As mentioned in our Year in Review post, at the beginning of December, my sister and I took our mom to New York City for her birthday. It was something we had been dreaming about our whole lives and planning for over a year and half.
My mom grew up and worked in and around the city. As a child, her parents would take the family out to dinner and to Radio City to see the Rockettes as part of her birthday celebration. This was our goal and it was FANTASTIC!
In addition to our show at Radio City Music Hall, we had several other "must dos" on our list which included afternoon tea at The Plaza, Christmas shopping at F.A.O Schwarz, pizza in Little Italy, and of course Bloomingdales!
I wanted so badly to come home with a "Brown Bag" even if it was only a little one. But, we did better than that. Not only did I come home with a "Little Brown Bag", I came home with what is now one of my favorite purchases of all time...
My Bloomingdale's mug!
Now, as I sip my coffee each morning, I am reminded of our wonderful trip and the special time spent in an amazing city with my even more amazing family!
It has come again. Thursday. It's never been my favorite day of the week. Let's face it. Is there a day that we wake up feeling worse than Thursday...4 days into our work/school week?
However, over the past few months, Thursdays around our house have evolved into a respite of sorts, following what is generally a fairly busy beginning to the week. Thursday is my day to play catch up on laundry, cleaning,organizing, and do I dare say blogging? I don't like to make plans on Thursdays unless they involve staying home. On Thursdays hair usually doesn't get brushed, make-up is seldom applied, meals consist largely of leftovers, and our apparel is something I now lovingly refer to as "Thursday clothes".
Thursday clothes are a lot of things. Thursday clothes are comfortable. Thursday clothes are roomy. Thursday clothes can get dirty. Thursday clothes occasionally coordinate. Thursday clothes are things I would not be caught dead wearing out in public.
Thursday clothes are NOT stylish. Thursday clothes are not always the right size. Thursday clothes don't always come out of our own closet (some of my favorite Thursday clothes are baggy t-shirts I pull from my hubby's dresser). Thursday clothes are not flattering.
But, oh how I love my Thursday clothes! We all have them. Thursday clothes are the t-shirts you have had since college that are so soft and comfy that you don't care about the holes you've worn in the front. Thursday clothes are the baggy bottomed sweat pants that are so roomy and comfortable, but that your husband does not find sexy.
We all have, love, and need our Thursday clothes. They are an outward expression of the comfort, warmth, and simplicity that we crave so much during a busy week. Yours may be Monday or Friday clothes. Whatever day is yours to slow down, throw on your clothes and enjoy your day!
Please take a moment to read the following story, written by my husband, and prayerfully deconsider how you may contribute to this cause.
Do you ever wish you could find a meaningful way to make a difference in someone's life? For me, the feeling is pretty constant. On many occasions I have this aching feeling as I see people on the street or hear about someone who is hurting, but for some reason I lose interest or just get caught up in my own agenda. Many times I catch myself telling Eileen that I "wish I could do something" or "if I had a million dollars I would just give this person what they needed". Today I came across this situation and I wanted to share the story of a man named Teshita.
Last night I set aside about $10 with the intent of getting my shoes shined at the airport on my way to NJ for work. The truth is that I have never had my shoes shined before and thought I would treat myself to this luxury. I think it had something to do with the fact that I had been upgraded to 1st class for the first time in my life and thought I'd perpetrate the image of a succcessful business man as much as possible.
After I purchased my high end cup of coffee I went to sit "on deck" in the empty shoe shining chair while Teshita was finishing up work on a rather scuffy pair of brown shoes that belonged to a chatty middle aged man. This man couldn't stop asking Teshita about the village he came from in Africa. I overheard Teshita explain how he comes from a farming community and that because of the drought finding work was especially difficult. Teshita seemed to just respectfully agree with the man's opinions of the progress made in that part of the country and kept right on working.
As soon as their transaction was complete Teshita gave me a warm smile and got right to work on my shoes. I made a conscious effort to not talk for some reason, maybe I figured that he could use the break from the empty chatter. To my surprise Teshita's raw emotion transcended his broken English and grabbed my attention right away. He told me how the last few weeks have been really hard to get through and after speaking with the last customer he was reminded of how much he misses his wife and infant son who were back in his tiny village in Africa. He told me how he was selected in an immigration lottery 2 years ago and that he jumped at the chance to come to the USA to earn a living so he could support his family. He went on to tell me that his only option right now is to shine shoes partly because of the job market but also because he has some physical challenges as well. It was at that point that I noticed his crooked legs...it's funny what you don't notice when someone has a smile on their face isn't it? I asked him how long it had been since he saw his family...Teshita immediately gave me the exact figures - 22 months 2 weeks etc... He said his son was a newborn when he left. I probed a little and he said it's too expensive to fly back - a ticket costs about $2000. Teshita told me he makes $1 per shoe shine plus tips so it's not easy to raise the money. He told me that he would drop everything and go home today if he had the money but that it's just not possible.
It was at this point that my heart broke and he must have noticed the look on my face at the mention of missing his son's first 2 years. I mean the only thing holding him back is a couple of thousand dollars?
- What a difference could we make in not only this man's life but in the life of his family?
- What would it mean to his son when he is held in his father's strong and loving embrace for the first time in years?
- How special would that first kiss be when he sees his wife after all this time? I wish you could have seen the joy and surprise in his eyes when I gave him a generous tip. I want to share this feeling with anyone who wants to be part of helping him out. Trust me - it will be an investment with great rewards. How about we practice love instead of talking about it?
Eileen and I have already started a fund for him - we are throwing in the first and last $100 and I am determined to send this man home. If you feel compelled to make a difference let me know. I'm collecting anything that can help him out. Maybe you can spare $20? Or maybe you can get a ticket from Az to Africa for cheap?
Please let me know what you are willing to do and we'll figure it out!
I absolutely LOVE this time of the year and, in addition to my unhealthy affinity for the holiday season, I look forward to it every year. There is something about the slight increase in temperature, the arrival of the scent of the orange blossoms in the air, and the anticipation of what's to come that ignites something in my soul.
February has always been an eventful month. It's the month of my birth and the month of our anniversary, which always give me something to look forward to- lots of celebrations and, let's just be honest, hopefully some gifts here and there.
I love presents! Not expensive presents (although they can be utterly wonderful), ANY presents. My love language is gifts, so I always look forward to feeling especially loved this time of year, regardless of the fact that the holiday of love, Valentine's Day, is often boycotted in our home (sounds like an upcoming blog post in and of itself).
But the things I look forward to this time of year aren't wrapped and aren't usually surprises. It's the comfort of the familiar that I love. The holiday season is over and the natural feeling of letdown that follows all the excitement of it has passed. Our family seems to be healthier. The sun shines a bit brighter and warmer during the day- just warm enough to don some short sleeved shirts and bust out a pair or two of flip flops. The smell in the air is cleaner and can be enjoyed by opening the windows in the afternoon. I previously mentioned the smell of the orange blossoms that, while causing me to sneeze relentlessly, lightly fragrance the air. Strawberries come back in season. And let's not forget the Girl Scout Cookies!
I think what is so beautiful about February, especially growing up in Arizona, is that it truly is the onset of our Spring- temperatures in the 70s, flowers beginning to bloom, there is a sense of renewal. It's something we want to hold on to because we know that as the rest of the country ushers in Spring in the months to come, our summer looms on the horizon.
So for now, I'll just open the windows, take a breath of warm fresh air (grab a Thin Mint), and enjoy!
Sometimes it's the little victories that mean the most.
I used to set the bar unintentionally high for myself saying things like, "My kids will eat only organic food, lean meats, leafy green vegetables, and whole grain breads." Life experience and a firmer grasp of reality have taught me that plan was naive and......well, stupid. Kids are kids. They like hot dogs and macaroni and cheese out of a box (a very specific box). They like McDonald's and Oreos. They prefer plain white bread, processed cheese, and, for the most part, they do NOT like leafy green vegetables. While my intention is to keep my kids healthy by feeding them the right kinds of foods, this battle inevitably has a negative effect on my own health and well-being by increasing my blood pressure, creating unnecessary tension in my muscles, and giving me a headache. And seeing that the goal of making my family eat healthy is that I can avoid dying prematurely of a stroke and/or heart attack, I've had to make some changes.
So, what do I do? Typically hide green leafy vegetables in other dishes or add them into items that can be smothered in ketchup. I buy bread that they'll eat and make pancakes with whole wheat flour which can be hidden under syrup. I do my best, but have chosen to choose my battles wisely. Let's face it...most days we're just glad our kids are eating. Period. Which is why my heart smiles a bit when I can steer them away from the "usual" and serve them something like homemade soup and apples for lunch. It's a small victory but on days like today, I'll take what I can get.
I'm coming to terms with the fact that this phrase was uttered by my 5 year old today. I understand that he's been couped up in the house for the last six days with the flu and is in need of a change. However, having moved five times in the last three years, the term "move" sends chills down my spine.
Imagine my alarm, then, when I received the following text from my husband later this afternoon- "Guess who's moving"
(insert mini-stroke here)
Thankfully, the answer is NOT us. Although that was my first guess. I'm also thankful that my husband assures me he would not choose to announce something so large through a text message.
I am not convinced that God doesn't have another big move for us in the future, but we plan on crossing that bridge IF and when we come to it. In the meantime, we are happy and content right where we are and are not in a hurry to pack up yet another house.
Sorry, buddy, regardless of how much fun you think it is to move into a new house, you're just going to have to live here a little while longer!
I was informed yesterday that my husband was going to buy me a Kindle for Christmas until he realized, and I quote, I'm "not really a reader". The words unintentionally cut me to the core and I've been in a self-induced funk ever since. Why? I LOVE to read. I admit, I don't always run to it the first chance I get. But, those of you who are mothers can attest to the fact that free time is a precious commodity and is often spent seeking pleasure other ways- like showering. The truth of the matter is that I don't have a lot of time for myself but I'm convinced that I can make some progress in this area this year and convince my family (namely my husband) that I am in fact a READER.
So, here we go again! It's time to scour the shelves of our personal library and decide which books I want to attempt to read this year. I must admit, I didn't accomplish what I set out to in 2010, but my list did help me to focus on a few particular books instead of staring blankly at shelves lined with them until I was completely overwhelmed and reverted to playing "Angry Birds" on my phone. I must also add that I did read a couple books that were not on my list originally.
My 2011 Reads are as follows-
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy- J.R.R. Tolkien
Extravagant Worship- Darlene Zschech
The Sacred Echo- Margaret Feinberg
More Letters from Pemberley- Jane Dawkins
Before Green Gables- Budge Wilson
Sizzling Sixteen- Janet Evanovich (this series is my guilty pleasure. I read the first 12 books in 2 months, when I had one child. I have now owned this book six months and have manged to get through 3 chapters)
This list is much more concise than last year's. This is largely due to the fact that, in the past 12 months, I've gotten a healthy dose of reality and have learned that I'll feel much more accomplished if I set the bar a tad lower. Ultimately, it is because I have promised my husband that I will begin the year with Tolkien (since he's been reappearing on my list for quite some time now) and, having not read these books since high school, I am anticipating that I'll need about 8 months to get through all three of them. That's being optimisitc.
