I have a confession to make. When I was driving home from the airport yesterday afternoon after dropping off my husband, the 17 second mark of this commercial was what was resounding inside my head. More than once. I won't embarrass myself by putting a number out there. It's not that I don't love my husband and children dearly. I do. I can't imagine my life without any of them, nor would I want to. But this is the first weekend I have had to myself alone at home in close to a decade. And I am appreciative.
I am enjoying the peace and quiet, with the exception of the barking hound after the random passing mail truck or suddenly mobile tree. I am enjoying listening to....nothing. To the birds (because all of the windows are open). To the ceiling fans (again, because the windows are open and the AC is off). To the thoughts inside my head that aren't being drowned out by the chatter that comes from a 4 year old, 6 year old or even my beloved 44 year old. To the purr of Abbiekins who was my best friend this morning and wanted to become one with my thigh while I sat and read.
What does a temporarily single woman do when given such an opportunity, you ask? She invites her good friend Cas over to share a quiet evening over dinner, beading and some good wine.
She reads, because there is quiet to be found. She takes pictures of flowers in her garden.
Love these little pink flowers!
My one Hydrangea that is actually happy.
My hanging herb baskets that I filled with basil, chives and cilantro on the back porch
An old Halloween decoration that never got put away because whenever I see it, I start singing "I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me"
Phlox
A pumpkin in the making!
She runs the boy cats to the vet to be told this one is a pound fatter than last year.
She takes pictures of her latest beads and then lists a few on Etsy.
She reads some more. She sends encouraging texts to her husband when he is quickly reminded how much work two children can be before they have even gotten out of bed in the morning. She makes a vow to carry her camera around more to capture every day moments that sometimes need a little more appreciation because that's the stuff that makes up her life. She plans the rest of her day around running errands to pick up bridesmaid & flower girl dresses that are now ready for the September wedding of her surrogate sister she has known since the 8th grade, as well as scope out Hobby Lobby for supplies (anything better than gift ribbons for tieing up my beads?). She will play with fire and likely read more of her book in the hopes of finishing it before the weekend is over.
And she will sleep another fitful night in an empty house as she looks at this picture for the one hundred thirty seventh thousandth time since it was received the night before when Todd landed in Minneapolis.
I am enjoying the peace and quiet, with the exception of the barking hound after the random passing mail truck or suddenly mobile tree. I am enjoying listening to....nothing. To the birds (because all of the windows are open). To the ceiling fans (again, because the windows are open and the AC is off). To the thoughts inside my head that aren't being drowned out by the chatter that comes from a 4 year old, 6 year old or even my beloved 44 year old. To the purr of Abbiekins who was my best friend this morning and wanted to become one with my thigh while I sat and read.
What does a temporarily single woman do when given such an opportunity, you ask? She invites her good friend Cas over to share a quiet evening over dinner, beading and some good wine.
She reads, because there is quiet to be found. She takes pictures of flowers in her garden.
Love these little pink flowers!
My one Hydrangea that is actually happy.
My hanging herb baskets that I filled with basil, chives and cilantro on the back porch
An old Halloween decoration that never got put away because whenever I see it, I start singing "I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me"
Phlox
A pumpkin in the making!
She runs the boy cats to the vet to be told this one is a pound fatter than last year.
She takes pictures of her latest beads and then lists a few on Etsy.
She reads some more. She sends encouraging texts to her husband when he is quickly reminded how much work two children can be before they have even gotten out of bed in the morning. She makes a vow to carry her camera around more to capture every day moments that sometimes need a little more appreciation because that's the stuff that makes up her life. She plans the rest of her day around running errands to pick up bridesmaid & flower girl dresses that are now ready for the September wedding of her surrogate sister she has known since the 8th grade, as well as scope out Hobby Lobby for supplies (anything better than gift ribbons for tieing up my beads?). She will play with fire and likely read more of her book in the hopes of finishing it before the weekend is over.
And she will sleep another fitful night in an empty house as she looks at this picture for the one hundred thirty seventh thousandth time since it was received the night before when Todd landed in Minneapolis.
