A fresh start

I'm going to look at the months of June, July and August as a period of renewal. A time of deep breaths and reconsidering how I do things around here. Painting in the house, re-doing rooms, teaching the least one to embroider, writing in my handwritten journals again, taking more ballroom dancing lessons, losing some weight, and taking time to do things that are left undone during the school year.

Have got a notebook that's all pristine that I'll begin writing in tomorrow.

I'm excited. :)

For Memorial Day weekend

(painting by zhen-huan lu)

Friday

You know how you get in a mood and can't really figure out why? That's me today. Still dealing with this exhaustion that's taken away any surplus energy I had. Trying to find my happy place---the internal spot I get to that has all of my enthusiasm. Seems to be missing lately.

But sort of looking forward to a wedding oldest daughter and I will go to tonight. Haven't been to a wedding in about 3 years, and that one was a Greek Orthodox and was very different for us. This will be Presbyterian, so more along our line. :)

Maybe partly it's the heat that's wearing me down. Or fretting over my mom who picked up the sore throat/mild cold the kids had 3 weeks ago. She's not able to throw it off easily, and it's bothering me a bit. I mean, three weeks is a long time to hold on to an illness, esp. one that left our house ages ago. And a couple of other things are weighing me down. Just plain living, I guess.

I need to exhale. Seriously. Easier said than done.

Imago - Shawn McDonald

We have this CD, but for some reason, I've never heard this particular song. It's my new favorite. :) Such a hot little piece. Man.

Another puttery sort of day

Trying to get into the resting mindset. Before I begin to tackle a Summer-time wish list of household chores and stuff, I want to feel comfortable in my skin, so to speak. Need to feel mildly organized and settled. Not panicky or fidgety. And frankly, a few days of minimal or non-existent pressures sounds pretty good to me. Just buying simple groceries, cooking meals that don't heat up the kitchen too much, and letting the days plan themselves. I'm weary of *doing*---know what I mean?

To read books for the fun of it (totally enjoying Charles Todd's mysteries) and not because I have to review them (though I do enjoy that as well), and to stop irrelevant activities.

Time to rest. My body's letting me know and now my head is listening. Yay me!

'Almost Forever' by Deborah Raney

Almost Forever by Deborah Raney proves to be another difficult book for me to review. While I'd rather give raving kudos to, what we call, Christian books, I get tired of soft fiction. Granted, her characters are appealing, and she is a very good writer. But stories with happily ever after written all over them wear after awhile.

Her main character, Bryn, gets caught in an impossible situation with her responsibility for a fire that killed five firefighters, including her husband. After the accident, I found her immediate emotional (romantic) involvement with another mourner a bit rash, and her quick recovery from the death of her husband unrealistic.

But, on the other hand, many women enjoy books that have the escape quality that this book contains. With suspense, romance, forgiveness and and a pleasing resolution at the end, it will please a vast number of readers. I just don't happen to be one of them.

(This book was provided for review by Glass Road Public Relations.)

Wednesday's thoughts

Our homeschool year is over, and maybe now my shoulders will ease up. Hadn't realized how tense I'd been the past few weeks---partly with taking the dance classes (probably just the newness of it), picking up pug Daisy overmuch, getting loose ends tied up in regards to the schooling (third son graduates from high school/our fourth child total to graduate from home), and a couple of annoyances. Now hoping today can be restful and just a day of puttering and taking it easy. Some days need to be set aside for play, and I'm hoping that nothing comes wingin' at me, and that I can chill out. :)

The day is beautiful besides. Oldest daughter sweetly got up early to let out/feed the dogs and I was able to stay in bed for awhile. Now, *that* was a gift! Plus, she got the wash started. And she raised a couple of windows and turned on the ceiling fans. I know we'll have to turn on the a/c later on, but for now, the fresh air coming in is a treat. It rained pretty good before dinner last night, and cooled off things. Yesterday was plenty humid, so the rain was refreshing.

Now will take deep breaths, slouch around in cruddy clothes and bare feet and do whatever it is I want to do. Dinner will have to be whatever I can find in the house (which could prove interesting). No worries. The bills are all paid for one more month, so that's one thing to not fret over. Just going to enjoy my day. You do the same.