My Super Power

I love to read.

I also like background music while I read.

Soft, but not elevator music.

My reading chair is close to my speaker.

As I was reading today, I had to lower the volume in order to concentrate.

It was then that I realized that I had lost one of my Mom super powers…the ability to drown out background noise of any kind.

I could read, talk on the phone, write a letter or make a list even when chaos was happening all around me to include the dog throwing up!

This skill kept me sane, especially on days when my rambunctious boys were confined indoors due to inclement weather.

My sons are grown with their own domestic chaos.

My days are quiet and predictable.

Everything in its place, for the most part, day after day.

I relish this quiet even though, at times, I miss the busyness of parenting.

I miss being needed, being accountable for someone, to someone.

There is no turning back the clock.

I am grateful for my life.

Jumpstart

Feeling smug this morning.

I finished two loads of laundry. All by 7 A.M. Continue reading “Jumpstart” →

A little spirit

A true story.

A five-year old girl grabbed her Dad’s whiskey and tried to gulp it down like the cowboys do in the westerns.

Furious, her Dad yelled, “Don’t spit it out! Swallow it!”

With tears in her eyes, she choked it down, gagging and crying.

Not a nice Dad in my opinion.

The little girl is now a grown woman with grown sons of her own.

She is a great mother.

Her Dad was always tough with his three children.

He was still alive when she told me this story. More than once I witnessed him being mean to his children and grandchildren.

I was not intimidated by him and found the presence of mind not to respond when he tried to bait me.

But when he was mean to my children, I put on my boxing gloves.

I stood up and went over to my children. I took them each by the hand.

I ignored the old man.

I spoke loudly and firmly to my little boys. I told them that he was a bully and that they should ignore him.

Having said that, I glared at the old man. He said nothing.

Even to this day my grown sons will laugh about the time Mom “took on this old man”.

It was a departure from everything I had been taught about treating my elders with respect.

Years later, thinking about his behavior still makes me angry.

My friend never had a good relationship with her father.

She is a wonderful artist and a really kind person.

March 15th

Hello my friends,

Just a friendly reminder to be careful today.

Don’t go to the forum!

Afterall, it is the Ides of March!

Talk soon…I hope! 🙂

~Lori

My black hole

You don’t have to be a physicist to identify a black hole.

Nor do you have to be a scientist to deal with one.

All that is needed is determination and resolve.

I think. I hope.

Continue reading “My black hole” →

Odd bake fellows

In addition to running the world this morning, I found time to roast vegetables.

My line up included carrots, brussel sprouts, asparagus, beets (both red and yellow), red bell peppers, and eggplant.

I love roasted vegetables and snack on them right out of the oven.

I sometimes place a melange of cooked vegetables on a plate, grate parmesan cheese on top and pop in the microwave or under the broiler to melt the cheese. One of my favorite meals!

Or, I toast some hearty, dark bread and spread with hummus or avocado and then top with roasted vegetables. On top of that I grate some Parmesan cheese and melt it.

Always the cheese! I buy the large wedge from Costco. I tell myself that Parmesan cheese is OK as it is not a fatty cheese.

Kudos to my Mother whose gardening skills kept our table and freezer full of vegetables all year long.

Cheers,

Lori