Thursday 13: 13 wishes for my son on the occasion of his 8th grade graduation

was writing in my online journal yesterday morning, reflecting on the evening that would see my one and only child graduate (well, be "recognized") from 8th grade. (I see the celebration mostly as one of, "Wow, you survived middle school!" I think the real work lies in the 4 to 8--or more--years ahead...)

Serendipitously, I just happened to write 13 wishes for him as he moves from middle school to high school, and I thought I would share them as my Thursday 13 this week.

So, Seth. For you, dear boy, I have a few wishes...

1. I wish you a summer of fun, relaxation and chill time.

2. I wish you the drive to achieve even more than you initially believe you can; to set your goals high and persevere to reach them. (This comes after the chill-and-relax summer!)

1. I wish you curiosity to know and learn and grow, and to never lose that desire to know more about the world (and especially about the people) around you. Curious people are interesting people.

2. I wish you the strength to stand for what you believe to be right when everyone around you is sitting down in apathy. This takes effort and a willingness to be alone at times; not easy, but definitely worthwhile.

3. I wish you the courage to speak your mind, and to admit when you're wrong and change your mind, as well. Always try to see others' opinions as valuable, even if you don't agree; you might learn something.

4. I wish you peace in knowing that you are a child of God, and that His love for you can and will sustain you, wherever you are, through good times and bad (and especially the bad).

5. I wish you comfort in the love that surrounds you from so many people. You are doubly blessed in this way, even though some days it may not feel like such a blessing.

6. I wish you grace to know when to forgive a friend for a hurt or slight, and when to move on. This can be tricky, especially with an open heart such as yours; but, you'll learn as you go, I know.

7. I wish you joy in the little things, and a lot of laughter to see you through the long nights of studying and projects and labs and trumpet practice. Your laughter is the kind that lights rooms up; don't ever let yourself go too long between good, deep, belly laughs.

8. I wish for you to retain the kindness in your heart, to remember to reach a hand out to help a stranger; and to be aware that your smile can (and many times does) improve the day of another person.

9. I wish you patience as you approach the unknowns that lie ahead. The questions will all get answered, in time. It may just not be on your schedule...

11. I wish for you the ability to adjust your attitude when you realize your current approach isn't helping your situation. You have shown an understanding that life is, in large part, a mental game, and I know if you can hang onto that understanding, it will get you through some particularly troublesome spots.

13. I wish you wisdom, to discern between truth and untruth. You have a natural desire to believe the best in people, but you've also already been disappointed by untruth. Keep honing your discernment, and hopefully your disappointments will be few.

As I reread the list it sounds a little heavy... Does it sound like he's off to war, or college, or something more substantial than just high school? Perhaps... but thanks for indulging a mom. 

As I reflect on Seth's three years in middle school, I am reminded once again of all the people who reached a hand out to him a long the way, especially one dear teacher who went above and beyond in many ways. Mrs. Clearman made learning fun, challenged Seth to do his best work, and provided the safe haven of a classroom many times when he needed it. My words of thanks will never be enough to convey my gratitude. He had other, marvelous teachers, don't misunderstand... but sometimes one does stand out above the crowd.

The 8th grade recognition last night was an exuberant and celebratory event, and not even as long as we'd been led to believe it might be. Still, so glad it's four years until the next cap-and-gown affair!

I would love to hear from you: What wish would you give to your kid (or mine) going into high school? And what do you wish you had known going into high school that no one bothered to tell you. I want to know!

For other Thursday 13 participants, go here!

Ten Word Tuesday

Quiet home day... sunshine through my windows... wind keeping company.

Common miracles: #4

 “Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite.
It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior’s world.” 

–Pema Chodron

For today, common miracles I've noticed...
*The smell of the rain on the ground. It's been warm, so you know that smell... earthy.
*Conversation with a good friend, discussion ranging from worrying to family to politics and hobbies. Knowing and being known is such a gift.
*All the colors of peonies in the front bed, ranging in all shades of pink and hot pink... velvety petals, all 100,000 of them (I was cleaning out a vase of peonies that had been inside all weekend, and boy! that makes you realize how many petals some varieties of peonies have!).
*The quiet stillness of the house when I'm here alone. I love it. The quiet is almost sacred to me sometimes.
*Indian curries. I love a day that includes Indian food.
*Taking off my shoes (any shoes, really), and putting on my slippers at the end of the day. Ah.

To see other Common Miracle participants, and to read about Chel's vision for Common Miracles, visit her blog at gingerblue.

I hope you took the time to notice a few common miracles today? Tell me about them!

Catching you up on my wanderings online

unday night... and it's been a good weekend. A little rest (read: multiple naps on Saturday!), a little work (read: will have SORE muscles tomorrow) and a little social (Seth's very last Explorer end-of-school celebration). I'm tired, but also ready for the new week...

And, of course, still in a sharing mood. Lucky you! Here are a few things I've been collecting in my reader, to share...

I spotted an interesting blog post over at Swistle and had the best chuckles at the comments, especially (she gets LOTS of comments... they've been pouring in all weekend). The post is about silly fights inside marriage/relationships that no one else thinks make any sense. Oh wow, there were some doozies mentioned...

I was intrigued by the fight that got them going, as well as the Monty Hall problem, which she references as another "to 11" fight. I really hadn't heard about the Monty Hall problem... so I had to look around at that for a bit. Here's a visual explanation I liked:



I guess some people disagree (and think you should stick with your original door choice) so that's where the heated discussions take place. I can honestly say that husband and I haven't ever fought over anything statistical.

A friend posted on Facebook this week about what people regret the most on their death beds. Nothing too earth shattering, but still, good things to think about...

In the vein of my earlier post about getting 60 things done in the next 100 days, here's a day-by-day idea on getting and staying organized. I especially like #6 (start a donation station) and #9 (do a 10-minute tidy before bed). Might have to start utilizing those in a more regular way.

Chel over at gingerblue wrote a guest post on Bliss Habits, about gratitude. I really enjoyed it, and appreciate that everyone comes to gratitude in their own way.

A friend showed me the McSweeney's iPad app this past week, which reminded me about the site--I hadn't been there in a while. Check out the open letters section; pretty hilarious writing.

Etsy has spawned a bunch of little sites/businesses relative to the handmade industry, and a couple of new sites just caught my eye:
Quite Unique features sale items from Etsy.
Handmade Top 10 clusters together similarly themed items.

There was a big hoo-ha recently about a handmade artist's work getting copied by Urban Outfitters (well, that's a really simplified sentence about the issue, so read on!), and there are lots of opinions about it. Here are a couple of places to read up on it: Linda at tortagialla and Poppytalk (multiple links at the bottom of that post). I find the whole "what is original work" discussion quite interesting.

And for hoots, there is always Andy Ross. His little piece on getting ready for his iPad2 to be delivered is priceless. I can relate... iPads are pretty marvelous little creatures.

Hope your weekend was wonderful. I  had every intention of taking my camera out to the yard today to take some action weeding shots. Well, not really. I was going to take some pretty pansy shots, or pictures of our radishes, all in a row. Instead, I just got sweaty. But you know, I'm not going to complain. There have been precious few moments of being too warm this spring, so I'm just going to go with it, and keep my iced tea handy.

All that is to say, garden and flower shots: to come!

Friday night grateful moment

short week is so lovely in many ways... in fact, the only downside I can think of is that this is the first weekend in a month that Seth's not with us (I would always put that off if possible)! We came rolling off a beautiful long weekend with the extended family, slid on in to work and home stuff, the rain piled on for a very long Thursday, and here we are at a sunny Friday. I'll take it.

Several things stood out to me this week in the thankful column:

I love living in a more rural environment. I'm thankful for the lack of traffic, for sure (can you tell we had a couple of wild traffic pileups on I-5?). But I'm also a big fan of the views of the mountains, the green (see, the rain has done SOME good things) that is everywhere, the fabulous sunsets, and the people. We have some pretty wonderful people.

I'm thankful for my sweet little family. So so thankful for our love and affection. When I anticipated what having a 14-year-old would be like, I didn't think it would be this good. Whew. We'll just stay with that thought as long as we can! And husband, he's the cake to my frosting. Or something good like that. Very good.

I'm thankful that we haven't had to water much (at all) yet this spring. That's pretty unusual. I left last weekend without really even turning on the automatic sprinklers and thought, can we really get away with that? Yes, we could. And we did. A couple of containers out front were a little dry when we got home--mostly from being under the eves and not getting the full rain experience--but other than that, it was all still quite damp. And the one bed that needed watering--blueberries--I just waited 24 hours and the rain dump took care of that!

Sunshine. So thankful for a day free of rain!

Singing along while I'm driving in my car is something I really enjoy. So maybe I'm thankful that I have a voice? I can't very well be thankful that I have a melodic or beautiful voice, so we'll just go with voice. I have some really great CD mixes in the car right now (thank you, Freedom Megan!) and I really enjoy a little spirited belting out. Some of the best mixes can be of older-ish songs, I think. You know, where you know the words by heart and can really sing along... now I'm feeling all mix-master-y... I feel a new mowing mix coming on (I also very much like to sing at the top of my lungs while mowing the lawn. You already had that figured out, didn't you?!).

Laughter is big on my list of things to be thankful for, every week. I should mention it more often (at least as often as I mention cheese, for sure). But lately I've been LOL-ing at Parks and Recreation specifically. You know how you get really into a series and watch all the seasons in a row, Netflix or Hulu-style? Well, I've been doing that with the dear folks at the Pawnee, Ill., office of Parks and Recreation, and boy do they make me laugh. I would not have thought it... saw an early episode years ago and went, "Meh." Maybe it's the lumping of episodes together that makes it so appealing... or maybe they're just plain funny.

Here's a mix of Tom moments... I have absolutely no perspective on whether they'll be funny out of the context of an episode... you'll have to tell me (or maybe don't, just let me stay in my little alternate reality where I go to work at their office and have a blast!).



I'm thankful for spring onions, asparagus, fresh little radishes, romaine, kale... all the fabulous produce currently coming on in the garden. I am excited about the tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, squashes and green beans that will also come along if only the sun cooperates...

I'm thankful for inspiring words and images... yes, it's that pesky Pinterest again! Such fun. Here are a few images and ideas I've been especially thankful to happen across this week.

source

source

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source

 I will be making this next rainy day, I swear!

source

Maybe a little simplified, but I like the sentiment.

I hope your weekend involves all good things, with lots to be thankful for.

Summer (top) source

Characters meme

potted this meme over at A Design So Vast, and just had to play along. I've seen a few of these name combos before, but not such a fun, extensive list.

1. Rockstar Name (first pet, current car): Dinah Insight

2. Gangsta Name (fave ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Peanut Butter Chocolate Born

3. Native American Name (fave color, fave animal): Green Rabbit

4. Superhero Name (2nd fave color, fave drink): Orange Coffee

5. Nascar Name (first names of your grandfathers): Frank Berthold

6. Stripper Name (name of your fave scent/perfume, fave candy): Daisy Marshmallow

7. TV Weather Anchor Name (5th grade teacher’s last name, major city that starts with same letter): Jones Joplin

8. Spy Name (fave season/holiday, flower): Spring Gerbera

9. Cartoon Name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Blueberry Slippers

10. Hippie Name (what you ate for breakfast, favorite tree): Museli Aspen

Please share yours, either in the comments or on your own blog--but be sure to tell me that you did so I can come and check it out!

Thursday 13: Daybook musings...

or today...

Outside my window... it is raining. That's a big shock! (Sorry for the sarcasm. I'm bitter about the rain, can you tell?)

I am thinking... that at least I'll work on some office clean up and such, with this weather. I am also thinking, longer-term, of getting some of my more write-y friends to do guests posts on my blog... those who don't already blog, maybe even a couple that do. What think you? I kinda like it... not to get me off the hook, of course, but to get a bit of diversity and maybe have everyone write on a particular topic or something fun like that.

I am thankful... for so many things, but mostly today I'm thankful for time. Time to grow. Time to heal. Time to accomplish things. Just time to breathe. I really really feel for those who feel like time has run out, or time is short, or that they are pushed for time. That sucks.

From the kitchen... I have been making a lot of soup, lately, still... I keep meaning to post the recipe... maybe I will later today. It's a cabbagey kind of vegetable soup, with a little heat, so I've named it Mexican Cabbage Soup in my mind. I should probably look up and see if there is already such a thing...

I am wearing... khakis and a little sweater that my mom gave me over the weekend. She actually gave me FOUR little sweaters. All the same cut, just different colors... tan, white, brown and raspberry. I am wearing the raspberry one today. I know, that's stepping out, for me. Lately it's felt pretty black and tan.

I am creating... a little receipt keeper for my purse, to help me track little miscellaneous spending... yeah, I know, I could just buy one of those little file folder things at WalMart or something, but this will definitely be cuter! And I'll have one fewer receipt to file away!

I am going... to Scarborough Fair. See, now, I'm not, but that's the first thing I think of. Every. Time. I see that phrase... I need to take it seriously, don't I? OK, so the real answer is I'm hoping we go to Joseph this weekend. (That will depend on weather...) And next week I am supposed to meet up with a couple of girlfriends from high school for lunch in TriCities... one of them I haven't seen in probably 20 years. 20. That's a bit staggering to consider.

I am reading... just finished Blue Like Jazz with Seth last night. That took us awhile, eh? It rambled a bit sometimes, but he ended on a lovely note that was exactly what we both needed to hear: God wants to know you and is already taking care of you, and falling in love with Him will be the most significant thing that will happen in your life. I have a bunch of samples of "next books" in my Kindle app, so I will explore some of those today and see where we land next. I am just about done listening to that darn Oprah biography on my iPod, but I don't want to squander the juicy gossip on something non-yardwork related, so I'm waiting for more pleasant weather to finish it off while I weed. Weeding and Oprah gossip, yeah, that's about right. (Don't you like how I can go from God's love to scandalous Oprah conjecture in the same paragraph? I know, it's a gift.)

I am hoping... for pleasant weather this weekend. I would really really like it to be sunny and nice. Hope schmope. We'll see what we get. (How very Eeyore of me...)

I am hearing... rain on my window. I just remarked to husband this morning that I've never lived in a house that had rain on the windows so much, at least to my memory. Makes me glad, every time it rains, that I haven't washed the windows recently! It's from the rather shallow overhang, according to him, and I am sure that's part of it... I also think the angle that the rain seems to come at, out here in the "country," (sideways from the wind at times!) has something to do with it. All that is to say, I'm a very reluctant window washer, to be sure. I let nature do her thing!

Around the house... I'm working on my lists... I did do one of those "I'm not going to walk by that thing one more time without fixing it" items already this morning, so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Yes, little Miss Smug. I'm pretty sure that's it for the day, but you've gotta start small, right?!

One of my favorite things... is cheese. (That one's for you, Kim.) My sister-in-law pointed out to me this weekend that it's a rare Friday Night Grateful Moment that doesn't include cheese. And the problem with that is...? I had the best asparagus and tomato and blue cheese salad (with pinenuts) last night. So yummy. And it was definitely the blue cheese that put it into a whole 'nother category, salad-wise.

A few plans for the rest of the week... this week feels short, for sure. What with arriving back from our long weekend on Tuesday night... so Friday will come oh-to-quickly, and yet, right on time. As for plans, I'm afraid mine are awfully weather-related right now. If it's nice, I want to be out in the yard doing my thang. If it's not, I will do other, more inside, things. I pinned a bunch of fun crafty-sewing projects on Pinterest last weekend, and I think I promised to make Kim and I each at least a dozen skirts for summer, so someone had better get crackin'.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... from my mom's blog, And the Livin' is Easy. Last weekend I gave her the applique pillow I made in that class in March--a late late Mother's Day gift... I think it looks like it belongs at her house, don't you think?

To play along with The Simple Woman's Daybook, go here.

To see other Thursday 13 participants, go here.

What do you have going on the rest of the week? Ready for the weekend already? Tell me!

And have a great Thursday.

Midweek disbelief: June 1? June 1? June 1?

an you tell I really have a hard time believing the calendar has turned over to June 1? Seems highly improbable. Not just from the cool temps still hanging out, but from the speed with which this first half of 2011 has gone by. Wasn't it just January? February? March... you get my drift.

Crazy, the swift passage of time. But, rather than dwell on how little I've done to really hone in on my "word for 2011" (focus) and ponder that the word for 2010 (pause) is probably one that I should apply to the next three or four decades of my life, I'm going to get my butt in gear and get a few things done. Nothing makes me feel like I've gotten something accomplished like getting something accomplished. Funny how that works.

In a lovely happenstance, I ran across this list of 60 Small Ways to Improve Your Life in the Next 100 Days. It's got gobs of good ideas running the gamut from decluttering (my office!) to personal development and time management, and of course finance. I've printed it out and will review it each morning, see what I can get done in the next 100 days. (So handy that this coincides with Seth's summer vacation, don't you think? Poor boy. Don't tell him that Mom has PLANS!)

Here are a few snippets that especially stand out to me (do click over for the full list, it's got more goodies):
* Walk around your home and identify 100 things you’ve been tolerating; fix one each day. (Definitely doable!)
* For the next 100 days, keep Morning Pages, which is a tool suggested by Julia Cameron. Morning Pages are simply three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. (I love this idea and have a hard time making myself sit down to it...)
* Don’t buy anything that you don’t absolutely need for 100 days.
* Track how you spend your time for 5 days. Use the information that you gather in order to create a time budget: the percentage of your time that you want to devote to each activity that you engage in on a regular basis. (A good idea, but I'm a little frightened of the Pinterest time... not sure I want to know!)
* For the next 100 days, stop multi-tasking; do one thing at a time without distractions. (I'm not sure I can do this...)
* Make a list of all of the commitments and social obligations that you have in the next 100 days. Then, take out a red pen and cross out anything that does not truly bring you joy or help move you along the path to achieving your main life goals.
* Choose one food that constantly sabotages your efforts to eat healthier—whether it’s the decadent cheesecake from the bakery around the corner, deep-dish pizza, or your favorite potato chips—and go cold turkey for the next 100 days.
* For the next 100 days, get at least twenty minutes of daily exercise.
* Identify three actions that you’re going to take each day, for the next 100 days, in order to strengthen your relationship. (Nice!)
* For the next 100 days do one kind deed for someone every day, however small, even if it’s just sending a silent blessing their way. (Love this!)

And here's one that just made me laugh:
* Set your alarm a minute earlier every day for the next 100 days. Then make sure that you get out of bed as soon as your alarm rings, open the windows to let in some sunlight, and do some light stretching. In 100 days you’ll be waking up an hour and forty minutes earlier than you’re waking up now. (Given that I get up between 5:30 and 6 a.m. most mornings, that seems a little like overkill to me. I DID get a lot done this morning, but still... girl needs her sleep!)

This list is exactly what I need coming off a lovely and kicked-back Memorial Day weekend and heading into summer. Whether summer's actually going to arrive or not remains to be seen!

Anything on that list you've been wanting to work on? Hope you find an idea or two to perk up your June!

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave,
find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land.
There is no other land, there is no other life but this.

-Henry David Thoreau

Ten Word Tuesday

Extra day together makes a long weekend THAT much sweeter.

Common miracles: #3

acation brings about a different mindset, don't you think? Much more conducive to common miracle spotting! Being in relaxed mode helps open up my brain to the little details...

We took a walk down to Piggot Bay, and I was struck by the beauty in the mess of driftwood and debris. It looked to me like someone had gotten there before us and arranged it just for our viewing.

Blue sky is a miracle these days, it seems. I love the deepest part of the blue. (The water was really still, too. Perfect for ocean kayaking...)

I have been working on my braiding skills, and my lovely sister-in-law is a patient recipient of my practice. I love how practice improves just about anything you're working on... it reminds me of other things (piano, especially) that I've let go and regret letting go...

These lilacs captivated my mom and dad down at the park--I wish I'd gotten a picture of the two of them taking pictures together, like paparazzi stalking the lilac bush. I got a little closer and the lilacs captivated me as well.

 My mom's apple pie is indeed miraculous. We all enjoyed a little graduation celebration for Seth, as he'll be finishing off middle school in a week or so.

It's been a lovely family time together. Re-entry to reality will take a bit to get used to...

To play along with Common Miracles, go here. It's a fun project that Chel of Ginger Blue Studios started just recently, and it's a great reminder to stop and look for the miracles in the little things.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

-Robert Brault