A week and a half

So, it’s been a week and a half.  I mean that literally and figuratively.  A bit over a week since hearing of a young woman’s life coming to a tragic end, three young girls injured in body and spirit. 

A week and a half since having a broken heart for a young man I have known since he was an infant.  Of sharing a mother’s heart, and a grandmother’s heart,  with women I adore.  A week and a half since I had an unquenchable thirst to hear my own children’s voices and those of my grandbabies. 

Many of you share this with me and understand.  Let us stay strong, let us stay true and let us stay in support as these amazing little girls show us the way.  Lead us little ladies. 

The T word

I promise I am going to throw out all my current plastic storage containers.  You know what I'm talking about...the T word.  I will, I swear, I will.  I have had a very well stocked cabinet of these containers for years.  You can't help but have them for years.  You get to a point where they start looking very sad.  I am to that point.

Hubs has always taken leftovers for lunch.  It's a great thing but the man does not know the meaning of dump it out on a paper plate to heat it up in the microwave, please, not in the plastic storage container.   He has also never fully grasped the concept of microwaves heat food from the inside out...so, heat it a LITTLE bit and then allow it to heat from the inside.  Stir, check it and maybe heat again.  No.  To him, microwave has always meant two minutes. Doesn't matter what or how much, its two minutes. 

You can imagine what my plastic storage containers look like.  I would like to get new plastic storage containers but I am not sure I can until he retires.   I am trying not to be angry over the condition of my prized plastic storage containers but quite frankly, I am sort of ticked off.  I would like to pull out a container and lid and not have that bubbled, crinkled ring of melted plastic around the inside. 

I have mostly matched lids and containers but every once in a while they get separated.   About a month ago, as I was putting away groceries,  I started to look for the lid for a small yellow pitcher. It's where I keep sunflower seeds for sprinkling onto salads.  I always have it.  ALWAYS.  I could not find it and where in the world could it be? It had sunflower seeds in it last week, in the fridge so why now is it not with the pitcher? I tore through the cabinet of lids and containers, I may have grumbled.  Dang it.  Who did something with my lid?  I asked around the house and my tone may have been slightly accusatory. 

Fine.  Just fine.  I will put the sunflower seeds in this OTHER small pitcher, which is totally wrong for sunflower seeds, but since someone has lost the lid to the yellow pitcher which should be right here, I'll use it.

Here's the problem.  I haven't seen that yellow pitcher with its lid in forever and a day.  The sunflower seeds really go in the smaller clear pitcher with a different yellow lid that is still in the fridge with just a few seeds in it.  They never were in the yellow pitcher...that's too big.    

Ooops. 

The year of the challenge.

Some time ago, I issued a challenge to myself. Decided that I wanted to keep things moving. You know, try new things, go to new places, see more, do more and not say no to so much. Life is for living.



For several years, hubs employer has held a family night at Coveleski Stadium in South Bend. It has been around the fourth of July every year so there are fireworks. Fireworks in South Bend, Indiana are pretty neat and I think back to a night of fireworks when I was in the back seat of my friend’s red Firebird convertible. Fireworks were overhead, it was a spectacularly clear and warm night. I can’t remember why we were in South Bend but I am sure glad I had that experience.


But, back to hubs employer’s family nights at the ball game. These family nights were not all that much fun to me. I know people put a lot of effort and work toward them but I was more than blasé about them. I was bored. Way bored. Somewhere in the last year or so I have recognized that my boring experiences are my fault. Say what? Yes, my fault. Time to get over myself and so the challenge was issued. Along with the do more, see more was the ENJOY more.


I had a great time at the ball game last Friday night. I have no idea who played. South Bend I suppose, but other than that I couldn’t tell you. I ran in to an acquaintance from MY work. She was as surprised to see me as I was her, and we had a fun few minutes of conversation as she went off to her husband’s company area and I went off to mine. Serendipitous.


I spoke at length to a woman I admire greatly for her tenacity and strength in battling, and successfully thus far, cancer. I also talked with her lovely daughter and friendly, smiling husband, discovered we also had some connections. I was entertained by their young child who had his grandparents in the palm of his hand. A feeling I understand all too well. Two years ago, I would not have approached their table. I would have either thought them too busy, too far removed in some way, to be approached. In their own clique. (Seriously, had a problem with it. Am I in middle school?) But, this year, the year of the challenge, I said “Screw it. I’m gonna go see how she’s doing!” That’s right. I said screw it. Spent way more time catching up with her than I would have guessed, enjoyed laughing and remembering some previous events we shared, including some tremendous travel opportunities, and left their sitting area with her saying to me “Thanks for coming over! It’s great seeing you!” I so enjoyed it. But, I have no idea who played or won the ballgame. Ooops.


The year of the challenge. It didn’t start at the first of the year, not at all a resolution,  but more towards my birthday, when, if you recall, I like to take stock. See where I’m at. I like where I’ve been but I really look forward to where I’m going! More to come, more to see, more to try and yes, much more to enjoy.