and spoiling the surprise. Do it early, save the emailed receipt in a special folder in your email so that you can make sure each one arrives before you do. Do this as soon as you finalize your gift list so you don't forget something or have to figure out how to travel with an odd-shaped gift or have to pay double shipping to get it to where you need to go.
Do a deep cleaning of your house early. Lift the pictures and tchotchkes when you dust so when you are putting out your holiday decorations that you don't find surprises! This helps because you can do a quick swipe/vacuum just before company arrives rather than realize at the last minute that you can't remember the last time you scrubbed the toilet. I speak from experience here. Ahem.
Shop NOW for special items for holiday parties or performances. I used to get so frazzled when a teacher would send home a letter about the kids needing a white shirt, or black pants, or whatever, for the holiday concert. I try to shop early for those items that I know that they (or I,) will need so that they can be washed, ironed, and set aside for the special day. This also eliminates the inevitable "OMG HOW CAN THEY BE OUT OF THIS!" moment when you have to run all over hell's half acre looking for a size/item that you have to have.
Wash/iron your linens early. Do you take pride in setting a gorgeous table? It's so much easier to do it when you already have them laundered and ready. Take an evening to catch up on Grey's Anatomy and iron while you watch, then hang in a closet.
Don't forget to take stock of what you have on hand before you make your shopping list. Do you always have mimosas on a holiday morning? Do you keep champagne and orange juice on hand always? Or do you need to grab some? What about the butter? Holidays always require extra so buy it now and toss it in your freezer. It won't go bad and you'll have extra when Aunt Carol forgets it for her super special secret recipe.You can freeze fresh cranberries too! Remember to look at the full list of food/meals to be served and grab what you can early.
Order holiday cards NOW. It's easy to address envelopes, write a letter, and stamp them later. It seems that choosing the photos and designing the cards takes way longer than anything else, and if you're behind on that they may never get sent. If you have little ones they can help with the stamps, folding letters, and stuffing envelopes, too.

What have I forgotten? What do you do early to avoid the crunch?

Being a Kid

noreply@blogger.com (I can't find my blog) — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 05:30:00 +0000

We all have memories of being a kid. Some good, some bad, but mostly we just remember 'things'. Amirite? I was lucky enough to have a great childhood; I know some aren't as lucky. I wanted to share some of the random things that I remember from being a child. I suppose some of them will feel quite tame nowadays, but hey! that's what happens when you're getting closer to 50. Ahem. I grew up in Southern California and in the mountains of Colorado, so some things might be specific to those areas but I'll bet there are many that are universal, especially for someone around my age.

Things I remember from my childhood:

We lived on a cul-de-sac and I remember riding bikes long into the evenings, especially in the summer. The greatest part of this memory, though, is that we would practice 'tricks' on our bikes. Standing on the seat, not holding the handlebars, that kind of thing. And, of course, no helmets.
Watching the fireworks at Disneyland from the corner next to my house.
Having a crush on the neighbor boy who was a few years older than me.
Playing "Pong" on the tv in the basement and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world that we had a video game in our very own house.
Not having cable and needing rabbit-ears to get even a passable signal way up in the mountains. We watched scratchy tv for so long that I was even used to the static!
"Party line" telephone lines. We didn't have one, but many of my friends did. That certainly put a damper on talking on the phone for hours for us as teens.
Getting a box of Twinkies (or similar treat,) was a BIG DEAL in our house, and saved for a special occasion. Certainly not an every day thing.
I thought that disco was the coolest thing/music EVER, and wished I was (more than) a few years older so I could go to the bars and dance like that.
I lived about a 1/2 block from my elementary school and don't remember my mom ever walking us to school. (I'm sure that she did at least a few times when we were in kindergarten, but I have no memory of it.) Granted there were at least a half dozen of us from the same cul-de-sac all walking at the same time, but still. (And that's totally ok!)
We didn't have a cafeteria or hot lunch program at my elementary school. A few days a year we would have a special lunch day that you could pre-order McDonalds. Later, after moving to Colorado, I loved being able to buy hot lunch. Hmmm. Now that I think about it, maybe that is where my dislike of sandwiches comes from!
One time, in the winter when the mornings were still dark, I thought someone was following me as I walked to the bus stop. Turns out it was just the paper guy doing his route.

What random things do you remember from your childhood? Share them in the comments!