Girls Night In/Throw back out

It was Saturday, a good day for me, since I was having the monthly gathering of my pals... I knew alot of people weren't going to make it this month for a variety of reasons, but I was still looking forward to it.

Salad night and flavored teas. Who knew that tea was such a dangerous concoction??? We were sitting around chatting: where would we go if money and time were no object, which segued into how we met our husbands, doing the wrong thing and trying to make it right by doing it the "right" way, motorized scooter mishaps, snoring, etc. You get the idea...we were on our typical roll. We were laughing as always, just enjoying some time to be women, not someone's mom, daughter, wife. Just our silly selves... taking self portraits such as this one!!

then I leaned down to pick up my iced tea...and couldn't get up. I"m not talking a little twinge. I'm talking about eye watering, can barely breathe, CANNOT move pain. This is where I"m supposed to tell you some face saving story like "I pushed a child out of the way of a moving car" or "I saw toxic ooze and used my body to shield it, contorting it in some unrecognizable position, thus harming myself but saving humanity". Once everyone was done laughing and sharing THEIR back-wrenching stories, we settled into praying for my back to be healed, icing it (thank GOD Paul got the bag of ice he usually resists) and continuing the talk...of mentoring, Judson's 4th of July bash and respective church services.

By Sunday morning it was better (thanks Cindi...ice on my butt all night did help!! But I have a tummy ache from the constant inflow of anti-inflammatories), but I still couldn't move around. So bed visits it was...Joseph, Paul and Cassie after church, then hobbling off to eat breakfast.

Cassie rededicated her life to Christ at church this week. I'm so excited for her and hope she can make the changes in her life that reflects that commitment. I know it will be hard; there are some pretty big adjustments she'll need to make to be aligned with her Christian values...but God has shown up once again in her life...strong and clear and unwavering....not like He is ever anything but...

So now it's post July 4th and my niece is in (Paul had to go get her since I still could barely sit up and definitely wouldn't have made THAT trip!!), we skipped the Taste so far, but went to a mini class reunion where we hooked up with some old friends and laughed our butts off (that was before the whole back thing), and have played multiple card games but have so far dodged the deadly spoons game.

I really don't know what this picture is about but it was so freakin' funny, I had to share. Lindsay wanted to take some pictures for Patrick to put up on his ship, so this is what he's getting!! LOL

Finally!!

Life has slowed down enough to post again. I can see how this summer is going to be with blogging!! LOL
My birthday week was fab...

Well, first we cropped on Friday night. I think it was the first time I cropped since last summer. It was great. We laughed a ton, ate great food (tried eggplant parmesan) and chocolate, and I got my prayer journal done. Rhonda dropped in on her way to a night away with her husband, but the rest of us were there for the duration. My box of dark chocolates were cracked in to immediately and have been enjoyed ever since!!

Take 1: Joseph is an idiot for the first of almost every shot I take. I could do an entire album of Joseph outtakes. This is me looking at him, sensing his idiocy, just as I'm pushing the button. Perfect timing!!

Take two: Cassie decides to blow a bubble, which I pop, at the exact same time I push the shutter. We were laughing so hard we had to take a break before the next shot!!

Success at last!!

Saturday, Kimberlee came over and gave me a bag of great goodies, including some of my favorite paper and a "G"!! Then we went out to B&N for some cheesecake. I have convinced her that Godiva chocolate cheesecake is fabulous. It took no convincing on my part!!

Sunday, it was church and Cassie came. She brought a beautiful, full red rose and gave it to me! I just love it when she walks in places. Her presence alone makes it better. After church, we came home and decided to go out to breakfast in Naperville and walk around up there...after I opened my presents...which were AC/DC magnets from Joseph, and a beautiful set of chimes; a digital frame from Paul and a lunch/manicure from Cassie. I'm looking forward to that!!

I listened to my messages while changing...Lynda left me the longest message I've ever had and Sherrie and the kids sang...

Off to Egg Harbor, checking my texts on the way, and more voicemails from my nieces and sister.

Lunch (it was 130 before we ate) was great and the kids were getting along, so it was a wonderful day. We came home and played cards (ok it was my bday, but I still didn't WIN!!).

More messages, from my mom and brother, and some email greetings too!!
Check out Cassie's balloon head!!

By then, I wasn't feeling very well from the corned beef hash, so that was the end of my bday... but it continued on on Monday!!

Bible study, which was great as always, and found out that Paul had made several calls to find out the recipe to a chocolate cake that I loved. He called Sherrie, who called Lynda, who called Kimberlee, who called Melissa, who had a recipe. A great recipe. Yummy. Rich. Dark. But the cake I was watching him eat on the day he discovered chocolate cake, was the cake I MADE from a box. Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate cake, with a half of a bag of mint chocolate chips on top and a can of frosting. I thought that was the funniest, nicest story for bday prep.

Monday afternoon, I had some mentor moms over for lunch. That was great too. What an amazing group of women. I am humbled to be part of their posse. Wise, funny, kind, great women. Anyway, I started telling the cake recipe search story, and Evelyn started laughing right away, because she remembered me bringing the cake to Lynda's house!! It's a keeper story.

Monday night, out with Lynda and Kimberlee to Portillo's and B&N again. We had so much fun. It was totally unexpected and wonderful.

Lynda gave me a beautiful necklace and earring set that I know I will wear alot, but the best gift was their TIME!!

Thus ends my bday story...which is good because my "niece visiting story" begins Monday. And I need a little rest!!

Well...

I was going to do this long update on my fabuloso bday, but I have to now squeeze my errands in before one kid gets dropped off here and taking my ONE kid to the mall....
Keep your eyes peeled for when I get back!!

IN one hour...

I'll be the same age as my sister. For the next 28 days, she will hound me relentlessly about how we are the same age. It used to be ME hounding her. Somewhere along the lines, it switched. Hmmm...

Her birthday present to me is one of the best I"ll ever receive. She's quitting smoking. So if you know her, encourage her!! Our master plan is to start with a pack a day (good Lord that's alot of money!!) and each week, crush one more cigarette when she opens her daily pack. But she has to cut back by one each week. So by the end of November, she should be smoke free. Theoretically, pretty painless transition!!

Two days...

Today is the beginning of my birthday weekend!! Anyone who has been in my life very long knows that I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE celebrating birthdays. I think EVERYONE should be the queen of the universe (ok, or king) for at least one day around their bday. We decorate rooms, chairs and have heaps o presents waiting for the kids the morning of their birthdays. We do whatever they want all day...which in the past has been: moon jellies at the zoo, men in black 2, spiderman 1 and 2, pajama day, books in bed, going to Portillo's and cold stone, making ceramics, movie marathons at home, popsicles being brought to play practice, etc. etc. They get their favorite meal, as dictated the weekend before, their favorite cake and can have friend's spend the night.

It's really important that I find special gifts and make cards/cds/etc. that reflect what's going on in their lives...

and this extends to my nieces and nephew too...I just love bdays. It makes me happy to recognize someone's presence and impact in my life.

Anyway...

I'm off to crop. And then crop some more. I'm sitting here with my bling mug, which always makes me smile and think of Meliss, and all the friends I got one for and passed on the smiles. It's a good day here today...not just because of my bday weekend...because

God is good and faithful and loving. Awesome and quirky humored. Bigger than my problems, or yours. Wants whats best for us; knows whats best for us; GIVES us what is best for us. Which doesn't always co-incide with what we want.

Today, He kinda cracked me upside the head with some "geriann, be nice" conviction. SO I"m off to be nice. You be nice too!!

working still does...

work!! Even a little bit at a time. I've spent the last two days in concerted efforts at digging out my office and basement. The basement is an annual rite of passage into summer (just ask my kids!!), so that was a no brainer. But I hadn't done ANYTHING to maintain my office in like a month, and it really showed!
So....after 2 hours in the basement: I found two pair of shoes I bought and stuck down there for this summer (YIPPEE!! New shoes and they're free!!) and two pair of earrings (red danglers and big black hoops); I consolidated my unfinished projects and toted off Paul's car FULL of goodwill yummies. I repacked Cassie's stuff that was left out the last time she was here and wanted to find something. I unpacked my scrapbooks that I ordered on the internet and found a few mini albums for my lovelies to receive for gifts. You get the idea. It was two hours of sweating and moving and finding and sorting. I brought over a bag of wiffle balls, a HUGE bag of colored pencils and cards for our church groups. Yeah!! I love passing things on to someone who can use them...and we've definitely outgrown those things. Sigh.
And my office...well, it's all cleaned up and ready to go for my weekend crop this weekend. I even have an overflow bag at the ready.
So my plan for tomorrow is:
Get up early and walk for an hour
Take a shower and get in some comfy clothes
Scrap from 10-345
Get my hair cut at 4 and go right from there to a crop with Michelle, Judy and Kimberlee (go Shimmer Sistas!!)
Come home and crop some more if I'm up for it.
Otherwise, go to bed and start it all again on Saturday.

My goal for the weekend is to finish my unfinished cards from the swap, get my circle journal things done, and get started on Meesh's graduation album. A lofty goal, but a goodie!!
And should I fail, here's what I'm gonna tell myself:
Goals are stars to steer by, not sticks to beat yourself with...Barbara B Smith said that. She obviously had children.

Every story told from every person, when told with complete and raw honesty, gently removes the masks that cause us to believe that we are completely different from each other.

I ran across this quote today. One of my favorite things to experience is the dropping of the mask. and then watching or being that person who is accepted, beneath the mask. Love and responded to and heard.

We rush through life so much, running to achieve, accumulate, act. But the best parts of life for me are the quieter times. Popcorn and a movie, sitting on the swing in my backyard with a friend, talking, dreaming, drinking a cup of tea. Playing cards or dominoes with people I love. Being asked a question and having time to think and respond.

I think in the end, we are all so very much the same. Wanting to be seen and heard. Wanting to be wanted and missed when we're gone. Wanting to be respected, not only for what we do, but who we are. Wanting acceptance and love and tenderness.

Life is too short to wear a mask through it. Of course there are appropriate times for not blabbing your whole life to everyone you meet. Discretion is important, I've learned these last few years. Not just for me, but for the other people who are in the story and for those listening. Some people can't help but repeat what they've heard to others. Sad as that is, it's true. But in the end, we were not created IN isolation or FOR isolation.

And, on another note, my 5 for today:
I worked out...and did upper body strength too
I found not one but two bags from Archiver's when I was cleaning the basement. Embarrassing, since I think they've been down there over a year. Still a thing I'm grateful for.
I met my goals for the day: 1 hour in the basement, 1 hour in the office, cleaned 4 drawers and labelled the unlabelled things, wrote my nephew an email.
Wednesday night class tonight. I can't wait!!