5 Years

Robin Ann gave me a 5 year diary for Christmas. Five years! She said she's into her second year and it's worth it because now she can look back and see where she was at this time last year and this is a fun thing to do.

Five years! I can't even faithfully keep up this blog! And now I'm supposed to write something down every, single day for five years?!?

Five years. I mean, really.

Being me, I decided to not only do this 5 year diary thing but also get a SECOND 5 year diary called Q & A a Day, in which I will answer the same question on the same date for five years.

Yes, when given a crazy project, I have to make it even crazier.

Now I kinda want to get one for all my girlfriends and make them join me in the craziness.

Welcome, 2012

Ohhhhhh, 2011 was so not my favorite year. Beasley died. Jon 's job is driving him crazy. We didn't get the house. The car. Harlows moved to Chicago. Back on birth control; gave up on the baby-dream.

Nope, not the year I'd play on repeat.

But that's ok.

There was some good stuff, too. The trip to DisneyWorld. Lots of date nights. Our sixteenth wedding anniversary. Books, movies, and tv shows. Good food. Time with family. Time with friends. Our twentieth December together.

And that's that. 2011 is in the can.

I am so ready for 2012.

And my one little word for 2012 is "peace". I've given up on contentment and I know full well that happy comes and goes. I'm going for peace. For a calm spirit even when things get crazy. Even when I'm not content. Even when I'm not happy.

In 2012, I'm choosing peace.

Bringin' Back Optimism

Sheesh, it's been a drag around here lately.

No more! I'm bringin' back optimism. I'm bringin' back chipper.

I mean, c'mon, it's May! You know, springtime! Birds chirping, flowers blooming, puffy white clouds in a bright blue sky, and me, twirling around in a springy full skirt!

Except that reality is it's really, really cold! And the sky is filled with rain clouds! And it's supposed to pour tomorrow! And Wednesday!

What is with this weather? This is not the global warming people keep warning me about.

None of this matters. Why? Because tomorrow I'm taking my mom to tea to celebrate Mother's Day. There have been a lot of postponements for various crazy reasons but tomorrow we are doing it! We are celebrating my mom being a wonderful mom!

Woohoo, Mom!

Unless there is hail. Or sleet. Or maybe even snow. I don't think there will be snow but it's really, really cold!

But, no! I'm bringin' back optimism! It will not hail, sleet, or snow! We will have tea! It's gonna be great, I tell you, great! I AM optimistic!

If it snows, we're postponing.

If it's just hail, well, then, we'll see....

Mother's Day

I survived it.

That's really all I've got.

At some point, I do have to get over feeling like an infertile failure on Mother's Day. It's not all about me. Well, technically, since I'm not a mother it's not even kind of about me.

Moving on.

National Scrapbooking Day

Yep, there's a holiday for scrapbooking. And, in honor of NSD, here's a recent page.

Can't the 70s get a little love?

Top pic: me and my kid sis. I was off to K, so I don't know why she had my lunch box. But, whatever. Bottom pic: me and my kid sis and our cousins in front of Grandma's house. So much 70s awesomeness in that shot: Ann and me in matching velour shirts, Bobby and Danny in matching striped shirts, Steven in knee socks (heh, heh, heh, knee socks). And the little cutie on the right? That would be Jon's K pic. Even back then, he was the most adorable guy around.

Blindsided

It's the last day of April and I'm glad to see April go. See you, April 2011. Glad you won't be coming 'round again.

I had high hopes for April. Jon would go on Easter Break and then, a couple weeks later, I would go on Easter Break. We would celebrate Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter. The weather should start becoming less wintery and more spring-like. Maybe we would get outside for a hike or a day-trip, or visit friends at the beach, or spend some extra time with the nephews.

But on April 2nd, we were blindsided: Beasley died.

And that pretty much finished April for me.

Sure, we went on Easter Breaks but we were both so lonely during our respective times off. Yes, we celebrated Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter but we were still sad. Got to spend time with the nephews, too, but even those sweet little boys couldn't fill the hole in our hearts.

We just really, really, really miss our dog.

Love you, Mr. B. Thanks for twelve great years. See you in heaven.

A Spring Haiku

Spring is on its way!
No, it's not; oh, yes, it is!
No, it's really not.