Getting there!

Wow! It has been a busy few days. I finished painting the master bathroom (in "Orchid Ash"), and then I cleaned out the walk-in closet (disposing of stuff that was over 10 years old, yikes), and painted it the same soft lavendar as the bathroom. Both rooms look really cool with my chocolate colored bedroom. Yay! We won't talk about how many other projects we have on the list. But, I think that we have decided to put hardwood (or perhaps laminate) in the bedrooms. If we stay, the whole house will eventually be carpet-free.

Our curriculum arrived yesterday. Ds#1 was super excited when it arrived. And, he brought the books to me this morning (before I had finished my coffee even), ready to go. We spread the work out over the day, partly because we were feeling our way through, and partly because he and Ds#2 had music classes today. It went really well, and I'm happy to say that he can't wait until we do more. He also spent some time practicing Alouette on the keyboard (my mom bought us a new one, with 88 weighted keys, yay!). All in all, even with the normal craziness of having three boys, it was a great day. And a great week, even if I didn't fit in everything that I had hoped to do.

Siochan!

I've started the baby hat, in a yummy sand (with the slightest hints of cobalt blue and peachy pink -- so very light)...

The directors of the show that I was set to do in July/August have backed out due to other commitments. It's just as well, really. It would have been a great part, with a great cast, but I'm not really in the mood, and we have so much to deal with this summer. Dh is full-on looking for jobs, in case he doesn't want to extend his current position (which is set to end in August). He loves his current position and we love our town and our house and our neighborhood, and our friends, but life has a way of moving you along whether you want it to or not. And, who knows. We may be firmly planted where we are for quite some time. Either way, we have to spend some serious time making the house liveable (the upstairs is mainly done, minus a couple of 20 minute projects, and the inevitable touch-ups, but the downstairs needs to be finished, and we need to paint the garage and put the new door on the back).

Ds#1 and I have started "training" for a 15 mile bike ride. The ride is in September, starting from the zoo (about an hour from our house). I know that I'll be ready by then, but we'll have to see about Ds. The registration goes until mid August, so if he's not ready, I'll do the ride, and Dh and the boys will provide support (by hanging out at the zoo! ;)).

And I'm editor of the theater section of a small, local culture mag. Pretty cool, but I have to get my rear in gear on that, too.

I'm love, love, loving summer!

My priorities are shifting. I can feel it as I plant snapdragons beside my mailbox, and weed the marigolds and violas that I planted last week. I can feel it as I prune the roses that I planted in my indoor flower box. It overwhelms me as I pull out my book of knitting patterns filled with baby hats and sweaters, and make plans to create a cute cable knit hat for a friend's baby due in November. I am stunned to find that I *must* buy the yarn *today*, and that I can't wait to tell another knitter friend of mine and show her the pattern.

I've felt the pull for awhile, but have fought against it. It's a strange sensation. An odd need to be domestic and activist at the same time. A strange urge to immerse myself fully in life and the earth and just live. Don't worry: I'm not going to be whipping out gourmet dinners any time soon, but I did try to bribe my husband with regular warm meals if he would buy a new vehicle. I know, sometimes even I am surprised at my shamelessness.

So, I don't know where this is going. I know deeply that it's a positive shift, especially as I feel my great-aunt's presence as I clip the edges of the flower beds with long handled shears. She always used a long scythe to cut the grass in the field behind her house, and I felt her in my arms as I gently guided the earth.

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all... But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you. Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses. Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others. Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life. Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

This is how you eat a drumstick!

Something new

No, I'm not actually in a show requiring me to color my hair. And, yes, I did actually pay someone a lot of money to make my hair this color. And, yes, I LOVE it. The intensity will fade pretty quickly, leaving me with a very warm red (the fiery red is largely due to the white-blondness of some of my sun-induced highlights). And I didn't get my hair cut, which makes me very, very happy.

Ds#2 did ask who "painted" my hair. On the way home, I was contemplating the idea that we all take ourselves a little too seriously; my new do helps me remember that whenever we can make our lives a little more fun, and remember that hair color (or fill-in-the-blank) isn't serious, and that poverty, war, and crimes against humanity are, then we should go for it.

Here's a final thought, in the realm of seriousness: My 18 month old just used "Diet Coke" in a sentence, something which seriously makes me look like mom of the year.

Happy day!