Tag: Family

Friday! Glad you’re here.

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

.:: Drama
“Be careful what you wish for” is something I have heard time and time again. Yet, regardless of the number of times I hear it, I continue to wish for some things and then get smacked in the face when it happens.

Drama. Drama makes for a good blog week. Drama makes for good postings. People don’t want to read boring. So, yes, I find I wish for exciting weeks – not necessarily drama-filled weeks.

Well, color me smacked. Drama payed a visit this week. Big time. This week, Charlie lost his sandals! Dun dun duuuuunn!!

What? Were you expecting a cat fight of some sort? Hmm. Anyway, while getting ready for day care, Charlie started looking for his shoes; specifically, he was looking for his sandals. “Mommy!” He yelled. “Where are my sandals?”

Now, I love Charlie with all my heart, but this kid loses everything. He is a hoarder and tosser all at the same time. Wanting to sleep with whatever he collected during the day, while simultaneously losing his prized collection from yesterday. “Where is my ruby red?” He asks. What is a ‘ruby red’? It’s a small red reflector, which he picked up off the ground at Suzann’s house. He has slept with it for the past week, except during the nights when he misplaced it moments before bedtime. I digress.

Back to the sandals. “I’m sorry, Charlie.” I said. “When you don’t put your things back where they belong, things get lost. You’ll have to wear another pair of shoes today.”

Charlie’s smile turned to a frown and he began to whimper. Fortunately, he had his ‘ruby red’, so the frown and whimper were short lived. Still, every morning Charlie asked me, “Where are my sandals?” And today, as I took the dirty clothes out of the kids’ laundry basket, I found Charlie’s sandals. Yes, the laundry basket. And, no, I don’t get it either. Ah drama. Thanks for visiting.

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A bed filled with a boy’s treats.
All protected between his sheets.

Hey, look what I found, an old box.
I’ll sleep with it and my favorite socks.

Can I sleep with the picture I drew?
What about my paint brush, too?

Oh, I like these rocks I found.
Now under my pillow, safe and sound.

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.:: A Blank Canvas
White towels. I’ve noticed white towels are popular in many homes. I’ve also noticed how white towel brighten up just about any and every bathroom. This past summer, I bought white towels to use for the boys after swimming. And once, while washing the white towels, I accidentally included a blue blanket. Okay, okay. I knew I was putting the blue blanket in with the white towels, but the blanket was old – I never dreamed it would still ‘bleed’.

The blanket bled. My white towels were now a bluish white towel. I looked at the towels. I thought, “I wonder what color I’d get if I added a pair of black jeans.” And with that, I started washing my white towels with various colors.

Behold the freedom and fun of having white towels. Sure, you could do your best to keep the towels the whitest and brightest; or, you could wash the white towels with an old blue blanket that still bleeds with every wash. You could wash your white towels as it says on the label, with whites only; or, you could throw in a new red shirt, creating a soft pink colored towel. You could add bleach to your recently colored white towels and bring back the original white color; or you could add a yellow shirt, a black shirt, a red shirt and a blue shirt and create  – well, I don’t have a name for that color creation.

White towels: blank canvases waiting to be colored. Go color!

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Laundry is an art.
Mixing different colors.
Wash in a rainbow.

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.:: Why
Folks ask me all the time, “Lenore,” they begin. “Why do you blog?”

Okay. So, folks don’t ask me that question all the time. In fact, I doubt anyone has asked me. But, this morning, I find I am asking myself, “Why do I blog?” This week has been an interesting week, which began with an ah-ha moment on Sunday, and ended with complete peace and satisfaction. And today, I know, without any doubts, why I blog.

I blog for my family. I blog, because blogging keeps me happy. I blog, because when I am happy I am better able to provide for my family. I blog, because blogging helps keep me sane. I blog, because blogging helps me keep things in perspective. I blog, so I can get thoughts out of my head and off my mind. I blog to vent. I blog to forget. I blog to remember. I blog to show my love and support for my friends, while giving me a chance to appreciate all that surrounds me. I blog to make others laugh. I blog to make others smile. I blog to make others think.

I blog, because I love to write. I blog, because I love to share. I blog, because I want to promote the fund-raising efforts of my friends and family. I blog to promote Angela’s efforts with Team In Training, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I blog to promote my friend Elise’s animal rescue organization, Pick of the Litter. I blog to promote Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and other charitable organizations. I blog, because I want to help those around me. I blog, because I care.

And finally, as I have probably said in previous posts, I blog so others can breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Wow. At least I am not as crazy as she is. My life is pretty good!” You’re welcome.

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Blogging is something I love to do.
Writing helps me see things through.

I’m not perfect, and don’t claim to be.
I’m just working on being me.

Sometimes I think I’m funny, too.

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Be sure to take care of yourself and others.

Freaky Friday

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

.:: The Real Ordinary
I sit corrected. Last week was not a plain and ordinary week; last week was an extraordinary week.

At the risk of being labeled an Eeyore, I’m beginning to think ‘ordinary’ weeks are weeks when the family is running non-stop, challenges pop up everywhere and the whine flows freely. And the extraordinary weeks? Extraordinary weeks are when the deadlines are few to non-existent, challenges are mere blips and dinners involve more than cans, boxes and bags. (Wait. Scratch that. Regardless of the week, our dinners come from cans, boxes and bags; but the food is organic – we are a health conscious family, people.) I digress . . .

Crazy is my new ‘ordinary’; ordinary is my new ‘extraordinary’; and this week was crazy ordinary!

10 Things About This Crazy Ordinary Week

10. One of my children hit another kid at school.
9. The same child pitched a fit at home, breaking his glasses.
8. The same child was dealing with an awful rash on his forearms, causing me to take him to the pediatrician.
7. The same child was advised to be treated for “Scabies”, just in case.
6. My trip to the Pharmacy (just before they closed) to pick up medication proved pointless, as I came home with the wrong medicine.
5. Due to my babbling big mouth, odd sense of humor and Facebook, my rash-free kid was banned from daycare for a day, due to the Scabies rash he did NOT have.
4. My rash-free child became sick with a cold, slept with me and cried all night.
3. The dinner date with my friend was canceled.
2. Work deadlines were met during non-working/should-be-sleeping hours.
1. Whine was the sound du jour – all week for all ages.

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The crazy work week is now ending;
Bring on the weekend and start the mending.

This past week sure kicked my bum;
and, left me feeling a little glum.

So now, adult beverages I start blending.

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.:: Is It Okay That I Don’t Miss You?
Though I talk about my blog with my boss, she does not read my posts much, if at all. Come to think of it, she doesn’t need to read my blog, because I pretty much tell her everything. [Big shock, I tell my boss everything; such an odd characteristic for such private person.] So, when I write that I absolutely love my boss, please know it is a genuine sentiment and not said to brown-nose.

Typically, I will go to my boss’ house twice a week – Tuesdays & Thursdays. Neither she nor I particularly love it when I go to her house. We appreciate our ‘work at home’ set up. More to the point, we appreciate working alone with little interruption. If I let my boss know I can’t make it to her house on a particular day, her response is usually a sarcastic “Darn.” And, when I am packing up and leaving my boss’ house, there’s a sort of ‘Don’t let the door hit you on the way out’ kind of vibe. We have a blast working together, so it is all in good fun; and, I love it.

Last week, I went to her house early in the week, leaving her Thursday and Friday to be alone. I did not return to her house until Thursday of this week (due to my kid being shunned from daycare for a day). When I walked in to her house, she wanted to have a quick look at me, because it had been several days since we had seen each other. We were both basking in the glow of having not seen each other in several days.

This morning, I let my boss know that I would not be coming to her house next Thursday, due to a parent/teacher conference at Joe’s school. My boss’ response? “Oh, bummer.”

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Oh, you’re back again.
How long until you go home?
All done. Thanks. Goodbye.

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Not the best picture, but the best bunch of siblings. Ever.

.:: The Fam’damily
Tomorrow, we are packing up and heading to a family gathering for the day. One of my sisters is having all of us over to visit with cousins in town from Pennsylvania. I have not seen my siblings since the beginning of June, and I miss them. With the exception of one sister, we all live in Georgia. And, we see each other fairly regularly, but with Summer vacation – it’s been awhile since we’ve all gotten together.

I love my siblings. We are a crazy crew, a loud crew, an opinionated crew, a laughing crew and a crying crew; and, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am so happy to end this Crazy Ordinary week with a reunion with my Freaky Family. Woo hoo!

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Salutations Friday; Good to see you.
Nice that you brought a long weekend, too.
Thank you for coming and staying all day.
Let’s get on with it now; it is time to play.

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Be sure to take care of yourself and others.

Friday: A Week in Review

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

.:: Plain and Ordinary
I sat down to write my Friday post, and I found myself struggling for content. Much, okay – all of what I write is taken straight from my life experiences, for better or worse. I love plain and ordinary weeks; however, plain and ordinary does not make for an interesting blog. So, we’ll see how this goes.

A picture message for Joe and Charlie's cousin, Shannon.

10 Things About This Plain and Ordinary Week
10. 12 days have passed since I have had ice cream.
9. My child threw a peppercorn in a teacher’s ear. SCORE!
8. I took a great picture of my boys, because they wanted to send a note to their cousin.
7. I enjoyed eating fresh, plump blueberries. (So sorry the blueberry season is over.)
6. I picked up my neighbor’s son from school, because her keys were locked in the car and she couldn’t find her spare key. (It’s nice to know it is not just ‘me’.)
5. I started watching season 4 of Dexter, thanks to Netflix. (I love Dexter.)
4. I watched my neighbor’s kids for a couple of hours, enjoying the chance to hold a baby and rock her to sleep.
3. I set up a dinner date with my friend for next week.
2. I’ve made it 12 days ice cream free. (Yes, this is mentioned twice. I’m proud, people!)
1. I had relations with my husband. Wait. Maybe that was last week. Meh, I’m still glowing, so it counts.

P.S. I hope next week is plain and ordinary, too.

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.:: Seeing is Believing, and Sometimes that Stinks
As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, I have a friend whose Mom is battling Cancer. Until Thursday, my friend had not seen her Mom since learning of her Cancer diagnosis. And, since the diagnosis, her Mom has undergone two periods of chemotherapy.

Knowing her Mom was coming to town, my excitement for her has been building all week. I sent her a note asking her if her Mom was in town yet, in a similar fashion to kids asking if they are at their destination yet: “Is she there yet? I she there yet? Is she there yet?”

While letting me know her Mom had not yet arrived, she added that she was a bit nervous about seeing her. I understood. I was nervous for her. All week, my excitement for my friend was combined with anxiety, nervousness and happiness. My friend had not seen her Mom, and she had no idea what to expect.

This week I have been thinking about my Dad. Because I was living out of town, there was a period of 5 months where we did not see each other. The last time I saw him, he was in the hospital. I was not prepared for how my Dad looked. Not prepared. And, I spent this week hoping my friend would be better prepared.

Hair loss? Yes, she was expecting hair loss. I think for my friend, she was more anxious about her Mom’s overall appearance, like her weight, facial features, mobility, etc. And, as the time of her mom’s arrival neared, my friend wondered if seeing pictures prior to her Mom’s visit would have been a good idea. Regardless, it was time. As her Mom has said many times, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

My friend’s Mom arrived. Though she looked frail, my friend said her Mom looked better than she expected. The hair loss? Yes, the hair loss is evident. In fact, her Mom took off her wig early to get ‘the show on the road.” But, the anticipation and uneasiness is now gone, at least with regards to appearances.

The fact of the matter is that seeing her Mom walk through the door wasn’t the tough part. The tough part was seeing the reality. Now my friend has to be present in the moment of her Mom having Cancer. My friend has to be present in the moment of what had been only words spoken over the phone or typed via email. Now the journey becomes a tough journey – a real tough journey.

And to my friend I say, “I love you very much.”

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.:: Giving Until I Get Old
If you read my post from yesterday, please pardon me as I repeat a little of what I said yesterday. I spent two days helping in the call center during the WSB Talk Radio Care-A-Thon, benefiting the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Care-a-Thon. (Actually, day two is taking place as I type.) The Care-a-Thon benefits the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorder Services. This was the 10th year for the WSB Talk Radio Care-a-Thon, and I was honored to participate.

One of the calls I received was from a 97 yr old woman. Please understand, she shared her age without me asking. As a woman, I respect my fellow women, and I respect the unwritten (but famous) rule to never ask another woman her age. This woman volunteered her age, and she let me know she has been calling in every year in support of the Aflac Cancer Center; then she apologized.

“I’m sorry. This year I can only afford $20.” The woman said to me. “I wish I could donate more, but I just don’t have the money right now.”

[Insert deliberate pause here.]

I hope I live to be 97yrs old, and I hope I am able to pull together $20 to donate to a charitable organization. God bless that 97yr old woman. Even though she is limited financially, she still made a point to give. And, I am here to tell you, every single dollar we received mattered. Every. Single. Dollar. Mattered. And that woman – that generous woman? She can teach us all a thing or twenty.

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Be sure to take care of yourself and others.