my turn

We teach our kids to put other's before ourselves... and their needs before ours. We teach them to treat others the way we would want to be treated. And they are good lessons. Important lessons. Necessary. But somewhere along the lines... we need to remember balance. That there should be some. And that it is okay to take care of yourself... once in a while. For these few weeks, when my kiddos are off seeing the world... it becomes easier. With not so many needs to focus on, mine become clearer... and more in reach. And with not so many needs to focus on, there is a little more energy to go around... a little more motivation.

Over nine years, I have painted almost every room in the house. And yet... the walls of my own bedroom remain stark... windows bare with the exception of one curtain that I hung and decided I didn't care for. It is the room I share with the love of my life... the room that catches all of the items that do not have their "place"... the room that I'd just as soon close the door on and forget. But the excitement over our bright new bathroom overtook me and lent a motivation that even I could not set aside. I knew that I didn't have the energy left to paint my room... not even one wall. But I thought that maybe I could at least show it a little love. And so... armed with ideas from all over the blog world (thank you,) a three dollar can of spray paint, some free frames (that have yet to be filled), and a couple of bedsheets transformed into curtains... I somehow managed to create a space that makes me smile when I walk in. A space that says You are worth it (yes, every cent of the $12 spent!) A space that fills needs my heart was longing for... a place that says I love you.

A gift given by me... for me. It sounds selfish to say it out loud... but I have treated others the way I would want to be treated... and I have put other's needs before mine on a daily basis. In all fairness, I need a turn. And it is amazing... how much a little treat is worth to this girl's smiling heart. A gift worth unwrapping... at least once in a while.

zebra starts with z

The first photo is from Cam's room... but the second? My Mom actually took that photo in Africa... real zebras, even though here you can only see their backsides! My Mom has some really amazing pictures of the animals she has seen on safari (this is a cast off photo that she gave to the kids because it wouldn't fit in her scrapbook!) and I really love that she has had the chance to actually go to Africa... twice.

My Mom went to Africa to see the animals... elephants, giraffes, leopards, birds, lions... and zebras. And while she was there, loving the animals, she unexpectedly fell in love with the people. The customs, the stories, the way of life, the wide eyed wonder of the children. Never has she gone back to a country she has traveled to... but almost as soon as she arrived, she knew she would return. Her dream is to take her kids to Africa... to be able to share it all with us, through experience, not just photos. My stepsister & her husband went this past fall... and our family is next. Someday. And then, when someday arrives, we'll have to talk Laura into the shots before we can actually go...

Working my way from Z to A with Jen at Unglazed!

tidbits from the travelers

It's been two full weeks since my kiddies have been on the road... and almost two more until they'll return home. I have chatted a little on the phone with them... received a few scattered e-mails... and an occasional text message. Oh... and just a few postcards. Those are my favorite. Beautiful photos of something they have seen and loved... and a scrawled message across the back. I suppose because it is something tangible... but also that they make me laugh. Neither of them enjoy writing... and their penmanship illustrates that. So many years it has taken me to let that go... me, who is so precise with my words and need for a beautiful bobbing of letters across a page. But their writing is theirs alone... and to be able to glance at their message and know who wrote it before coming to that closing line makes me smile.

My face also smiles because they are having such fun...
walking the grounds of the Biltmore Estate,
being in the mountains when you are used to being in flat Florida,
admiring the murals of Porstmouth Ohio,
collecting more brochures than any one boy needs,
splashing in a great Lake or two,
counting the steps to the top of a lighthouse,
being in Traverse City for the Cherry Festival,
watching dogs leap in a water obstacle,
getting up with the sun to catch some fish, and having to wait until someone else will accompany you,
enjoying a cabin tucked into the woods of Northern Michigan,
strolling the streets and browsing in the shops of Petoskey...

They are lucky kids. And I am a lucky Mom. While they are having a beautiful vacation, I am finding time... for me, for my husband, for appreciation, for refreshment... so that when they return, I will be ready, once again, to be the best Mom I can be.

sprucing up

After nine years, it is time. Or perhaps, the time has long since past... and I am finally getting around to the task! I actually like to paint... but I need to be struck with motivation. And this week, motivation showed itself on my doorstep. And so, after nine years, my bathroom is no longer white... or even white with gray scuff marks.

I could stand in front of the paint chips for what seems like hours... mesmerized by the colors... dreaming the possibilities. I rarely take the little chips home with me... being more of an impulse kind of girl. I typically take the leap of faith that it will match... or be pleasing to the eye. It's only paint...

Armed with brushes and rollers and even a bit of tape, I set to work. Oh how I love opening that can and stirring 'round that creamy colored goodness... and making that first stroke on the wall. I even love the part when I stand back and wonder if I made a mistake in my choice of hue... Too bright? We'll see. But what I love most of all, is turning back and glancing at a section that has been completed. The part when I love what I see... and think about what will be.

This morning, muscles weary from wielding the roller and climbing up and down the ladder, I am happy. That it is done. That it is beautiful. That I am not afraid of a little color. That my little transformation cost only as much as a gallon of paint... and items I already had in the house. And... that I have a husband who never said out loud, in any part of the process Are you crazy? and that upon seeing the completed room only looked around and nodded, smiled and said It sure is bright.

a little celebration

I had a little surprise waiting for me at work today...
A card...
and a cupcake.
An anniversary celebration.
One year.
On the one hand, it has flown by...
and on the other, it feels like I have been there forever.
But it has only been a year since I changed my path...
since I listened and followed, even when I wasn't convinced it was for the best.
I work with some really great people... people who appreciate me and have come to love me. People who think I am the best...
It is a really nice feeling... to be loved and to have your work recognized.
And having Fridays off hasn't been half bad...

unexpected evening

We had other plans for the weekend. Good plans. Plans that did not include cleaning showers or refrigerators. But the plans changed when I was feeling under the weather. And once I felt myself again, we had to move on to the new plan. After a day of getting projects completed, we headed out to the beach with friends... a picnic dinner and fireworks.

Prepared for hot, sticky evening, I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised with the breeze that was moving along the beach. And with a glance at the cloud scattered sky, I knew we were promised a magnificent sunset. With my toes stretched out and buried in the sand and my hubby by my side, we enjoyed our sandwiches, and the festive atmosphere around us in the other beach-goers. It was hard to move on from the fact that it was July... in Florida... and the air was delightful.


As predicted, the sunset was glorious... the sky regal... the water washing up on the shore in waves tinted with gold. A moment to sit back and take in... to tuck into your pocket and savor.

The sky was still streaked with its evening colors when the strains of the National Anthem wafted through the air. As we stood, with hands over our heart, I breathed in... and out. I thought about the day. The flag. The USA. The soldiers. The families. My family. I wondered how my own kids were celebrating this evening. The fireworks began with a booming voice, interrupting the whisper of the shore... and cheers broke out across the beach... followed by the predictable oohs and aahs... and a few hearty shouts. I resisted the temptation to turn around and grab my camera... to try and photograph the colorful embers lighting up the night sky. Tonight seemed to be an evening to sit back and just enjoy. And enjoy, I did. Contentment and celebration all rolled into an evening.

An unexpected evening... sometimes the best laid plans are hardly the best after all. Something to remember in the face of the ordinary.

Unwrap a Tuesday at Chatting at the Sky!

z is for...

Zip.

Zip the Beanie Baby cat.
My Laura loves all things kitty. In the height of the Beanie Baby craze, she had them all... Zip, Nip, Flip, Chip... and several other kitties that did not come with that tell-tale tag, including Marie, from the Aristocats. She carted them everywhere. The playground, Charlotte's house... pre-school. Of course, if she wasn't carrying a cat, she was pretending to be one.
My Mom wondered if she would ever outgrow it... I was sure she would. But maybe not. Once in a while, even now, I'll peek into her room and see her deeply engrossed in a book... and wearing a set of kitty ears. But those Beanie Baby cats... oh, they know what it is to be loved. Meow!

We've made it through the alphabet... see what Jen has to say about A to Z Mondays over at Unglazed!