You know that saying "brought everything except the kitchen sink"?
There's a reason that's ironic. It's because the kitchen sink is a pain in the ass to move. I speak from personal experience in this. My charmingly adorable old house has a less than charming and adorable kitchen sink. It's old. It's pitted. It's got serious calcium deposits. It's leaking, and I need to replace it.
The difficulty..... it's a porcelain over cast-iron behemoth of a sink. It's been living there happily for 75 years... you try telling a 75 year old they need to move. And then try lifting cast iron.
As we say in Minnesota - this particular home repair is going to be 'interesting.'
I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Owwie things
I've been neglectful of writing. Partly because I'm busy, and I don't have the habit of prioritizing writing yet. Partly because I don't always know what I want to say.
The latest things to say are all "Owwies."
Owwie 1
- because my daughter has really been struggling with schoolwork this last half of the year.
What do you do when a kid struggles with schoolwork? My smart, observant, funny, active, creative child does not like worksheets. They are boring. I get that. I hated busy work in school. But because she doesn't do them, she is falling behind in "speed" for math, and writing. She's not keeping up with her peers, and she's astute and sensitive enough to feel singled out and dumb as a result. Thanks, Ms. Teacher. Nice work. I have ideas to work on with my daughter, to encourage her desire to learn and know... but it is hard to see her hurting and struggling with "busy" work that doesn't encourage her interests or intelligence.
Owwie 2
- because I got an ear infection that hurts like bad swear words.
That's all my whining. It's minor. There's medicine. It will pass.
Owwie 3
- because several people I know have recently been diagnosed with cancer.
I'm really starting to loathe cancer. People I grew up with, who are funny, and smart, and silly, and brave, and wonderful should not have to deal with all the uncertainty, fear, and chemo. If I could have my way - no one would ever get cancer. They would die of old age, having lived a rich, full life and leaving a legacy of love.
Owwie 4
- because in the past month, two young friends of my family have died suddenly.
See above. I know death is a part of living. I believe that there is a God in Heaven, and He has planned our days. It's just hard to say goodbye, and hard to see the sorrow that comes from a sudden passing. Fairness isn't a factor in the equation of time - I know this too.
As far as posts go - this isn't full of my usual optimism and humor. Those things are still in me, but they are under band-aids right now as I recover from some owwies.
The latest things to say are all "Owwies."
Owwie 1
- because my daughter has really been struggling with schoolwork this last half of the year.
What do you do when a kid struggles with schoolwork? My smart, observant, funny, active, creative child does not like worksheets. They are boring. I get that. I hated busy work in school. But because she doesn't do them, she is falling behind in "speed" for math, and writing. She's not keeping up with her peers, and she's astute and sensitive enough to feel singled out and dumb as a result. Thanks, Ms. Teacher. Nice work. I have ideas to work on with my daughter, to encourage her desire to learn and know... but it is hard to see her hurting and struggling with "busy" work that doesn't encourage her interests or intelligence.
Owwie 2
- because I got an ear infection that hurts like bad swear words.
That's all my whining. It's minor. There's medicine. It will pass.
Owwie 3
- because several people I know have recently been diagnosed with cancer.
I'm really starting to loathe cancer. People I grew up with, who are funny, and smart, and silly, and brave, and wonderful should not have to deal with all the uncertainty, fear, and chemo. If I could have my way - no one would ever get cancer. They would die of old age, having lived a rich, full life and leaving a legacy of love.
Owwie 4
- because in the past month, two young friends of my family have died suddenly.
See above. I know death is a part of living. I believe that there is a God in Heaven, and He has planned our days. It's just hard to say goodbye, and hard to see the sorrow that comes from a sudden passing. Fairness isn't a factor in the equation of time - I know this too.
As far as posts go - this isn't full of my usual optimism and humor. Those things are still in me, but they are under band-aids right now as I recover from some owwies.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Little Heartbreaks
This week... well - nevermind. It was a week, we'll leave it at that.
In this week, I had my children with me on Wednesday because their dad had jury duty. Daughter's blanket got left at day care that evening. If you have kids, and you know about blankies, then you know what a catastrophe that is. By the time she realized where it was, it was too late to go get it. In that night, I learned that hugging your mom is a good substitute for a blanket, but also that having to take your security between homes really makes a child long for the family she remembers - not this "family" that lives in different homes.
In this week, there was a parent's night program at daughter's school. Son sat with his dad and paternal grandparents. We saw each other and waved during the program, and the smile on his face when he saw me was purely joy. Same with daughter when she saw me in the audience. After the performance, I went to give daughter hugs and congratulations. Son, being small, and in the crowd, lost sight of me - and burst into tears because he thought I left without hugging him.
Oh... my heart. I wish I could hold these children close to me forever. I hope that my hugs will always help their heartbreaks.
In this week, I had my children with me on Wednesday because their dad had jury duty. Daughter's blanket got left at day care that evening. If you have kids, and you know about blankies, then you know what a catastrophe that is. By the time she realized where it was, it was too late to go get it. In that night, I learned that hugging your mom is a good substitute for a blanket, but also that having to take your security between homes really makes a child long for the family she remembers - not this "family" that lives in different homes.
In this week, there was a parent's night program at daughter's school. Son sat with his dad and paternal grandparents. We saw each other and waved during the program, and the smile on his face when he saw me was purely joy. Same with daughter when she saw me in the audience. After the performance, I went to give daughter hugs and congratulations. Son, being small, and in the crowd, lost sight of me - and burst into tears because he thought I left without hugging him.
Oh... my heart. I wish I could hold these children close to me forever. I hope that my hugs will always help their heartbreaks.
Sunshine
Hello, sunshine. I'm glad you are here. Please stay, and have fun with springtime. Thank you. That is all.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Full speed
As I begin typing - this is only a half-formed thought...
I think I don't know how to live a "slow" life. I think I am a full-speed kind of person. As much as I often think "Holy crap! I am too busy!"..... when I am not "too busy" then I get bored and dissatisfied with my life.
What I think my real challenge should be is not to slow down, per se... but to make sure the things that keep me busy are true priorities in my life.
In college during a managerial commnunications course - we got an illustrative example of what it means to live according to values and priorities..
Imagine you have a 5 quart jar, and piles of rocks of varying sizes, and then gravel, and then sand. There's enough sand to fill up the entire jar... but when you pick up the sand - it falls through your fingers, and takes great effort to fill the jar. There's enough gravel to fill the jar. It's easier to pick up, and you can fill your jar more quickly - but it still takes time. What if you start with the big rocks? They are substantial... they will quickly fill the jar. There will still be gaps, but you can add in gravel, and sand - and the jar is full.
The jar is your life. The big rocks should be your dearest values and priorities. Fill your life with those things first. It still leaves room for lower priorities... the gravel and the sand, but if those things slip through your fingers - the loss is not substantial to a full life, well lived.
I've been thinking about that a lot these days - that I want a life with substance... that doesn't just slip past without my notice, like sand through my fingers.
I think I don't know how to live a "slow" life. I think I am a full-speed kind of person. As much as I often think "Holy crap! I am too busy!"..... when I am not "too busy" then I get bored and dissatisfied with my life.
What I think my real challenge should be is not to slow down, per se... but to make sure the things that keep me busy are true priorities in my life.
In college during a managerial commnunications course - we got an illustrative example of what it means to live according to values and priorities..
Imagine you have a 5 quart jar, and piles of rocks of varying sizes, and then gravel, and then sand. There's enough sand to fill up the entire jar... but when you pick up the sand - it falls through your fingers, and takes great effort to fill the jar. There's enough gravel to fill the jar. It's easier to pick up, and you can fill your jar more quickly - but it still takes time. What if you start with the big rocks? They are substantial... they will quickly fill the jar. There will still be gaps, but you can add in gravel, and sand - and the jar is full.
The jar is your life. The big rocks should be your dearest values and priorities. Fill your life with those things first. It still leaves room for lower priorities... the gravel and the sand, but if those things slip through your fingers - the loss is not substantial to a full life, well lived.
I've been thinking about that a lot these days - that I want a life with substance... that doesn't just slip past without my notice, like sand through my fingers.
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