ISOU by Shaed.
Love love love this one!
I’m so over you oo oo oo.
Please listen responsibly.
a tune for Tuesday vol 41
what a busy day
I know last week I was bemoaning missing out on back to school time. But Friday morning I got so much done I remembered why not being at school every day is an OK thing.
I got up and checked the sub-system, to my (not at all) surprise, there were no open sub jobs.
I got my gear and went out to do a little gardening.
I have these gigantic white butterfly bushes in front of our house. I prune them every other year, this is the year y’all. They’re taller than the front windows, and beginning to creep over the sidewalk and edge of the driveway.
I like to prune them in the fall once all the blooms are gone, even though I know they’re probably better off being pruned in the winter.
Our trash and recycling gets picked up on Fridays, so it was the perfect opportunity to bang it out before they picked up.
I trimmed the butterfly bushes down to a manageable size.
Pulled all the weeds.
Did a little maintenance on the purple clematis that climbs the lamp post.
Cut back the peonies.
Potted three little mums to transition the front porch to Autumn.
When I came back in the house, I hand washed a vase and pitcher. (note to self, make more iced tea)
Stripped and remade the bed.
Bathed.
Started the laundry.
I have this children’s book called Feed Matisse’s Fish. It’s a touch and feel book about art, designed to expose children to 20th century art while providing a tactile experience. The book starts out, “Tick Tock it’s 8 o’clock, it’s time to feed the fish.” it goes on for each o’clock with a new painting. Each page ends “What a busy day.”
I remembered that book Friday morning. Reading it to two, three, and four year olds, hearing their little voices saying “What a busy day!”
What a busy day! And all before 10:00.
As much as I want to be in the school building with people I care about, I’ll take those busy days at home.
Friday left me feeling accomplished and content, with the majority of the day ahead of me.
Categories: me
Tags: busy day, children’s book, for the home, gardening, mental health, sense of accomplishment
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back to school…I’m still waiting
It’s the second week of school and I haven’t yet been to the building chock full of people I love.
I have sadness that I haven’t welcomed so many of my kids back to school. I haven’t met the brand new kindergartners, all wide eyed and chatty. One of the first grade teachers became a grandmother over the summer, I want to hug her to celebrate us each having granddaughters.
It was time for me to leave my position in the school. It was easy to make the transition to substitute. Only, because it’s the first couple weeks of school, everyone is in their classrooms where they belong! I’m over here waiting to be called in.
Is it wrong I kind of hope someone gets sick, or falls down, or something?
I know I’ll be busier than I’d like in the coming months, but for now, I’m missing that whole back to school vibe.
YBW asked me, “Now that your paper is finished, what will you do with all your free time?”
I’m over here like, Dude! I want to go to school!
I want to remember when I knew having this time was a good thing.
That I could set my schedule and be more productive at work and home.
I know I made the right decision.
I didn’t know how much I’d miss back to school feels.
I’m just going to embrace patience while I wait, because I know I’ll be overbooked and wanting a break before too long.
In the meantime, let’s see what I can get up to here at home…
Categories: me
Tags: adult student, back to school, being productive, life, substitute teacher, time
3 Comments
I DID IT!!
I did it!
My paper passed with flying colors on Tuesday afternoon! Shortly thereafter, I submitted my final project.
I finally stopped checking to see if it passed yesterday when I received that text from my adviser!
My first term started April 2009.
My last term started April 2019.
It took me ten years to finish this degree plan.
Ten of the roughest, yet most wonderful years of my life.
I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my family!
Thing 1 and Thing 2 were my cheerleaders. Supportive when I was down and didn’t think I’d ever finish, celebrating when I was successful. This last term, they were almost as invested in these courses as I was.
As much as I did it for myself, I did it for them.
When I shared the news with Thing 1, her pride and joy were reflected in her voice. That did my momma heart good! My girl is proud of me! I’m so grateful for that!
I didn’t get to talk with Thing 2, but she texted me:
YBW was on his way home from work when I called him.
“Hi baby!” he said.
“I DID IT!”
His pride and joy were enormous!
How did I want to celebrate?
I said, “I just want to hug you!”
To be perfectly honest, I expected to feel relieved to no longer have the albatross ’round my neck.
I was in no way prepared to experience the range and intensity of my feels!
I had no idea how aware I would feel of the years of hard work.
I didn’t realize how proud I would feel.
I was (and remain) unbelievably aware of my gratitude.
I did it!
But I didn’t do it by myself, y’all.
My precious husband has loved and supported me through this process.
His gentle encouragement. His assistance to help me through the dreaded math courses.
His kindness when I wanted to give up, but couldn’t let myself.
I could never have done this without him.
He loved and encouraged me. Cheered my successes. Asked the difficult questions when I needed to hear them.
He was the first one to use the phrase ‘college graduate’.
All the feels!
I knew I couldn’t decide on a place to celebrate with dinner, so I chose to celebrate with cocktails!
Just YBW and me, quietly toasting the pay off of my hard work.
I am chock full of love and gratitude.
My cup truly runneth over!
Categories: me
Tags: all the feels, celebrate, celebration, college graduation, coursework, embrace the journey, gratitude, hard work, I did it!, journey, love, pride and joy, tenacity
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summer gratitude
As we move into fall, I’m thinking about everything that filled my heart with joy this summer, and y’all, that list is long!
I have so much to be grateful for!
June:
sleeping in my own bed for the first time in six weeks
seeing Amber for the first time since March
date day with Mike and Josie
Describe the Night at the Woolly Mammoth (last play of the season)
impromptu trip to Williamsburg with Mike and Josie
two of my three alternative health care providers
dinner with Nora and Dale
July:
porchlife
all three of my alternative health care providers
dinner with Meredith and Beau’s family
celebrating Nora’s birthday (she and Thing 2 are birthday twins)
Thing 1, Thing 2, Husband N, and Baby K here!
pedis with my girls
Spending the day with Thing C and Girlfriend L
drinking bubbly with my girls
Bubbly & Baby party to celebrate Baby K being in our world
2 Silos with YBW, Thing 1, Thing 2, Husband N, Baby K, and Jessica
stopping cocktails on the way to the airport with Thing 2
August:
Thing 2 and Baby K here for two more weeks
model home tours
porchlife
going away party to celebrate Mike and Josie’s college bound daughter
all three alternative health care providers
Good Eats: The Return
drinking beer, cracking crab legs and peeling shrimp at Blue Ridge
the never ending road trip with Thing 1 and Baby K
seeing Thing 2 and Boyfriend J during a pit stop in Columbia
spending the second day back to school day drinking with Holly
shoot day with YBW
discovering Natty Boh with YBW
Vampire Weekend
YBW’s bestie from high school here with his fam
Nat’s game (Tony hit two dingers!)
finishing my paper
September looks like it’s starting out slow, but that’s fine by me, I’m learning to take it easy. I’m learning the journey is where it’s at. (Though, to be perfectly honest, I’m all about ‘getting there’.)
I’ve already got some stuff on the calendar for next week, but I’m curious to see what pops up.
I’m looking forward to spending more time with YBW as we move into Autumn.
Ready to make new so many new reasons to be grateful!
a tune for Tuesday vol 40
The part of me that’s still a fourteen year old girl loves this song!
Here’s the Wrecks with their song Freaking Out.
Please listen responsibly.
Categories: music
Tags: freaking out, i dig music, music, the wrecks, tune for Tuesday
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Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Remember last month when YBW got a little surprise for me?
The show was last night!
Y’all!
Vampire Weekend is by no means my end all be all favorite band or anything, but I have loved them for the past eleven years.
We were in the front row right behind the ‘mosh pit’ general admission standing room only, so we had a great view!
The evening started out warm but cooled off beautifully as the sun went down, so it was a lovely night to be out in the amphitheater at Merriweather.
I do love me some Ezra!
Setlist:
Sunflower
White Sky
Bambina
Holiday
Mansard Roof
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
How Long?
Unbelievers
Unbearably White
Horchata
New Dorp. New York (SBTRKT cover)
This Life
Hold You Now
Diane Young
Cousins
A-Punk
Don’t Lie
Peace Frog (Doors cover)
Oxford Comma
Jerusalem, New York, Berlin
ENCORE:
Big Blue
Hannah Hunt
Diplomat’s Son (Pressure Drop Maytals cover in the middle)
Flower Moon
Worship You
Ya Hey
Last song of the night.
Categories: music
Tags: concert tickets, Ezra Koenig, gratitude, love my life, merriweather post pavilion, music, thankful, Vampire Weekend
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an ‘outrageous’ shoot day
Saturday was a shoot day!
YBW and I took our cameras to Medowlark Gardens in Vienna.
The weather was glorious, sunny and breezy with temperatures between 77 and 82. The perfect respite to the summer heat we’ve been experiencing.
We went through the woods.
Around the spiral path to the gazebo.
Where the plants were gathered together to attract pollinators.
Down to the first (of three) ponds.
At the second pond.
I’m not sure how long we actually wandered the park, but I do know that when we left, we were both ready for lunch, so off we went to Red’s Table.
We sat on their porch overlooking the lake.
A cocktail for me, and locally brewed draft beer for YBW.
The view was beautiful.
The people watching was fascinating.
The food was lovely.
The server smiled at me and said, “Your hair is outrageous!”
I smiled and touched my hair and he left to put in our order.
I looked at YBW and said, “Outrageous?”
YBW assured me the server meant it as a compliment.
I actually agreed, but it landed so awkwardly in me.
I let my freak flag fly that day by washing my hair and letting it do its thing. It’s always a crap shoot, as I never know if I’ll end up rocking messy romantic waves, or look like I recently escaped from Azkaban.
I was fearful I had Azkaban hair because we’d been driving with the windows down.
I took a picture of myself to see what the server saw.
I’m over here like, Um…that’s just my hair, dude.
So I googled the word outrageous and here’s what I got:
I’m going with the second definition, if you please.
Anyway, it was a wonderful shoot day!
I love being behind the lens. I love being in the out of doors with my precious husband.
As we move into Autumn, I’m looking forward to more shoot days!
Categories: me
Tags: behind the lens, botanical garden, brunch, camera, let your freak flag fly, Meadowlark Gardens, Red's Table, shoot day, YBW
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a tune for Tuesday vol 39
Y’all I love my sirius xm radio!
Alt Nation had this song as a critical cut and I dig it!
This is Just Exist by Eliza and the Delusionals.
Please listen responsibly.
Categories: music
Tags: Eliza & the Delusionals, i dig music, Just Exist, music, tune for Tuesday
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who’s on your list?
I just read this book called The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle.
On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Sabrina is late to meet her closest friend for dinner. When she arrives at the restaurant, she finds not only her friend Jessica, but, her deceased father, favorite college professor, estranged boyfriend, and Audrey Hepburn.
These guests from the list she wrote at the insistence of her friend when they were nineteen and in their first year of college.
Let’s just say that while wackiness ensues, there is a great deal of love at that dinner table.
Haven’t we all considered the question:
What five people, living or dead, real or imagined, would you invite to dinner?
But how do you really answer it if you know it’s never going to be an actual thing?
Do you just choose randomly?
Does your curiosity drive your list?
Do you create your list based upon unfinished business?
Do you consider things such as, desire to interact with these particular people, but not how they might interact with one another?
I’ve been thinking about how I would create this top five guests list, and I’m noticing it changes with my mood.
For instance, I’ve always wanted Grandaddy to know Thing 1 and Thing 2. I’ve also wanted him to know YBW. But that’s four out of my five guests.
And honestly, I know and love these people so much, it doesn’t really matter if they know each other. Three of them know each other and all of them know/knew me. Perhaps that’s enough.
As I consider this dinner list, I have to ask myself, what’s my motivation?
Perhaps I choose a straight literary guest dinner?
Or film industry folks?
Or musicians?
I mean, picking Billy Wilder’s brain at dinner sounds absolutely wonderful…but do I plan an entire dinner party around that?
What if I choose at random?
Just five humans I’m curious about, you know?
What kind of dinner party does that actually create? That goes back to how my guests would interact with one another. And let’s get real for a moment, that’s an important part of planning a successful dinner party.
So, what if I create a guest list at random? I invite people that fascinate me.
That list could look like this:
Ben Bradlee
Mark Twain
Erin Van Vuren
Rick Bragg’s mama
Grace Kelly
I mean, WTF kind of dinner party is this?
Would these guests get on together?
What would I actually serve these people?
I’d be fangirling about three of them to the point I might actually pee my pants!
Or would I?
Perhaps I’d be lovely and gracious and we could all learn wonderful things from and with each other.
Ha! Let’s get real!
I’d be worried I’m not smart enough to be in the same room with Mark Twain.
Not informed enough to be in the same room with Ben Bradlee.
Not clever enough to be in the same room Erin Van Vuren. Though honestly, I feel like she’s the safest bet.
Not graceful enough to be in the same room with Grace Kelly!
And while I suspect I’m down to earth enough for Rick Bragg’s mama, I feel like she’d judge the food, and that would break my heart.
No, I don’t think I’d enjoy myself at that dinner.
I don’t feel like it would meet my expectations of ‘The List’.
A dinner party should be enjoyable for the hostess as well as the guests.
That’s why I considered it from a different perspective.
Who would I like to talk with and enjoy spending the evening with in a way that suits who I am as a person?
Who might actually enjoy spending time with me, and each other?
Who do I want to connect with on a deeper level than fascination or fangirling?
With whom do I want to drink cocktails and/or wine?
After some serious thought, I present my dinner list:
Alan Cumming
Carol Burnett
Dominique Browning
Nick Drake
Richard Burton
For me, this dinner is an ideal combination of playful, serious, humor, kindness, and darkness.
A dinner party to really sink my teeth into.
I mean, sure, there are people I ‘like’ more, or am a bigger ‘fan’ of, and whatnot, but, this group of people feels at once comfortable and challenging. And I love that!
I’m curious what y’all think of my list.
I’d love to know who’s on your list, and how did you decide?
Is it harder than you expected it to be?
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