And Again

Yep, a two-post day. I just can't seem to stop typing. I updated my knitting blog, answered a bunch of emails and now am getting settled down for the evening. I was away all weekend in Atlanta teaching at a knitting conference. That's me on the left. On the right is my good friend Gwen. We blog together here. If you're not a knitter and wondering what on earth we are, er, costumed as, it is a circular knitting needle, commonly used instead of the more familiar long, straight needles.

All my classes went well and as usual, I enjoyed seeing my pals that also teach. I'm starting to have repeat students and that is extremely fun--to start to know faces and names of those who actually seek me out for classes.  I just pinch myself every time I come home-I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to be there.

The lacrosse game I posted about earlier went fine, in spite of the rain. E's team lost, but they fought bravely in the steady downpour and came back from a large deficit to within two goals of tying it up.  E's injury from a couple of weeks ago got opened up again and he will have a nice dramatic scar for storytelling. In the end, the evening turned pleasant in a misty, mossy sort of way. The air changed as the rain clouds blew away and fog enveloped us just as the game was ending. The leaves have come out enough that the landscape is now at its lush, damp spring peak. It's as if you can see things growing without even needing the time-lapse photography. The air is heavy and close as the views go from empty trees with sky beyond to the velvety walls of the great eastern forest in which we live. It really is lovely in its way. I'm hoping to really get moving on the garden this week as a special friend of my oldest son is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and I want the house to be inviting and peaceful for her.

It's very good to be home.

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Springtime

Thanks to the invention of AstroTurf, lacrosse games happen rain or
shine. Tonight, my good-natured family are all together at E's game
for our weekly family night. I have my knitting, my umbrella, my
cheery red trenchcoat and my awesome, red rubber boots. They are the
same boots that the queen of England wears, and they know rain over
there, so I think I'll be just fine.

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My Experiment

Some of you may know that I've been doing a sort of experiment this year. I set myself the task of doing no personal shopping for myself at all for an entire year. That includes clothes, shoes, yarn, cosmetics, books, magazines, good-smelling lotions and potions, tools and gadgets and pretty much everything else that I tend to buy for myself. Don't get me wrong, we're not desperate or anything, in fact we're the opposite and that was part of the problem for me. It became too easy to buy stuff.  It of course, does not include things like anti-perspirant, stuff I need for teaching, or other essential items, such as chocolate. And I haven't involved my family. They still get their allowance and can do what they want with it. 

To achieve my goal, I've tried to make things, fix things, get stains out, use the library and bookmooch, use what I have in my house, and just generally shift my thinking back to a sense that I have what I need not solely because of money, but also because my husband and I are smart, resourceful and capable.  I have made a few concessions ahead of time:  If I do miraculously lose my 30 pounds and am forced to buy new clothing, if I can't sew something  from fabric that I have or alter things, I'll allow myself to go to the thrift store. That's totally fine because I adore the thrift store. If I really need a particular lens for a photoshoot, I'm allowed to rent it, and if I need new running shoes, I'll buy those, and not from the thrift store.

Why, you may ask? Well, when I really think about it, I have to say that the biggest reason was curiosity on my part. Sure, it was a financial decision as we enter the years of having multiple children in college, but it was mostly just to see if I could do it, and to try and return myself to a state of production and creativity rather than buying and consuming. It's just time to shop my own stash, as we say in the knitting world.


So, now that the year is nearly 1/3 over, I can say that I really have experienced what the self-help folks call a paradigm shift. That means I'm looking at things in a different way.  I don't really want any more stuff. I've developed a reflex to look in my own drawers and shelves before I think of buying anything. It's kind of empowering. Please don't feel like I'm judging people that have a happy, normal relationship with shopping. There is nothing wrong with stuff. Remember that I like stuff. That's why I have so much of it. I just felt like I was drowning in it.  So, now I am trying to avoid getting any more.  That's all.  Oh, and just so you know,  the things that tempt me most are shoes, books, pens, magazines, and strangely enough, garden tools.  I know, I am so weird.

Has it made a difference, you may also ask? Overall, yes it has. We've saved a bit more each month, and I feel an emerging sense of peace about the future and a feeling that whatever comes, I'll be okay, even if I can't buy a single thing. If I say so myself, it's kinda cool.

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Lovely Evening

The 13-year old has lacrosse practice at a school that has this lovely
pond next door. I get to sit and knit and listen to my book and be
grateful for the gorgeous weather. And zyrtec...

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Spring Break: The Week Slows Down

So, after our big outing on Monday, Tuesday was spent catching up, cleaning up and then as a reward, we all went to an afternoon movie. We saw How to Train your Dragon-very good fun. "Stoic the Vast" may be the best name for a movie character, ever.

Wednesday was spent mostly in the car. S and I drove down to Kings Dominion but instead of going to the actual amusement park, we went across the street to the Burger King to meet up with her friend from way down yonder in Virginia. They met at EFY (retreat for Mormon teens)  and have become really close pals, so it is worth the drive to get them together. I have a soft spot for good friends and I'll pretty much do whatever I can to cultivate the relationship. I got to meet the friend's mom and she was delightful.  Then we turned around and drove home with the friend installed for a three-day visit. Amazingly, two teenaged girls did not want to stop at Mt. Vernon or the DC Workhouse and Reformatory Historic District that we drove right past. I know! Somehow, in spite of missing out on these scintillating destinations, they seem to be having a good time.

Yesterday morning I started feeling yucky, but am chalking it up to allergies. My hayfever gets worse every year. I think it might be time to move somewhere new. I never really struggled with allergies but now they just knock me out. Fortunately, my generic Aller-tec from Costco is doing the trick on most of the symptoms except the aches and the cough.

So, today I'm catching up on laundry, knitting, cleaning and clutter control while the kids veg out.  E is out shopping with grandma and Auntie for new shorts. His growth spurt continues and I can hardly keep him in clothes. S and pal are taking walks under the blossoming trees and the oldest boy is finishing up homework.  My sister's twin boys are here with us eating peanut butter balls and applesauce while I sniffle and move slowly through the house trying to reclaim some order. I must digress here and ask why it is that when one is DE-cluttering, meaning getting rid of huge amounts of stuff, meaning every day I fill up another bag bound either for the trash or the goodwill,  again I ask WHY is the mess worse now that it was before? I'm just about ready to call and order up the roll-away dumpster. I was tempted to sneak boxes into my mom's POD that has been sitting in the driveway for two weeks, mocking me with its silent declaration that my parents are indeed moving away, but I figured they would be somewhat surprised to find it filled up overnight with someone else's boxes. Anyway, I will keep up the effort to find redemption from my packratty ways, in spite of the discouragement of a house that does not really reflect my perception of myself.

Okay, digression over. Oh yes, today. Well, I just got done trash-can diving for a receipt that I recorded then tore up just a bit too soon-none of the gift cards the Holiday Rodent just brought are activated so I have to get back to the store and get that taken care of,  bearing nothing but smelly bits of receipt stapled hopefully to a piece of printer paper. Sheesh. I was able to get new seats to Phantom of the Opera after they canceled the entire week of shows that included the date I was originally scheduled to attend. That's a big to-do checked off and a huge relief. So, not so much a relaxing day today, but the good news is that dinner will be a fund-raiser at Chick-fil-A which thrills me-a warm thank you goes out to S's friend who is going on a mission trip to New Orleans. A good cause AND no cooking for me!

Tomorrow we go to the Amish Market to find amazingly and expertly-cooked goodness of all sorts, then we come home to eat it all,  then try to get to the National Aquarium,  then Saturday everyone heads home and we get ready to sail with flying colors through the last few weeks of school.

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Cunningham Falls

This very popular Maryland state park is close-by, has trails to satisfy everyone, and a beach in the summer. The beach was closed today, but the falls were hopping. We headed up (even the hubby took a day off-he'd never been there in all his 25+ years of living in Maryland) along with my sister and her boys.

As always, a highlight of having family here is that I get to watch my kids with their cousins. They are just so sweet with them, and it warms my heart. We so miss having small family members nearby upon which to lavish affection and attention, so this is such a treat. 

There was plenty of room and beautiful weather for exploring, relaxing and enjoying a bit of nature. There is a great boardwalk trail to the falls that is accessible for my wheelchair-assisted sister, and everyone else got either a pleasant walk or a fun, short hike. The downside for me is that Cunningham Falls is almost always somewhat crowded for all of the above reasons, but it is well-maintained, pleasant and still quite pretty in spite of the unmistakable presence of human engineering.

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Family Celebrations

Today had many moments made for smiling, and luckily I had my camera so I can remember them.  We had a lovely day-before-Easter full of the usual traditions with the bonus of little children to share them with.  This is my sister and her family. My daughter, having no sisters herself, makes excellent use of her aunts as confidants and friends. I'm so grateful for their relationships. I'm also grateful for holidays that hold traditions like this, simple and brief though they may be.  May all of you have a peaceful weekend, a joyful Easter, a memorable and special Passover, or just enjoy the beginning of another spring.

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Spring Break

Spring Break is here and the weather is absolutely stunning, as if in celebration.  Two kids will be camping out tonight, my daughter has a friend coming to visit next week, my sister is coming into town, and I have the week before me, filled with possibility.

Unfortunately my reaction to all that good news is a half-hearted "Meh." Today I'm feeling like a grump and can't seem to snap out of it.  I keep saying and doing dumb things and am frankly just having one of those fed-up days that make me want to just go hide with a book and a large amount of junkfood in the treehouse that we don't have anymore because we had to tear it down to satisfy our HOA. Grump. The really bad news is that it is only 11 am. 

I am wearing one of my many Life is Good t-shirts, but today it has a mental question mark behind it, and I have to turn that around and put myself right. I think I will have to use the "As If" principle today.  If I act As If everything is peachy, then eventually my brain will get the idea and I'll actually believe it. So, that means starting now I will be positive with the kids, I'll do my cleaning, I'll go for a walk in the sunshine and I will look down at my shirt regularly and say out loud that "Life is Actually Good, Even Though I'm Currently Having a Little Trouble Believing it, and by the way, please excuse me if I bite your head off because it's just one of those days." Oh wait, it doesn't say that. Hmmm. Where's my Sharpie?

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