What's new?

I hate that question.  I never know how to answer that.  Life is swimming along.  Kids, husband, house, work keeping all the balls in the air. 

I bought pansies yesterday.  More than I probably needed.  I filled up tera cotta pots and decorated the porch.  They are now covered in snow which I was assured would not hurt them.  I have half a flat left to plant.  I need to dig out the hanging baskets from the shed.  The shed has not been converted over to summer time use yet and is impossible to maneuver in without moving all the bikes.

I finished shopping for my niece's 5th birthday.  Sun dresses for her and barbie clothes.  All wrapped and ready for her party.

I mailed out an Easter package to oldest - a card and candy.  I mailed a package to oldest son.  Easter chocolates for him and his girlfriend.  A super soft stuffed bunny for grandson.  And all of grandson's first birthday presents - books and clothes.

I booked a day at the spa for youngest's birthday.  That was what she wanted.  My diva tomboy.  I'm not sure who she takes after. LOL  I thought she might be a little uncomfortable by herself for the day and having lunch so I booked the day for two.  I canceled my upcoming massage.  Gee, what a sacrifice.  They're running a special so we each have a massage, pedicure, facial, gift bag and lunch.  It should be a fun girl's day.  She wants lasagna for her birthday dinner and a German chocolate cake.

I've been cleaning out closets.  Donating, recycling, giving away.....  I finally have hubby trained.  If something new comes in the house something old goes out. 

The March munchies are over and I'm back on track.  Sipping nettles tea and feeling pretty good.

My last payment was sent to Sage Mountain.  My packet arrived with a detailed schedule for class and a list of my classmates.  There will be 33 of us coming from all over.  I'm the only one from CT.  A lot from MA, VT, NH and ME.  A few from NY and PA and one from Canada.  I'm so excited and nervous.  It really is an advanced class.  I have a few more books I want to read before it starts the first week end in May.

Two weeks until spring break/vacation.

Raking

It seems when you barely have a winter and the first day of spring feels like the middle of July that raking seems like less of a chore.  That and I've pulled the family into the job - an hour a day with four of us and a lot gets accomplished.  All the beds are now raked.  We have one huge pile to move to the compost and finish cleaning the bed but way ahead of the game.  Which is good because the blooms and buds are really early this year. 

The burn pit is full of branches.  So a burn party will be in order soon.

And the compost pile from last year looks gorgeous and will soon be spread on the herb garden.  I have a new bed I want to put in.  Youngest started the work in the fall to earn some extra money but that soon petered out.  I think if we all spend an hour with shovels in hand it will be done and ready to go. 

Hubby and I walked the yard and made notes of plants that need to come out or be moved.  Trees and shrubs were pruned.  We found some more damage from the freak October snow.  Some trees lost more limbs than we first realized but they still look beautiful. 

The labyrinth I put in a few years ago has been neglected and is over grown.  I have an urge this year to resurrected it.  We have cleared more of that area and the sun has done it some good.  I think a little work on my part will have it looking better than new. 

We're off this morning for my cousin's one year birthday party.  But then I'm hoping we can get to the bike trails again. 

And yesterday we received news from oldest.  Her physical went great.  She will be starting basic training May 1,  and will be there 19 weeks - basic and then special training. 

Summer Week End

OK, so it's really still winter but it felt like June.

Friday hubby and I went for a breakfast date before heading to the school for a PPT meeting.  As the food arrived the tones went off for a structure fire.  The food was wrapped, I had a full demo of hubby's lights and sirens as we went to the fire house, and then I went home and switched cars before heading solo to the school.  The call came in at 9:01 and he didn't get back to the station until 6.  The scene wasn't completely clear until after 8. Luckily no one was hurt.  Unfortunately the home received significant damage and will probably be a complete loss.

I spent the afternoon cooking and cleaning.  EC was coming for dinner.  Hmmm!  He comes and we either take a trip to the emergency room or have a fire call.  His favorite meal is hamburgers so I made bacon cheddar burgers.  I made BBQ sauce to baste them with.  For starters I made sausage cheese balls.  He brought a salad and I made hash brown casserole.  For dessert a pineapple upside down cake. 

Saturday hubby worked overtime.  I started raking flower beds.  My crocuses were trying to peak through the leaves and the herb garden was starting to come alive underneath the mulch.  I completed around the house which included the herb bed and part of the back beds.  Son came out and helped with no prompting.  Youngest came out and helped with prompting.  What was just green sprouts on Saturday burst into full bloom on Sunday.  And all day cornbeef simmered.  I tried one recipe on the stove and another in the crockpot so we would have leftovers.

Sunday morning started with cornbeef hash and eggs.  Son and hubby went for a practice "run" for the tower run.  It benefits the lung association.  35 flights up and back in full turn out gear with a pack.  They ran through it twice.  Only to come home and load up the bikes and head to the bike trail.  The weather was in the 70's and beautiful.  The trail was crowded with bikers, walkers and joggers.  It started to thin out a little after the first mile.  Eight miles later and no sore but (wohoo) we loaded the bikes back in the truck.  We splurged and ordered pizza for pick up on the way home. It was still early so I sat out on the deck and read for several hours.

This morning I'm off for a walk with a girlfriend, a few errands and then back to raking.

Family Date Night

Hubby had Friday night off so we decided to go to dinner and a movie with the kids. 

I had walked in the morning with my girlfriend and spent the afternoon getting a pedicure and a massage.

Son was interested in any of the movies playing and asked if he could drive his own car to the restaurant and go out with his friends after.  Sure, at 17 y/o that's understandable.

Youngest forgot her glasses so we stopped home before heading out.  She jumping for joy over any of the movie choices and the movie hubby really wanted to see was rated R.  I could have crawled up and taken a nap.

So, after looking over the movie choices again we decided to rent one on TV.  Youngest and I changed into our pj's and we all watched Puss in Boots. 

Turned out to be a great evening.

Called Home

Oldest called last night.  This is a rare thing.  She was so excited about her scores and acceptance into the National Guard.  She has her physical in a week and another sit down with the recruiter.  She has already started the process for a leave of absence from college.  She should be starting basic the beginning of April.  Ten weeks of that plus special training to be an MP (military police).  But we don't identify with dad at all.

She talked to hubby and then youngest.  Youngest asked if she wanted to talk to me.  She did.  So for the first time since she left over a year ago I talked to oldest.  She was so excited.  I asked about the clothes we sent for her birthday.  The jeans were a little big as she was guessing on the size she would need.  The shirts were awesome - she loves them. 

Her grades are great at school.  She spends most of  her time studying.

I think basic will do her good.  This is her chance to get away from bio without going back to Dad.  I so prefer this to getting knocked up.  And the MP position will fit perfectly into her college studies of criminal justice and forensics.

She's making it happen with no help from anyone out there.  I knew she would.  I knew her drive for an education was going to pull her through.  It's not an easy path but who out there has taken an easy path?  I'm so proud of her.

Shamanic Dreaming

I've been going to a dream workshop for the last six months or so.  It has been extremely helpful in getting me to remember my dreams, think about them and honor them.  We all dream.  Our dreams are our guides to life.  They need to be taken more seriously. 

My newest dream which I entitled "grocery store" was rather bizarre.  My titles are rather boring but help me remember the particular dream.  Others have much more profound titles. 

When my guides are really trying to get my attention they show up in the form of my friend TG.  I've had a lot of dreams about him lately and am still not getting the full message.  I know I'm on the brink of change and I get the sense from the dreams that I'm on the right path.

The grocery store dream starts in a crowd of people all moving forward through aisles of stacked food.  Cases and cases form the path.  I called it a maze at first but upon reflection that's not really accurate.  A maze conjures up images of confusion.  This "aisle" led in one direction.  Everyone was moving at a rather rapid pace and once out of the aisles were in a vortex that swept one away.  I was able to duck into a calm spot in the store and ultimately find another path.  A beautiful healing path that wound through nature, trees, meadows and ponds and landed me softly on a beach near beautiful cliffs. 

And as I write this I realize that I'm not avoiding the chaos in the vortex; I'm stepping out of the mainstream.  I'm not following the expected path but forging one of my own. 

This was a big dream.  I've journaled about it, talked about it and blogged about it.  And if that is not honor enough I also messaged TG to tell him how much I appreciate his honesty in a world filled with people who tell you what they think you want to hear.  What I want to hear is what someone else really thinks; their truth even if it doesn't agree with my truth.  It makes me think and I'll have far more respect for you.

And I highly recomend Susan Morgan's book The Power of Dreams.

What made me smile today?

A facebook friend poses that question every now and then.  And I'm never sure how to respond.  Everything and nothing.  It's not usually a big moment but lots of small ones throughout the day.

So, for yesterday my smiles were....

I made it to work without any problems through snow, sleet and rain.

My row mate (her cubicle joins mine) and I laughed at the "mental hospital" ring tone message I could have picked for my new phone.

My client responded to my e-mail in the same manner as my hubby.  With great enthusiasm but without answering my question.

Leftovers for supper so I didn't have to think about cooking before heading out.

Hugs from my daughter and hubby.

Tea with my heathen friends.  Losing ourselves in conversation and forgetting the time. 

Coming home to snuggle with my hubby who wasn't working.

What made you smile today?