Getting Ready

This morning some beautiful Goddesses will arrive at my door.  It is my turn to host the business group I belong to.  These women inspire, support and hold me (and each other) accountable. I have some mini vegetable quiches baked for the occasion.  Once the kids leave for school I will finish the cleaning.

Next week the kids have off from school.  Hubby and I are off from work.  It is son's last family vacation before leaving this summer.  Less than three months and youngest will be an "only" child.  She's looking forward to it.  We are off for an adventure to a part of the country even I haven't been.  I think I'll have to let the family know at some point all the prep that goes into vacation.  I made all the reservations and planned out the driving routes.  I only trust the GPS so far.  I've stopped the paper and mail.  I've printed out a packing list for each member of the family.  They have come to depend on it.  It saves me a lot of stress.  I pull up the list on the computer change the quantities accordingly and print.  If someone is missing something it is their own fault.  I arranged for someone to check in on the cats, made sure they have plenty of supplies and that their nails are trimmed.  I don't want my young cat watcher to get scratched playing with the dears.  Laundry is in full on mode.  We will have no laundry facilities this trip so we are packing much more than normal.  Which made me realize the kids have plenty to pack and I am lacking.  Bills are paid and birthday cards filled out.  Those will be mailed just before leaving. 

While I'm away from work our office is being remodeled.  When I left yesterday all of my files were packed away.  I will come back to a new (and bigger) desk.  This set up for our department is a much needed and looked forward to change.  Well. for most of us.  We have one gent who is in full panic mode.  Change freaks him out.  Sad.  Because, I've come to know that change is the only thing you can really expect to happen in this life. 

Some beautiful warm days have started coming our way.  Almost all of the garden beds are raked.  The sticks are on the burn pile.  The crocuses are blooming and the daffodils are budded up. 

And that is what I am readying at the moment.

Took the Leap

Paperwork (and checks) are in the mail.  Articles of organization sent.

Spring has sprung

Ah, snow may still cover parts of my yard but I can feel spring in my veins.  The flip of the calender says it arrived.  We had a supper of egg dishes to celebrate.  But like the daffodil bulbs that are popping through the last of the snow I feel myself bursting forth.  The energy is flowing, the creative juices surging, life is opening up.

The check arrived and I will be headed to the bank today and sending off paperwork for the business.  The fear rearing its ugly head is being looked at with love and I'm moving forward.  Business goals are being checked off.  Intentions are becoming manifest.

I finished the belly dancing intro class and loved it.  I have become a regular at Saturday's class and I am embracing the train wreck.  My body is learning to move in new ways and it feels good.  This new community of women feels good. At the same time I completed a month of unlimited classes at the yoga studio where the belly dancing is taught.  It's been a really long time since a yoga class - almost two decades.  I had missed it.  I can feel the stretches opening up my body and my heart.  I feel muscles that have been neglected and tight for too long.  I'm taking the gentle classes and easing them back to life.  It feels good.

I have started communicating regularly with oldest. 

I sent a boxful of books via amazon to grandson for Easter.  Saturday is his second birthday and I received verification that his present(s) have arrived.  Oldest son and girlfriend have limited funds so GS received a new wardrobe - pants, shorts, shirts long and short sleeved, pajamas and socks.  These are all wrapped in Cars paper.  I also found a cars backpack that has a cars sleeping bag inside. He likes cars and dinosaurs (which is the motif for a few of the shirts).  It is hard long distance but I intend to keep him in clothes and nurture a love of reading.

Hubby worked a double shift on Easter.  My parents are still South for the winter and my brother and his family were arriving home after driving straight for 18 hours so, Easter was a quiet affair.  Baskets contained books except for son who received a gas card.  He's still reading his books from Christmas and driving is much more important to him.  And it affords me a freedom I prefer.  Breakfast was a mocha chip coffee cake.  For dinner I made an orange & apricot glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans almondine and deviled eggs (made with fresh grated horseradish).  For dessert a white cake with white frosting - hubby's favorite.  I let youngest decorate it.  She asked for red, green and orange and here is her creation.

The afternoon was spent reading and cross stitching.  I'm hooked on pinterest and discovered some free cross stitch patterns.  One I fell in love with.  I changed up the colors a bit and added a "the" to the beginning of the sentence to make sense to me.  I finished up last night.  I just need to frame it. 

It is full steam ahead.  Spring bursting forth in my every cell.