HAPPY....HAPPY...HAPPY

The 4th is such a cool holiday. All festive and happy and summer. It usually means hot dogs and cookouts and watermelon or strawberry shortcake. This year was no exception. The plan was hotdogs at Sissy's house...like we did a couple of years ago. But...the A/C in her house stopped working. 

Spring Babies

This goose made a nest in the middle of a median in our work parking lot. Yep, right there beside where people actually park.

Although I didn't get a picture of him, the Pappa goose was never far away. The two walked around the parking lot for a couple of days before deciding where the nest should be.

And then...BABIES

The first hatchling appeared at about 1:00. Over the next hours, three more babies hatched. They left the nest the next morning for their new home. I'm going to miss seeing Mamma goose each day. She never left the nest. She was there every morning when I drove into the parking lot and still there every evening when I left.

Both parents and babies are doing well...

A new goose family right in the office parking lot? AWESOME. 

Mother's Day was AWESOME

There we are...Mother and Daughter. 

<<<====  This is the person that my baby became! She's beautiful and funny and incredibly sweet. She is one of my absolute favorite people. I mean, when she comes over we get giddy silly with laughter. 

My Mother's Day started on Saturday. What a surprise to have a package delivered to my door. This is the sweetest note that makes the whole package so special! I've mentioned before how important birds are to our family. Both inside and outside birds. The note Danielle put with my gift is so sweet. She is so right, her gift does remind me of the Blue Bird House Memory.

I Believe...

Relationship Philosophy and a Fortune Cookie

He's a handsome guy...right? That is the Hubs. How funny is he as he hides behind his coffee cup? I'm sharing these pics and quips about the Hubs because I realize he is often mentioned, but rarely shown here on this blog.

Many people would say that the Hubs and I are opposites. I'm never sure if that's actually true. I know the adage "opposites attract" but is it really true? Is the spark of opposites sustainable for a long and happy relationship?

Hubs and I have been together for more than half my life. And we still enjoy each other and make each other laugh. We are lucky that we chose each other. Lucky that we have a similar sense of humor and enjoy so many of the same things. We genuinely enjoy just being together.

On the surface, Hubs and I are different. We tend to relate to social situations differently. He's fairly quiet and conservative in his interactions with others. I'm typically talkative and laugh a lot {and loudly}. These differences are what people see when they look at us as a couple which leads to the analysis that we are opposites. 

I gotta say, though, I don't think we are truly opposites. In fact, we are probably more similar than different. Who knows what makes a relationship work? I suppose it doesn't matter exactly what makes it "work"...as long as it does. 

Since this post seems a little philosophical, I thought I would share Hubs most recent fortune from his last fortune cookie.  

"On the right track, means need to run even faster, or got run over."

One more day before...FRIDAY!! It doesn't get much better. 

How was your Weekend?

Can you believe that another weekend is gone? Poof...just gone. But the good news is, next weekend is a 3 Day Weekend! And it's a day just for us worker bees. The story goes that it's a day to celebrate the contribution of the American Worker to the U.S. economy. That's the story according to Wikipedia. It's funny that I had a (most likely incorrect) memory of this holiday being bundled with FDR's holidays to stop the runs on the banks in the depression. But Wikipedia didn't seem to suggest that. But I'm almost sure there IS a holiday that was designed just to be able to close banks "legitimately" to give the consumers time to calm down and leave their money in the bank.

Wikipedia does allude to a more "political" reason for the holiday. Ya know, Congress didn't wake up one day and say to themselves...."You know what the American Workers need? A DAY OFF". Although...in all honesty, it's always what this American worker wants. I love every three day weekend that comes my way!

What will I do with this extra day? Oh, I'll think of something. (Counting Down.)

They Can't ALL be Good Days Can They?

I found a new quote today and want to share it with you here. 

"And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
-Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without A Country

I'm super in love with this quote, and needed to hear it {read it} today. 

Let me explain: I had a hard day today. In fact, it's been a difficult week. I'm sure you know the kind of days I'm talking about. The kind where you work {in my case at a job I love} and things just don't go smoothly. That happens, right? Things don't go well ALL the time. And this week things just got the best of me. 

My lovely husband is so good at making me feel better. Last night when I was not feeling my normal self he said something like: "I'm sorry you are going through this..." And I stopped myself from wallowing. I said, "Yeah, a couple of sucky days...but I'm STILL as happy as I've ever been in my life." 

The few days that didn't go as smoothly as I would like...doesn't change the fact that I have a happy life. I have a loving Husband. I also have a delightful Daughter that I live close enough to be able to drop by so we can just hang out.  I am living in the same town {finally} with my Dad, Mamacita, and Sisters. There is so much about my life that offers pure joy and happiness. 

It's important for me to remember NOT to dwell on the single thing that didn't go well. Dwelling on the "one thing" only magnifies it. In reality, this is a very small piece of my life. Those things that I listed that give me joy?  Those are the things that matter.

Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, discovered Vonnegut's quote and explored it in her post, A quotation from Kurt Vonnegut.  Rubin says that Vonnegut's words are "wise advice backed by science".

Today when I was checking out my daughter's facebook page (yeah, we're that close), I saw this picture of her doggies. Let me just say...LOVE THEM!  Just looking at this pic makes me smile. Which reminds me that I'm happy.

I just simply had to share this cuteness with you. Next time I have a bad day...I'm going to take another look at this picture and maybe say:  "If that isn't nice, I don't know what is".

I'll Paint {if I want to}

I definitely have more to share about Vegas.  But today, I want to share about my weekend.  Several weekends ago I wrote about painting a coffee cup at the local Painting Party Studio.  You know the one where my Dad said my cup looked like a hat?  Yeah.  Well, I said I had plans for that painting and the plans didn't include being/staying framed.  I'm still thinking on that.

But as you can see, I did feel compelled to try again.  This time on my own.

I woke up yesterday with two things on my mind:  1.  Hanging Out with my sister {the middle sister, that doesn't like her photo taken}. And  2. Finally doing the art project I had in my head for weeks.

Spring in DC {and the Cherry Blossom Festival}

Hubby has a conference in DC this week. Since I'm on vacation I used this opportunity to travel with him. As luck would have it, we are lucky enough to be in DC during the Cherry Blossom festival.  Turns out it's not only the Cherry Blossom Festival BUT it is the 100 Year Anniversary of Japan's Cherry Blossom gifts to the U.S. So, Hubby and I spent our first day in DC at the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms in bloom.

It's Already Friday the 13th...

This is a pic of "my" calculator at work. Of course, it's not really MY calculator...as in I can't take it home or anything. But this is the actual calculator that is on my desk at work and I heart it.

My affection for this machine became relevant this week. On Monday, someone (me) MAY or may NOT have spilled a drink on her desk. And the liquid MAY or may NOT have somehow gotten in the calculator. But we are talking only droplets. Not an entire can of soda or anything...because as we all know, I gave up soda.

John Mellencamp still R.O.C.K.S.

It's kind of embarrassing that I'm just now writing about seeing John Mellencamp in concert. As you can guess from prior posts my hubby and I love live music. 2011 was a great year for us to see some really amazing concerts. We saw seven concerts last year. Seven!

Mellencamp was our first concert in 2011. It was the first time I'd ever seen him live. I have loved Mellencamp's music since the summer of 1979. The songs "A Little Night Dancin'" and "I Need a Lover (that won't drive me crazy)" played frequently on the radio. I remember the songs playing as I drove home from friends' houses. The car windows were down and the breeze tickled my arms as I listened to the newest, hottest singer on the airwaves.


Why I Love Willie...

Many years ago I met my husband. We were both in college and I was completely smitten. Our relationship was born out of pure enjoyment of each other's company. And it was built on lots and lots of laughter. Hubby and I met because we both worked on the college media floor of the student union.  He was a photographer and I was not.  But I was in need of some photographs for my publication (which was not his publication).  Make sense? Anyway, I sort of stalked him. For the sake of my publication, you know?

My Evening with Mary Chapin

 Click here for Image Source

This past summer I was going through the mail and pulling out catalogs to be tossed. I was actually in the car with Hubby and absent-mindedly glanced through the one odd size catalog from Carolina Performing Arts. I'd already decided that this was to go in the recycle bin when I just happened to see Mary Chapin Carpenter was scheduled to perform. What? There is a name I hadn't seen on the music scene in a while.  At least I hadn't seen her name in "my" music scene. I changed my attitude about this publication and immediately shifted into a new gear/task.

Paint Like the Artist You ARE

Saturday evening my daughter and I went to an Art Studio to learn (by doing) to create a painting on canvas.  This seems to be a new trend in hobby studios. (Back in the '90s I spent many an afternoon painting ceramics in similar studios). The artist instructor truly did give step-by-step instructions and we all left with paintings that looked quite similar to what we intended.

If you live in the Triangle Area of NC you should check out the Painting Studio called "Artistic Abandon". What a great name! They are said to have the Best Wine and Painting Parties in Raleigh. You bring the wine (and munchies if you want) and they provide the rest: Canvas, Paint, Brushes, Aprons and amazing instruction. --Of course, wine and munchies are completely optional.

The website information is here: Artistic Abandon. They also have a Facebook Page.

Let's play a game:  Below are two paintings from this weekend's painting excursion. See if you can tell which one is mine and which one was painted by my daughter. (Answer is at the end.  --Though my discussion of our painting styles may give you all the clues you need.)

I sat beside my daughter and, although the teacher said several times "this is not a competition", I was completely intimidated by my daughter's talent. She has such a steady hand and is able to precisely draw and paint. Her flowers were so much more the look I was striving for. Even though I love precision in paintings, I have not been able to train myself to achieve this. So while my daughter and I were both following the exact same instructions, my piece looks much more impressionistic.

I think it's cool to see how two people can paint the exact same thing and have different results. I know that art is like that...everyone is influenced by a  different point of view. This exercise helped me see that it's not only an artist's point of view that differentiates their work. We can each see the same thing a little differently. In addition, we each have a unique way of expressing ourselves. So, even if we saw it the same way, our depiction of that "thing" will have another nuanced difference. 

Below is the answer to the game above:

We've all heard that point of view is shaped by our experiences. But I don't remember hearing much about the artist's representation of that point of view. My weekend painting experience helped crystallize for me that the artist's "expression" may not reflect the essence of what they were trying to create.  For me, it's most likely lack of training and practice that results in a painting that is much more impressionistic than I intended.

Here is a snapshot of how my painting was accomplished:

I had a great time. And I'm pleased with my first attempt at putting a paintbrush to canvas.  I've already signed up for another class/party. There are a few paintings that I'm dying to do! 

And, oh....since I will be spending a lot of time at the Art Studio, friends and family shouldn't be surprised if they receive an original work of art from Yours Truly for Christmas.  --Then again, I may become too attached to give them up.   

A Bouquet of Newly Sharpened Pencils

Creative Commons

Don't you love New York in the fall?  It makes me want to buy school supplies.  I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

One of my favorite lines in one of my favorite movies:  You've Got Mail.

It does not feel like fall here but school is starting back and that always makes me think of fresh starts and school supplies.

I want to give a shout-out to all the teachers I know. I'm surrounded by people who either are or were teachers. One person I know is entering into her first year of teacherhood (high school I think). Another has become a pre-school teacher. I know two kindergarten teachers and a retired English and Spanish teacher.  As well as a teacher who now specializes in English as a Second Language. In the blogging community, I've also found a couple of teachers that I feel like I "know" on some real level. As Kathleen Kelly said: "The odd thing about this form of communication is that you're more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings".

I do love school supplies. Around this time I can find some really cool notebooks and organize things.

Many years ago I had the opportunity to teach.  Interestingly, I thought I would be a teacher when I first went to college. I wanted to teach high school English. But then I took a required course Freshman year and knew I would not be able to commit to the major. In fact, I dropped the class and started looking for another major.

Many years after college and well into my professional life (banker), I took some time off from the career track and pursued my desire to actually teach school.  I taught 7th-grade math in a school with a largely "under-served" population. I learned at least as much as the kids did.  --Probably more. I also learned how I would do it differently if I had the chance to teach again. I feel I better understand some of the realities that my students and their parents had to deal with. Their reality makes it difficult to really expect homework to be meaningful. 

Let me say I'm totally proud of the year I was a teacher. And I feel even more love and respect for our career teachers.

I also really love the movie "You've Got Mail. I found a published script right here: Script of "You've Got Mail". I was doing a search to make sure I had the quote above right.  I found that just reading the script made me fall in love with it again.

I leave you with this sweet email. 

Subject: RE: Brinkley Date: 9/16/98 7:28:50 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Shopgirl To: NY152 I like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we're the oldest and dearest friends -- as opposed to what we actually are, people who don't know each other's names and met in a Chat Room where we both claimed we'd never been before. What will he say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you.

SPRING AND BLUEBIRDS

The weather is beautiful here! Mid-March and the birds have returned to my back yard.  They are singing each morning and I feel it is Spring.  The Bradford Pear Tree is blooming and there are many chirping birds each morning signaling that Spring has arrived early this year...just as the Groundhog predicted.

I'm lucky that the house we bought has such a wonderful yard with flowering plants and trees. The yard has a wonderful amount of natural area that attracts birds like a sanctuary.  

We installed a bluebird house in our yard.  A bluebird couple has been visiting the house.  I'm not sure if they have decided to move in, but I hope so. 

Many years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school.  One of our Saturday outings was to visit the local Wild Birds Unlimited store.  We purchased bird feeders and watched as birds came to eat our birdseed.  As we became more confident in our ability to attract birds, we decided to buy and put up a Bluebird birdhouse.  The birdhouse had a viewing window on the side (the wooden side opened to show a Plexiglas side (much like the birdhouse shown below).

The store owner recommended that we place the birdhouse facing East, which we dutifully did. We were so happy when Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird moved in.  

One day when I got home from work I saw the refrigerator had a Wikipedia article about bluebirds and nesting.  My daughter was fascinated enough to do her own research and share her findings via the refrigerator.  The next day my daughter added a note at the end of the article.  It said "2 Eggs".
Then each day the note indicated how many eggs were now waiting to hatch. 

Each day when I got home, I couldn't resist going out to the birdhouse to look.  --In case you are wondering, bluebirds do not mind you looking in on their eggs.  As time goes on, they begin to think of you as their landlord.  I purchased special bird food for the bluebirds and often heard the birds squawking if their food tray was empty. Eventually, the babies hatched and we were able to see the cute little chicks as they waited for their parents to come with food.  And then, one day the babies were gone...presumably their parents sent the little ones to college. 

The bluebirds had two more broods that year.  It was a wonderful spring.  I'm hoping to have bluebird babies again this year.

My Valentine's Day Clock

Don't you just love this clock?  Very retro!  My husband gave me this for Valentine's Day this year. A hotel that we stayed in recently had this clock and I was enamored. My husband, sweet thing that he is, found this same clock for me. 

Today was the first Monday back to work after Spring Forward! It was tough to get up and get to work on time. The sun was still out when I got home tonight.  That was a nice consolation for morning coming too early.

Hope everyone enjoys the longer days ahead.

My Life In Magazines

Not long ago I had a stack of (well, three, anyway) magazines to read.  I was so pleased with myself.  I would be reading my rags to pass the time away...a past time I had not enjoyed recently.  I don't completely remember which magazines I had invested the time and money into on that recent afternoon.  Most likely it was one of the home decorating magazines on the stands.  I enjoy the photos in the decorating magazines and enjoy dreaming about using some of the ideas in my new home.