Simple pleasures and little smiles....

I really embraced my former work environment.
For many years my office was a safe haven,
it was my own place,
it was a small space that reflected me and my inner self.

My walls were filled with sayings, reflections, photos, and inspirations.
It was a place I went when I was seeking peace and quiet.
I could close my door, shutting out the noise and problems until I figured out which path to take.
It was my 'happy place'.

These days my work is more of a challenge for me.
It continually presents me with new opportunities for growth regardless of whether or not I am looking for new growth opportunities.

I now have to search a bit more for the kind of peace I used to simply stumble upon in the confines of my office space. I have to be alert and look for the simple pleasures that bring about happiness.

I am re-learning that the little things are what bring me comfort,
bring me peace and help me find happiness.

Some days it is getting myself fresh flowers for my desk.
Some times it is the music I listen to on my computer.
Often times I find peace or simple pleasures in the photos of family and friends, a can of cold Diet Coke, or something simple to laugh about. Or even a simple smile.



Just yesterday as I longed for one small thing to go well in my day, I yanked open my desk drawer in frustration to find some old familiar faces smiling at me. In my ill tempered drawer opening I must have loosened a photo stuck in the back of my desk drawer and right there staring back at me was Matt and Jim with their big cheesy grins and a huge 'thumbs up'.



It made me smile and even giggle a bit. It lighten my mood and eased my stress.

It was exactly what I needed to breathe a deep sigh of relief, let go of my ill temper, and smile.

I will continue to look for the little things that make me smile and hope that I will continue to recognize them when they come my way.

I am heading into a busy weekend filled with work, home, and many fun activities and I will be looking for the simple pleasures and a few more things to smile about.

Easter and Resurrection

It has been a good Easter this year.

After some trepidation, hesitation, and considerable discussion, we decided to attend the Easter Vigil last night at Queen of Peace.
Two years ago the Easter Vigil at St. Edwards lasted closer to 4 hours and left all of us a little gun shy when considering another Vigil here in this diocese.

But it was a very nice liturgy. Fr. Tim did a great job and it was only 2 hours and 20 minutes. It was also the first time I was able to participate and experience Mass in a way that allowed me to feel like this is becoming home.

There were enough familiar parts that felt comforting, yet it wasn't so different that I longed for the past and St. James.
It was a good blend of the past and the present giving me hope for the future and finding a place to fit into a faith community here in Salem.

On a more personal note...

I have a few resurrections of my own this year.
I have resurrected the job chart for the kids.
I am hoping this will enable me to resurrect some time for myself.
I have also resurrected the use of my treadmill.

I walked 3 miles this afternoon and it felt great.

I feel like I need to resurrect a healthier attitude and life for myself if I am to be the best mom I can be.

This past Lent has helped me to learn a lot about myself.
In giving up alcohol for 40 days (in which I was perhaps 50% successful) I realized that I was using alcohol as my only form of relaxation, unwinding, or forgetting the stresses in my life.

Since moving I have lost any healthy forms of mental recreation or physical recreation that I once had. Exercise, friends, craft projects, prayer, even my old job was in many ways an escape from kids and home.

I learned I was using a drink or two at night as my release after a stressful day at work or a stressful day at home.

And now that I know, I can do something about it.

I am going to work on making healthier choices for myself even if it means making time for myself and telling others no.

I need to do this.

So today I begin anew!

On Strike

I went on strike today.
At least I am on strike as much as a mom can go on strike.
I think most every wife/mom whether employed outside the home or not,
arrives at a point when they have to say enough is enough!
I quit!

I have arrived at this point a number of times throughout the past 28+ years of parenting and today I arrived at this old familiar place once again.

The 'last straw' this time was a simple straw.
I had to take the trash down the hill and to the curb in a dress.

Now that might seem like a small issue to anyone reading this, but today this small issue was the last issue I could deal with, at least deal with in silence.

So I made my voice heard via text message to those in the household who carry a cell phone... a cell phone that I Pay for I might add!

For well over 2 years our trash day has been Tuesday. Never the less, each and every Monday I ask, beg and plead for someone to take the trash down the steep hill to the curbside. On the occasion that I am out of town on a Monday, I call home and remind them to take the trash to the curb.
I find it absurd that no one else can or cares to make sure this simple task happens.

On the rare occasions that I didn't ask, beg, or plead enough, or I wasn't heard from long distances, the trash wasn't collected.

How no one else in the house can keep track of a weekly calendar enough to remember this will always puzzle me.

Heaven forbid I die before Jeff, I sure hope a loved one will assume the task of calling him on Mondays to have him ask, beg, or plead to have the kids take the trash to the curb for the Tuesday morning pick up.

But as I indicated before...
this was just a small issue.
The bigger issue preceding this.

I have already beleaguered the trash issue so I won't go into the details surrounding the bigger issue of cooking, cleaning, recycling, dishes, cell phones, car insurance, beer bottles, pop cans, new shoes, soccer practice, tennis practice, activities with friends, dirty laundry, menu complaints, junk mail, dog hair, dirty bathrooms, newspapers left for days on the front porch, clean laundry not put away or hung up, who lets the dog out, who lets the dog in, proper remote control handling and use, book bags, socks behind the furniture, camping gear, a garage that doubles as a storage unit and catch all, and general lack of listening and communication. And that was simply the past 48 hours.

So I am on Strike!
I have taken myself to dinner, enjoyed a beer (just one) and am now headed to my 97 or is it 98? school choir concert.

Woohoo!

So Even when I am on strike, I really can never be on strike.
I guess it just means I complain a lot, blog about it, and drink alone.

Is there anyone out there that can help?

I need a drinking partner!!!
:-)