::Weekly Rambles::
What’s really on my mind and heart?
Memorial Day. While I am very grateful for the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom, we celebrated Memorial Day and honored their memories a little differently this year. Most of us drove out to visit Katie, Brendan, and Pete whom we don't see often enough. I just couldn't let a free day pass without making the effort to see them!
"Death has a way of putting things in perspective," I said to a friend last week. Back when my mom died in '07, I was broken-hearted and reluctant to send my first baby off to college the next week, but my sister pointed out that while Mom's death was a bad thing, going to college is a natural and good thing. So, I actually handled that much better than expected, and have done it twice more since then!
Once an acquaintance said to me that she had to make a day-trip to see her college-girl because she needed some time with her, but I didn't quite get why she would need to drop everything in the middle of a busy week, with other kids at home, to go see the college student. Now I know----she died six months later and had been keenly aware that her time was limited.
Two days before Tom's recent high school graduation, one of his classmates died suddenly, and all the joy and excitement of graduation and moving on to college was turned to sorrow for that family and her friends.
I don't have any dreadful announcement to make about a terminal illness, but I'm just much more aware of how fleeting life is. I want to make more of an effort to be present and to take those opportunities to be with my loved ones.
"Death has a way of putting things in perspective," I said to a friend last week. Back when my mom died in '07, I was broken-hearted and reluctant to send my first baby off to college the next week, but my sister pointed out that while Mom's death was a bad thing, going to college is a natural and good thing. So, I actually handled that much better than expected, and have done it twice more since then!
Once an acquaintance said to me that she had to make a day-trip to see her college-girl because she needed some time with her, but I didn't quite get why she would need to drop everything in the middle of a busy week, with other kids at home, to go see the college student. Now I know----she died six months later and had been keenly aware that her time was limited.
Two days before Tom's recent high school graduation, one of his classmates died suddenly, and all the joy and excitement of graduation and moving on to college was turned to sorrow for that family and her friends.
I don't have any dreadful announcement to make about a terminal illness, but I'm just much more aware of how fleeting life is. I want to make more of an effort to be present and to take those opportunities to be with my loved ones.
What am I thankful for?
Life. And especially all the lives given to me to care for.
What’s going on in school?
No.thing. We're done. :-D
That is, until I register Pip for his AP class and he has to start summer reading. And he's taking a Health class this summer that starts next week. I'm sure he'll be thrilled.
That is, until I register Pip for his AP class and he has to start summer reading. And he's taking a Health class this summer that starts next week. I'm sure he'll be thrilled.
What’s cooking?
No idea. For some reason, my sweet husband doesn't want Watermelon Soup for dinner! Can you imagine why anyone wouldn't want to eat that?
(j/k. I can, sort of!)
(j/k. I can, sort of!)
What’s on the needles?
A Ten-Ridge Wrap. I've wanted to make this for a while. When I started it a few years ago, I couldn't figure it out for some reason. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, or maybe I've learned a little since then, though it doesn't seem difficult now! Anyway, I'm thinking of not doing a ruffled edge, but changing it to lace. What do you think? Sometimes ruffles are just too much.
Vote: Ruffles or Lace?
Vote: Ruffles or Lace?
What’s special about this week?
It's a quiet week with 2 swim meets. Haha! The first is a Mock Meet and I may not even go to that one. After, um, 14? 15? years of swim team, I know how it works, so I didn't sign up for a job.
What am I reading?
I abandoned poor Julia Child for Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. I introduced my mother-in-love to the movie when she was here for graduation, and we both loved it (Of course, I was loving it for, like, the 4th time, but whatever!), so I thought I would read the book to see if there was more to enjoy. I had bought Gaskell's complete works on Kindle for a couple of bucks last year---deal! And yes, there is more to love. I'm having a hard time putting it down.
What’s on my ipod?/
I started listening to Cloud Atlas the other day. So far, I'm not getting it, but that could have something to do with being very sleepy and actually falling asleep to the reader's dulcet tones. I may have to listen to the beginning again!
What projects are happening at home?
I'll be trying to find a routine now that it's summer. Routines are hard to come by, and I'm not happy without some sort of guidelines for my day! I have a couple of sewing projects planned which I shall share soon.
"Vote: Ruffles or Lace?"
ReplyDeleteIs neither an option? I find lace often gets sort of wrinkled -- let's say it doesn't stay the way it was blocked for long.
No watermelon soup. I'll eat with your husband. Our last (and first this year) watermelon tasted like rubber. Really, even one of the kids noticed. Very weird.
I think Cloud Atlas might be one of those that is a better read than listen, though I haven't read it yet. My eldest keeps trying to get me to read it but it's just not a book I feel like tackling.
I know what you mean about the lace, but the one I planned to use has held up well on another project. I'm still thinking...I'm not sure how it would look with no edge.
ReplyDeleteWatermelon these days is highly questionable, but if you want to eat with my husband it's mostly meat. ;-)