She Said It Best...

Great blog! Ms. Hood is talking about parenting her autistic son.

I didn't know that I would have a son who would teach me to be a much better person. To be more patient, tolerant and compassionate. He's taught me not to judge until I have the full story. And to not even judge after that. I've learned that there is never just one right answer. And that sometimes there isn't any answer at all. That we all do our best and sometimes that has to be good enough.

I didn't know that I could admire one of my own children so much. And try to emulate him. Oliver's first teacher once said to me, "life is very hard for Oliver." And it was meant to be taken at face value—life really is hard for him. Things that come easily to others—asking for something, joining a game, understanding directions—are difficult for him.

Oliver navigates the world with an upside down map. He nevers peaks the local dialect. And in effect, he's learned to work hard, be his own man and give others space to have their own differences. I think we could all try to be a little bit more like Oliver.

When?

When will I ever learn that office lunches never turn out well? I must be a slow learner. I would do better to sit at my desk. People often ask why I eat lunch with Cletus so much. Simple: we do not talk about work. We do not have unappetizing conversations. We relax and eat and enjoy the time away from work.

Did I hear something?

Did you ever get the feeling that someone/something was staring at you?
"Hey?"


tap tap tap..."let me in!"


hello?


flew off...bringing reinforcements...

Reunion

Wheat Ridge Farmers!

Evolution of a Bowl of Fruit

Nerves

I'm getting a little nervous about this upcoming high school reunion. All the little school insecurities are creeping back to the surface. "What if they don't like me?" ...maybe there is a reason why I have not seen these people in years?

It is like the first day of a new school year. How I had to have the "perfect" thing to wear. And I called up my friends to see what they were wearing. Heaven forbid I end up being a fashion twin. Or worst yet, a fashion dud. Somehow over the summer, I had hoped to turn from a duck into a swan...

...I still feel like a duck.

Craft Idea

Denise at work brought these in. She bought the letters at Hobby Lobby. They are like a really thick cardboard (very light). She got coordinating scapbook paper and glued it on. Then hot glued the ribbon to finish the edges. She did embelishments (has some scrapbook tool). She was going to stand them up. But I bet since they are light you could hang them with the 3M command strips. Too cute! You could do names. Or words: Dream, Believe, Perseverance, Faith. Very cool...I'm gonna have to try this!!

Just for Today:

Outside my window... it is finally raining.

I am thinking ... seriously about a nap…too bad I’m at work!

I am thankful for... my fan at work (the a/c is not working….AGAIN!)

I am wearing... Jeans, black shirt and polka dotted flippies.

I am remembering... nothing! The grey matter is on hiatus.

I am hearing ....the printer coughing out paper

I am going... to do some yard work this weekend and pre-pack for Denver

I am reading... actually was reading: Debbie Macomber’s “Hannah’s List”. I need a new book for the trip.

From the learning rooms ... leopards don’t lose their spots (also known as: some things/people will never change).

I am hoping... the weekend has NO drama.

On my mind ... the weeks are slow and the weekends go by too fast.

Pondering these words….the more things change, the more they stay the same.

From the kitchen....it’s too darn hot to cook….but I did make burritos last night. And I’ll probably surprise Cletus and make lasagna this weekend.

Around the house... the Hoosier cabinet book wasn’t very helpful. But Cletus said he’d help me refinish it.

One of my favorite things… lunch with a grill friend!

From my photo memories… that looks refresing!

Blame it on the Heat?

I guess I could blame it on the heat...it has been hot. Over 90 for ten or eleven days in a row. But all weekend I was Miss Fussy Pants and Ms. Grumpy Britches! Actually it was an epic funk!

I am pretty sure that it all started Friday, when I weighed myself at the gym. That was a mistake. Then I went to the mall to find the perfect black dress for the upcoming reunion. And then I got my hair cut. My head knows that it was the disappointment of my own *expectations*. But my disposition doesn’t care.

As my mother always used to say: cooler heads prevail. So I'm happy to say that I'm (almost) over it now.

The number on the scale is just that: a number. It is not who I am and does not tell my worth.

The dress (yes, I bought one) is cute. I'm sure I'll look just fine. Maybe even better than most.

Me and my hair have had a love/hate relationship as long as I can remember. The feud continues. Maybe someday I'll find a cut I love. Not likely.

Maybe some good sweating and working on creative projects will clear the funkified fog...