"you can go home again..."

okay, don't laugh. those who know me know what a doggone book snob i am. but at the suggestion of a very good source at the library, i've begun listening to the first audiobook in jan karon's mitford series. i thought i'd never, but i am...completely in love with father tim and the quirky residents of mitford.

rolling green hills, eccentric, loving characters, small town, down home goodness. i'm up to my neck in love with it. what a peaceful place. i've said in the past how i've forgone the daily news to feed the good karma in my home, my life. and in place of the morning news blaring from my kitchen tv as i schmear a miracle whip wash over the day's sandwiches, i opt for the audio book. this charming little tale, so well read by the reader, warms my heart and dishes out to me a generous dose of happy the moment i push play.

am i missing something in my life by keeping quiet the dreary news of the economy, the near collapse of the auto industry, wars being fought on distant lands? hell no. instead i'm learning once again by way of the bliss of fiction...put family first, be a good neighbor, say your prayers and savor the simple things.

oh, and i forewarned by husband as he came in the door this evening...if hallmark does a mitford ornament series, i'll be putting that on my christmas list 6 months from now. that's how ridiculously hooked i am. laugh if you want, but this is a happy place that i don't want to leave:)

blessings,

-t.

two boxes of kleenex and counting...

phew....have i been under the weather! the weather outside today is a perfect representation of how i've been feeling on the inside for the past week - cold, gray, drizzly...yuk. thankfully a trip to the doc and a few prescription later, i'm on the mend.

here's a few things i've learned from my time spent on the sideline...

i love the lifetime network. they should rename this channel the sick day channel. it rocks when you don't.

i'm the only person i know that loves Reba on lifetime. i admit it, i just love it. laugh out loud love it.

when i'm not at work, life at the library goes on. i work with amazing people who jump right in and keep the ball in play while i'm sitting out. i'm lucky to be on their team.

i love being at home, even if i'm sick. i can't wait til next week. i'll be enjoying a stay-cation...hubby away in canada fishing, me at home. just that.

my husband is probably the hardest working person i know. he busted his butt all weekend long putting in our raised gardens, getting my garden fountain installed, preparing all of my containers for planting while i'm off next week. he never rests. i'll never take for granted how lucky i am to be married to a man who is not afraid of hard work. too many men are. they just don't make men like him anymore.

sleeping on an air mattress is highly under-rated, especially a quality one like mine. i've been banned to the spare room in an attempt to contain my germs. my raft's actually quite comfy.

a bonus to sleeping on "the raft" is that the cats aren't a bother at 4 a.m. i think they're afraid of it:) so they keep to bothering the hubby and leave me to my nyquil induced slumber.

my home made chicken soup is the shizznitz. no one does it better than me. ask my guys.

i can take all the vitamins i want but they won't keep me from catching the common cold, for which there is no cure. and with all the modern day inventions, i still don't understand why that is.

that old show "sybil" starring sybil shephard is hilarious. why did that go off the air so fast? she's one babe who wasn't afraid to poke fun at herself, and i think that makes her even more beautiful.

when you have a cold, nothing beats those "vicks enhanced" kleenex tissues. and target had them on clearance...boo yah!

i really miss writing on my blog. i thought about it often over the past few days but couldnt' muster the energy to have at it. sorry for being so hit and miss about writing. i plan to indulge in bloggery much more often in the weeks to come. my friend melissa has really inspired me with how she keeps her blogger friends posted on what she's up to. i love it. and i LOVE that rain barrel!

so happy day friends, i hope you're all happy and sniffle free. thanks for taking a peek at what's going on with me:)

-t.

photo is of cats

front: figaro, expert snuggler & comfort giver. truly a top cat.

back: tosca, total brat who loves me only for what i feed her, her favorite being fresh baby spinach leaves. she's an adorable weirdo.

do you realize what you're holding in your hand...

your life. so precious. breathe in. breathe out.

there. your lungs are working. your heart is beating.

you have everything you need in life. just that.

today i spent my day working with a group of about

200 seventh graders. we did a whole big CIVIL WAR

project together. i never in my wildest imagination

thought that i would ever do what i did today.

it's my job. it's my passion. i watched those beautiful

young people...happy, cranky, some with a

"what in the hell are they making me do this for"

look on their face. but most of them just free...

living in the moment. at the end of the day i

phoned my son nick who is away (oh so far

away at college in kenosha - CARTHAGE COLLEGE

ROCKS-and he says to me"...mom, today i found

out that one of my new heroes, mark herzlich, star

line backer at boston college has cancer. talk about

perspective mom. it's hitting me in the face." you see,

nick lost his buddy ERIC, age 20, one of his lacrosse team mates

from high school, to cancer just a few short months ago.

ERIC died of hodgkin's disease. 20 years old.

can you imagine? this young man nick

spoke of today, mark, has ewing's sarcoma.

i'm rambling, this i know.

but for my son, who is just about to enter his junior

year at college and has decided to pursue the most

noble of professions - teaching (and coaching) as his

life's aspiration, these are the most important sad and

sorry lessons that life teaches. right now our family

is going through a transition. my husband is about

to lose his job (of over 25 years). and my hubby and i?

we're elated. we're grateful, happy, anxious, curious...

ready for what life will bring us. it's our responsibility to

teach our children how to handle, how to deal, how to

appreciate and fall in love with every day that we're blessed

with - regardless of how tough the challenge. my son said to me

"mom, with what dad's going through and all? what really

matters is that you have each day. you have your life

and the opportunity to choose how each day will go.

that's all that matters. it's not about money or all that

shit. it's about living your life."

wise words.

take today...grab it.

grab the shit out of it.

today i laughed from the depths of my heart

watching these wacky, wonderful, silly seventh graders,

the teachers who give their all to them,

the moms who stepped in to serve them lunch and be there with them

(it was awesome...pizza, chips, pop, and i supplied the cookies:)

and my presenters, who gave their day to these kids.

people are wonderful. life is rich.

and we are blessed that we can...

breathe in, breathe out

and thank the heavens for the blessing of pure existence.

with so much love...

-t.

p.s. forgive the grammatical errors. after a day like this i'm too pooped for perfect punctuation.

do you realize what you're holding in your hand...

missing...

you. i'm sorry i've been gone so long.

i think about you every day. i think about

what i'd like to say to you if i could.

i have so many big projects going on

right now. with work mostly - school events,

summer planning, finishing up with my

spring calendar. i've taken on so much

so far this year that i can hardly keep

things straight. it'll slow down soon though.

two more weeks and i'll be on a little

stay-cation. hubby gone fishing for a week

and me just home. playing house, fussing,

getting together with friends...

just being.

can't wait!

luv,

-t.

beading for a cause...

this weekend i set to bead

this lovely little creation

for a silent auction

it's the first time i've ever

done anything more with my beading

other than to create a gift for

someone i love

the cause was a fundraising luncheon

for my son's college lacrosse team

he's one of the captains of the team

and it made me so proud to contribute the necklace is worn as a wrap

once around the neck as tight or loose as you like

then the ends beautifully folded over one another

and left to dangle, pretty like

the lady who won my treasures in the auction

was thrilled exclaiming "they're just my color!"

as she wrapped the necklace around her

i thought to myself - what a perfect fit

simply beautiful on herand the best part of all?

my son won the coaches award

for character, integrity and sportsmanship

at the luncheon that day

the smile on mine and my husbands faces

the pride and love for our son

glowing all shiny like

life in all it's unexpected excitement

being the best kind of sparkly of all...

-t.

p.s. please excuse the random spacing gaffs - blogger and i were having difficulty agreeing on how this post should go. blogger won.