I Remember Like It Was Yesterday

Sometimes everday magic is recalling a bittersweet memory. Most of the time these days I'm doing good if I remember what I did 20 minutes ago, but on this "Back to School Eve" I remember so clearly this day 9 years ago. We had only been in our house a few months then. I was sitting with Alex on the front porch ruminating on the realization that the next day he would start Kindergarten and today was the last "totally free" day of his life - the last day before the long road of education began. I remember thinking that "tomorrow I give my baby to the world." Things would never be the same. Tonight I ruminate and shed some tears over the fact that tomorrow he starts high school. I remember that August day in 1999 so, so clearly that it had to be just yesterday. And, on Thursday, I watch Mackenzie start her Senior year. Really, where does the time go?

Another "Small World" Encounter

Part of the reason I started this blog was to track the times that I ran into or reconnected with old friends or people from my past since people tell me that happens to me more than anyone else they know - and usually in unusual ways. Well, it hasn't happened in awhile but tonight I had another "coincidental reconnection" . . .

We went up to Ashland tonight for Mackenzie's first soccer game of the season. We won. As we were standing in the parking lot talking to my parents who came to the game, an Ashland parent called out to us "good luck with the rest of your season" to be nice. He started to get in his car but Dwight called over to him with a question about their team. The guy came over to us and started talking. All of a sudden, I realized that I was talking to Parrish Lanzer -- a friend from grade school and high school. We played in the orchestra together from 4th grade through Senior year. His daugther was the Ashland goalie. The funny thing is that I would never have known it was him if he hadn't made his "good luck" comment and Dwight asked him a question. It's weird to think that the whole game I was watching the daughter of a good friend from school play soccer and almost didn't even known it. Makes you wonder how many other "close encounters" you have with people from your past that you never know about!

Angel Says: Clear Your Space

The Angels are speaking (or giving me a needed kick in the butt!). I have been working on cleaning out my craft room/office for weeks and weeks. I put a bunch of stuff out in the hall that's just been sitting there cluttering everything up. I just can't seem to get enough time or energy to get the room organized. So, it remains an impossible, cluttered mess. Tonight, I went in there determined to get more done. As I got started, I found in a pile some "angel cards" a friend gave me. It's a deck of cards. Each card represents an angel with a message. You are supposed to select cards, ask a question about something you want to work on or have answered in your life and the Angels' messages on the cards will give you guidance. One way to work with the cards is to spread them out in front of you and select 3 cards you are drawn to in some way or select a card that physically sets itself apart some way. So, to procrastinate from cleaning and organizing, I started playing with the cards. At one point while shuffling the cards I found one that had fallen behind something. I took this to be one of the cards that set itself apart physically so - - it must have great meaning for me! I picked it up and started laughing - the angels' message was, "Clear Your Space! You will better reach your goals and attain the peace of mind you seek if you rid yourself of clutter." The Angel has spoken! Back to work!

Sad Ducks

It's really sad - at work they are draining two beautiful ponds we have around the building to put in more parking ("They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."). As I was walking into the building yesterday, there was just a little bit of water left. What appeared to be a family of ducks stood on the edge of the water line staring at their diminishing pond. It really looked liked they were sad ducks watching their home being destroyed. It made me sad until I saw one of the ducks start "marching" towards the workmen draining the pond. The duck got about as close as he dared to the men and then started flapping his wings - I took this to be the duck equivalent of the middle-finger salute! It made me smile. You go, ducks! Somebody had to tell them.

Totally Summer

As I sit here at the computer on this beautiful mid-August summer night the kids behind us are running around outside - screaming, laughing and playing flashlight tag I think. It hit me how far away from this I am getting. My kids don't run around in the summer darkness anymore playing some kind of game. Tonight Mackenzie is working and Alex is hanging out in the park with his friend Patrick and a couple of girls. And, it's been SO long since I ran around chasing lightening bugs. shooting baskets in the dark, and playing flashlight tag. I barely remember it until a night like tonight with all the windows open, a cool summer breeze, and the kids screaming outside brings it all back. What a feeling - total freedom, total energy, total joy, and totally summer!

Wait - Alex just came in with Patrick and Lauren. They're going to play Cornhole in the backyard! Maybe there's still a thread of childhood summer left at our house.

Gratitude - Even With Teenagers

Everyday Magic is . . . having teenagers that will "hang out" with Mom and Dad - spending all day at the fair with them - and seeming to enjoy it! :)

Dr. Saltz and Dr. Pepper

Sometimes the strangest things amuse me! I was just watching a Tivo'ed episode of Oprah. She had two sex psychologists on. The first one she interviewed was Dr. Pepper Schwartz who they called Dr. Pepper. Later, she brought on the other doctor, Dr. Gail Saltz. It instantly hit me- Dr. Pepper and Dr. Saltz on Oprah together! How funny. Apparently Oprah didn't see the humor in it because she never brought it up or laughed about it. A few times she referred to Dr. Saltz and Dr. Pepper together. I cracked up but no one else on the show ever mentioned the funny coincidence. Just me and my strange sense of humor, I guess. Oh well, everyday magic means finding little ways to amuse yourself!