I am here...although I don't know if I have arrived. Some days I feel stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, other days I marvel at the paradise that I call my life. Welcome to my ramblings, reflections, and obsessive- compulsive tendencies

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Where I'm From

I am from scrabble and kings on the corners, from euchre until the wee hours of the morning and I am from wanting to be the winner, extreme competition, but enjoying the time it meant with our family even more.

I am from casseroles and barbeques, from beans on toast, spaghetti on toast and from vegemite and toast, especially when my dad was cooking. I am from fresh baked bread and cherry pie at one grandparents’ house and welsh cakes, Sunday dinners and milk delivered to the door in glass bottles at my other grandparents’ house.

I am from long car rides, games to pass the time, camping in tents, campfires and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. I am from splashing in puddles, rain falling on an umbrella. throwing snowballs and rolling down hills. I am from riding bikes and kicking soccer balls. I am from walks in the woods and swinging on old rusty swings.

I am from mad minute math and speech competitions, the health hustle and writing with a pencil until you earned a pen for being so neat. I am from passing notes and giggling at the back of the class. I am from musicals and plays and school trips that I remember and math lessons and geography lessons that I don’t.

I am from Sweet Valley High, Flowers in the Attic and Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret. I am from listening to my mom read me Tom Sawyer and Anne of Green Gables. I am from Flintstones, Three’s Company and Beverly Hills 90210 on television and Tetris and SuperMario Brothers on the computer.

I am from swimming lessons and piano lessons, gymnastics and synchro and soccer. I am from band practice, basketball and volleyball teams, from singing groups and youth groups. I am from complaining about practicing piano while my dad sat in the rocking chair and my mom watched the timer on the stove. I am from The Entertainer and Good King Wenceslas, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. I am from and playing duets with my brother and performances on demand. I am from my mom spending half of her life driving my brothers and me to our activities and spending the other half of her life in the coffee shop.

I am from lilies in the garden, digging up mounds of potatoes with my dad and eating cherry tomatoes off of the vine. I am from lettuce dip-in on a hot summer day. I am from playing hide and seek in the cornfields and chickens in the barn. I am from swept floors in the kitchen and clothes on the floor in the bedroom. I am from “your face will freeze like that” and “stop fighting with your brothers” and I am from “You are in everything but a jam sandwich” and “I love you”.

I am from ponytails and pigtails, braids and ribbons. I am from homemade pretty dresses, frilly socks and shiny shoes but I am also from grubby shorts and t-shirts with dirty bare feet. I am from being able to be whatever and whoever I wanted to be. I am from rough and tumble play, running and jumping and I am from sewing and cross-stitch, arts and crafts and baking. I am from teasing and tickling, hugs and kisses. I am from all kinds of places that I am so glad to be from…and more.

I read about "Where I'm From" in blogs by Loukia and ModernMom.
Such a lovely trip down memory lane! Thanks for the inspiration.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

...about not having guests for your party

so, one of the reasons I like to read blogs is because I feel like there are people out there who are going through some of the same things that I am. you know, the ups and downs of raising children, trying out recipes, struggling with exercise or work or weight loss or whatever.
inspired by the oscars last weekend, I decided to invite a few women over this saturday night for a movie night. nothing fancy. just a few appetizers, some wine and casual conversation. a friend said that she had black swan, so we were set.
one by one, i have had every person that i invited say that they are busy or they won't be coming. i am down to me, the person bringing the movie and her sister. i'm feeling pretty pathetic. i'm feeling like my social calendar is pretty sad in comparison to all of those around me considering i am free on a saturday night and nobody else is.
not really feeling like others are going through the same thing!
please tell me there is a person out there who has planned a party or get together at some point in their lives and had very few guests show up. there must be.
i hope someone blogs about it soon.