The end of another school year! I can hardly believe we have crossed the line from Spring to Summer. Well, not officially, but once the last day of school arrives, it is Summertime in the hearts of the kiddos. For me, it's kind of bittersweet. I love to see the end of all the school projects, and late night homework frenzies, but there is another side to this finish line and quite simply....it's a time for celebrations and closing out a page of one's life. Of course, my daughter doesn't see it that way....she is just so thrilled to be done with AP World History! She doesn't see that she is one step closer to saying "good-bye" to dear friends and moving on with her life. Okay, that sounds REALLY melodramatic, but all this rushing to grow up? You want to just say "hey, stop complaining and enjoy this....if you blink, you'll miss it!"
One of the traditional "end of the school year treasures" for me is the last Choral Concert. Thankfully, BG shares my love of music and I must admit, I kind of pushed her towards participating in Chorus, and it paid off. She loves it and next year, not only will she be in the Concert Choir, but singing and dancing her heart out in the Show Choir! Yeah!!! More concerts to attend. More nervous Mom moments as I sit in the front row of the auditorium and reminisce.
Were you ever involved in something that just MADE your life seem a little more special? That was Chorus for me and if you were part of that "community"...you understand. It's singing (duh!) and laughing, and crying and fighting.....oh yeah, there were plenty of those. Chorus members were usually part of the Drama team as well and no one can Cat Fight like a wanna-be Diva! There were plenty of broken hearts as we traded off boyfriends, or just innocent crushes, on a weekly basis. Each time thinking for certain that this was the TRUE LOVE of our life. The road trips, the competitions, the costumes! You love him. You hate her. She's your friend. He winked at you. She cried on the phone. He drove off with someone new. Not to mention the horrid S.A.T.B. songs about a crystal clear stream, and a ribbon of peace winding through the mountains...(oh gag!). But despite it all, I do have my favorites, and I do, to this day, get a little teary when I hear "The Road Not Taken", or "The Water is Wide". It's a Chorus thing.....
As I watch my daughter's friends scramble around the stage to set up the risers and manipulate the microphones with an air of importance....all the fun dance moves and sparkling attire....I just want to SCREAM..."don't blink....you'll miss it!". They are so absorbed in how grown up they are, some getting ready for college in the Fall, each one oblivious to the fact that their audience is made up of parents and grandparents who once strutted their stuff across the boards. That used to be me, standing on the top riser next to my best friend, Lynn. That was me, trying not to make eye contact with the boy I had a crush on as we belted out the sappy, four part harmony, love ballad. That was me, hanging out in the choral director's office (where all the REALLY cool kids would be) when we were supposed to be in Sociology. That was me, painting banners for the Choral Department's Homecoming Float....me again, with the violently shaking knees as I attempt to sing a solo....and that was me....being young and having the most wonderful time!
"Don't blink....you'll miss it!"
So another school year has passed and a busy summer is stretched out before us. My daughter's choral gown hangs in the closet, just waiting for September to roll around again and as I watch Miss Priss, doing her thing up on the stage, I'll have that little tugging to remind my heart......"That used to be me...."
K
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Have Ya Ever Been to Chaaawlstn'?
Ya haven't? Well Sugah, you MUST go sometime....it's absolutely just too precious! ..........Okay, well maybe I'm pouring on a bit too thick there, but it's not far from the truth! We just drip with enthusiasm when we want to make SURE that you understand how strongly we feel about something, and South Carolinians have some strong feelings about their favorite spots. Charleston is one of those places.
Not being a native of S.C., I had to acquaint myself with the city and sure enough....fell in love. I don't even think I've seen all the little nooks and crannys but I know that I love the shopping and I'm just crazy about the food. The buildings are charming and have so much fascinating history attached. It's old. Really, really old....but you wouldn't want it any other way. The Market is a fun place to look at this and that.....lots of interesting pottery, one of my favorites, and hand woven baskets made from Sweetgrass.
The girls and I planned our little outing and headed out last Saturday for a Mother's Day celebration. The weather was sunny and a bit toasty, but we didn't mind that much. We had fun doing a little window shopping and a little "gotta buy that" shopping and then had a wonderful lunch at 82 Queen. I had never been there before, but it came highly recommended and as promised, the food was delish! We ate outside in a garden/gazebo setting and thoroughly enjoyed the gracious Charleston hospitality at it's best. There are so many great places to eat around there and I could give you a list of my favorites, but maybe I'll save that for another time. I should mention though, that until I moved to South Carolina, I thought grits were only served at breakfast as a side to eggs. Silly me!
We had a fabulous time and drug our tired little selves home around 7:00 pm but it was worth it! Because of Charleston? Well, sort of.....but mostly because I now have another great memory tucked away, of time spent with my daughters. In case you have figured it out yet.....I'm totally in love with these girls!!!
Later!
K
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Mother's Day Minus Paper Mache
I've been a Mom for quite a while now....almost 28 years to be exact! In some ways, the time has just flown so quickly, I can hardly believe it, and in other ways....the time has just crawled along at a snail's pace. The moments when you are so tired, you can hardly keep your head up, or your eyes open, and this very small, demanding little creature will NOT allow you a nano-second to even flirt with the thought of a nap. Then there are the times when you just want to get to where you need to be. Zip-zip! This should be done in a flash, but NOOOOOOOooooo! The toddler needs to be properly dressed, strapped into a car seat, cajoled into tolerating this quick little drive to the grocery store, back out of the car seat, drag all the baby paraphernalia into the grocery store and attempt to grab a few items before the box of animal crackers is gobbled up.
Mom wants just a little peace and quiet....a mere moment of silent reflection while surrounded by porcelain, water, a fluffy roll of paper (you get the idea) and here comes the pre-schooler with the litany of "why" questions. They just keep talking and talking and talking ......true story.....my youngest was famous for her non-stop chatter from the back seat of the car. My husband finally requested that she "give her little tongue a rest...just for the last few minutes of the drive home". She paused for about 15 seconds and then told him that the reason she talked so much was because sometimes, she just forgot what her voice sounded like. So I guess she really DOES talk, just to hear herself speak! Anyway....whether or not you can relate to any of these little tales, it's probably an easy assumption that ALL Mom's have moments of wishing time would speed up just enough to get past whatever point of frustration they are currently going through.
But then there is Mother's Day. No matter what kind of a year you've had, some clever school teacher, or Sunday school teacher, or Girl Scout Leader, will come up with an adorable project that will be crafted with so much love and enthusiasm, your child will hardly be able to sleep the night before the presentation. My girls have locked themselves in their rooms, sneaking out only to stealthily grab some scissors, or scotch tape. There is giggling and rustling of tissue paper and all the other fun sounds that I will remember with great affection. It's the sounds of love. This is what kids do....they pull together little treasures of glue and Popsicle sticks, gaudy rhinestones, macaroni, and don't forget....paper mache! I've received little handmade jewelry boxes, decorative magnets for the refrigerator, necklaces and lapel pins. Handprints in paint, ink or clay, and poems with awkward rhymes, but sentiment that takes your breath away.
My girls are all grown up now and as a really special treat, the four of us are going to spend the day in Charleston on Saturday, ,celebrating Mother's Day, doing what we do best...shopping and eating! The weather is supposed to be mild and sunny and we'll have a blast...gaurenteed....but on Sunday morning, I can almost feel the little pang of OUCH as I realize that there will be no "mystery sculpture" made of flour, water and strips of newspaper.
So don't wish it away TOO quickly.....paper mache needs time to dry!
Happy Mother's Day ya'll!
Kath
Mom wants just a little peace and quiet....a mere moment of silent reflection while surrounded by porcelain, water, a fluffy roll of paper (you get the idea) and here comes the pre-schooler with the litany of "why" questions. They just keep talking and talking and talking ......true story.....my youngest was famous for her non-stop chatter from the back seat of the car. My husband finally requested that she "give her little tongue a rest...just for the last few minutes of the drive home". She paused for about 15 seconds and then told him that the reason she talked so much was because sometimes, she just forgot what her voice sounded like. So I guess she really DOES talk, just to hear herself speak! Anyway....whether or not you can relate to any of these little tales, it's probably an easy assumption that ALL Mom's have moments of wishing time would speed up just enough to get past whatever point of frustration they are currently going through.
But then there is Mother's Day. No matter what kind of a year you've had, some clever school teacher, or Sunday school teacher, or Girl Scout Leader, will come up with an adorable project that will be crafted with so much love and enthusiasm, your child will hardly be able to sleep the night before the presentation. My girls have locked themselves in their rooms, sneaking out only to stealthily grab some scissors, or scotch tape. There is giggling and rustling of tissue paper and all the other fun sounds that I will remember with great affection. It's the sounds of love. This is what kids do....they pull together little treasures of glue and Popsicle sticks, gaudy rhinestones, macaroni, and don't forget....paper mache! I've received little handmade jewelry boxes, decorative magnets for the refrigerator, necklaces and lapel pins. Handprints in paint, ink or clay, and poems with awkward rhymes, but sentiment that takes your breath away.
My girls are all grown up now and as a really special treat, the four of us are going to spend the day in Charleston on Saturday, ,celebrating Mother's Day, doing what we do best...shopping and eating! The weather is supposed to be mild and sunny and we'll have a blast...gaurenteed....but on Sunday morning, I can almost feel the little pang of OUCH as I realize that there will be no "mystery sculpture" made of flour, water and strips of newspaper.
So don't wish it away TOO quickly.....paper mache needs time to dry!
Happy Mother's Day ya'll!
Kath
Friday, April 30, 2010
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep.....
Who said that? Well, who ever it may have been, I don't think they were from the South. Beauty has an entirely different definition and is probably only a "Clinique-counter" away. It involves big hair, an evening gown that would put Cinderella to shame, and perfectly manicured fingers and toes.
Up to this point in my life, I had safely maneuvered away from pageant world. It was really a foreign concept to me. My two older daughters were not the least bit interested, but then along came Miss Britt. She can not stand to be left out of all the fun, and her school pageant was just screaming "FUN!" to her little ears so here we go.....
First things first.....at the time of this financial ravine in our lives, I had to lay down some ground rules. 1. I could not afford a pageant gown. I reserve the right to refuse to pay for any gown that isn't white and comes with a veil and a groom. Fortunately, my daughter has a wonderful, gracious, magnanimous,....did I mention gracious?...friend who is the youngest of seven, with four of them being girls. Her closets are packed with prom and pageant memories in every color of the rainbow. Britt found one that fit and as a Mom, I have to admit, she looked like a million bucks!
But there is also the matter of shoes, and jewelry, and hair, and make-up, and an interview outfit, more shoes, a dance number ensemble, more shoes, and ...oh yeah....selling ads for the program. Each contestant must sell a minimum of dollar amount in order to even participate. This was way more than I wanted to deal with, but I'm such a good Mom....uh-huh!
As the big day drew closer and closer, we had dress rehearsals for the opening dance number and I was just sure that she would end up with a fractured ankle from dancing in four inch heels for the first time! Somehow, we made it through all the trauma and finally arrived at the school on Pageant Night. Wow! I should, at this point, admit to the true secret of how I survived. I let my middle daughter be "the pageant mom". Aimee has true talent in the hair and make-up department so I handed over the torch to her and I must say...she did a magnificent job.
So when the big moment came, and Britt's name was announced, I watched my daughter walk....no, she SLITHERED, out on to the stage without so much as one single golden curl bouncing on her head. It was locked down with an invisible shield of more hair product than you can imagine. The train of her dress elegantly flowed behind her and top of the dress was being held up by ..... well, it's enough to make a Dad go a little nuts and start polishing the shot guns.
I should take a moment here to rewind the tape and take a look back around, oh, let's say 1973. This is where beauty was always on the horizon, but not the landscape. My early high school years were decorated with modest hem lines (yeah, I rolled my waist band as soon as I was out of sight from Mom's inspection), long, straight hair that softly framed my rectangular, tortoise shell eyeglasses, and lips that glistened with cherry chapstick, because I wasn't allowed to wear make-up. Oh yeah.....one Cosmo girl, coming right up. Fortunately for me, I was able to pull together a fairly attractive look when I moved on to contact lenses and a "Farrah Fawcett" cut, and found the perfect guy, who looked a little bit deeper than what was on the outside and found something good from the inside. I like to THINK that I pulled that off, but I know it was Divine Intervention....and I'm grateful.
As for my daughter, the wanna-be beauty queen.....although she does have a far more sophisticated look than I could ever have dreamed of at her age....she also has that inner beauty that touches my heart every time she walks in the room, or opens her mouth to speak. As the emcee of the pageant called her name, and began listing all her talents, achievements, and ambitions, I couldn't help but say a little prayer of thanks for being given the charge of raising such a delightful being. Beautiful at skin depth? Yes, and beautiful through and through. Interestingly enough, all of the girls had such amazing resumes.....they were all hard working, ambitious, altruistic young ladies with great futures ahead of them.....with or without acrylic nails and sequined tulle dresses.
The pageant was a success and there were five lucky winners that night with sparkling tiaras and arms full of roses. My daughter did not receive a tiara, but she didn't shed any tears or pout all the way home. She loved it! Loved the whole thing and said that she'd do it again in a heartbeat because she loved spending all that time getting to know all of the other contestants and basically, just having a ball! So what of "Beauty in the South"? We are passionate about our beautiful women. We try as hard as we can to fluff, buff, shine, and adorn ourselves to make the cut in this life. But a little high school beauty pageant taught me that beauty is what we make of ourselves, and more importantly, what we pass on to our children. In that case.....I have earned three tiaras, one for each daughter!
Later ya'll!
K
Up to this point in my life, I had safely maneuvered away from pageant world. It was really a foreign concept to me. My two older daughters were not the least bit interested, but then along came Miss Britt. She can not stand to be left out of all the fun, and her school pageant was just screaming "FUN!" to her little ears so here we go.....
First things first.....at the time of this financial ravine in our lives, I had to lay down some ground rules. 1. I could not afford a pageant gown. I reserve the right to refuse to pay for any gown that isn't white and comes with a veil and a groom. Fortunately, my daughter has a wonderful, gracious, magnanimous,....did I mention gracious?...friend who is the youngest of seven, with four of them being girls. Her closets are packed with prom and pageant memories in every color of the rainbow. Britt found one that fit and as a Mom, I have to admit, she looked like a million bucks!
But there is also the matter of shoes, and jewelry, and hair, and make-up, and an interview outfit, more shoes, a dance number ensemble, more shoes, and ...oh yeah....selling ads for the program. Each contestant must sell a minimum of dollar amount in order to even participate. This was way more than I wanted to deal with, but I'm such a good Mom....uh-huh!
As the big day drew closer and closer, we had dress rehearsals for the opening dance number and I was just sure that she would end up with a fractured ankle from dancing in four inch heels for the first time! Somehow, we made it through all the trauma and finally arrived at the school on Pageant Night. Wow! I should, at this point, admit to the true secret of how I survived. I let my middle daughter be "the pageant mom". Aimee has true talent in the hair and make-up department so I handed over the torch to her and I must say...she did a magnificent job.
So when the big moment came, and Britt's name was announced, I watched my daughter walk....no, she SLITHERED, out on to the stage without so much as one single golden curl bouncing on her head. It was locked down with an invisible shield of more hair product than you can imagine. The train of her dress elegantly flowed behind her and top of the dress was being held up by ..... well, it's enough to make a Dad go a little nuts and start polishing the shot guns.
I should take a moment here to rewind the tape and take a look back around, oh, let's say 1973. This is where beauty was always on the horizon, but not the landscape. My early high school years were decorated with modest hem lines (yeah, I rolled my waist band as soon as I was out of sight from Mom's inspection), long, straight hair that softly framed my rectangular, tortoise shell eyeglasses, and lips that glistened with cherry chapstick, because I wasn't allowed to wear make-up. Oh yeah.....one Cosmo girl, coming right up. Fortunately for me, I was able to pull together a fairly attractive look when I moved on to contact lenses and a "Farrah Fawcett" cut, and found the perfect guy, who looked a little bit deeper than what was on the outside and found something good from the inside. I like to THINK that I pulled that off, but I know it was Divine Intervention....and I'm grateful.
As for my daughter, the wanna-be beauty queen.....although she does have a far more sophisticated look than I could ever have dreamed of at her age....she also has that inner beauty that touches my heart every time she walks in the room, or opens her mouth to speak. As the emcee of the pageant called her name, and began listing all her talents, achievements, and ambitions, I couldn't help but say a little prayer of thanks for being given the charge of raising such a delightful being. Beautiful at skin depth? Yes, and beautiful through and through. Interestingly enough, all of the girls had such amazing resumes.....they were all hard working, ambitious, altruistic young ladies with great futures ahead of them.....with or without acrylic nails and sequined tulle dresses.
The pageant was a success and there were five lucky winners that night with sparkling tiaras and arms full of roses. My daughter did not receive a tiara, but she didn't shed any tears or pout all the way home. She loved it! Loved the whole thing and said that she'd do it again in a heartbeat because she loved spending all that time getting to know all of the other contestants and basically, just having a ball! So what of "Beauty in the South"? We are passionate about our beautiful women. We try as hard as we can to fluff, buff, shine, and adorn ourselves to make the cut in this life. But a little high school beauty pageant taught me that beauty is what we make of ourselves, and more importantly, what we pass on to our children. In that case.....I have earned three tiaras, one for each daughter!
Later ya'll!
K
Monday, April 19, 2010
Okay, So I Got a Little Distracted.....
To be 100% honest, I forgot about the whole blog thing.....and that's a shame because it's been a busy, somewhat memorable, somewhat forgettable Winter.
Life has just flown by with all the usual ups and downs. In a nutshell, my hubby found a job (yeah!) and my girls are trying to drive me crazy. Not in a bad way, they just have so much in their own lives, it's hard to keep up with who needs what, when and why.
After 15 months of zero paychecks, my husband was hired by a well known tele-communication company. He had to swallow a huge portion of pride and politely tuck his Master's degree and all his credentials into his back pocket, and learn how to be a sales and customer service rep. Now, to his credit, he is an excellent "people-person" and this, I believe will take him far with the company. But, everyone must pay their dues and this is certainly one of those times. Can I just say what a relief it has been to have the extra income back on board? It's not anywhere near what it was, back in the day, but we have learned some humbling lessons in frugal living, and after living on MY paychecks for over a year, his new paycheck is like chocolate fudge on the sundae! Sweet!
My life is okay, and at this very moment, I feel like there is too much to write about, but I've had some surreal events in the past few months that have taken me to places I never expected to go. For instance.....me, a "pageant mom"!?!? You have no idea how funny that statement is! My little one, my precious 15 year old, decided that she wanted to be in her school pageant. This is a huge fundraiser for the school's athletic program. Of course, she wasn't qualified to be THE Miss Wildcat, as that title is reserved for a Senior, but she was shooting for Miss Freshman Wildcat and once she was nominated, there was no turning back. I really didn't know if she'd even be voted in as one of the lucky 15 candidates, but sure enough....she was and the race was on. I have never been interested in pageants and know nothing about it, but it was an eye-opener for certain.
Stop by again....I'll tell you all about big hair and high heels in the South.
Adios!
K
Life has just flown by with all the usual ups and downs. In a nutshell, my hubby found a job (yeah!) and my girls are trying to drive me crazy. Not in a bad way, they just have so much in their own lives, it's hard to keep up with who needs what, when and why.
After 15 months of zero paychecks, my husband was hired by a well known tele-communication company. He had to swallow a huge portion of pride and politely tuck his Master's degree and all his credentials into his back pocket, and learn how to be a sales and customer service rep. Now, to his credit, he is an excellent "people-person" and this, I believe will take him far with the company. But, everyone must pay their dues and this is certainly one of those times. Can I just say what a relief it has been to have the extra income back on board? It's not anywhere near what it was, back in the day, but we have learned some humbling lessons in frugal living, and after living on MY paychecks for over a year, his new paycheck is like chocolate fudge on the sundae! Sweet!
My life is okay, and at this very moment, I feel like there is too much to write about, but I've had some surreal events in the past few months that have taken me to places I never expected to go. For instance.....me, a "pageant mom"!?!? You have no idea how funny that statement is! My little one, my precious 15 year old, decided that she wanted to be in her school pageant. This is a huge fundraiser for the school's athletic program. Of course, she wasn't qualified to be THE Miss Wildcat, as that title is reserved for a Senior, but she was shooting for Miss Freshman Wildcat and once she was nominated, there was no turning back. I really didn't know if she'd even be voted in as one of the lucky 15 candidates, but sure enough....she was and the race was on. I have never been interested in pageants and know nothing about it, but it was an eye-opener for certain.
Stop by again....I'll tell you all about big hair and high heels in the South.
Adios!
K
Sunday, December 6, 2009
If The Shoe Fits.......It's Probably Ugly!
As a woman who really loves shoes, it's comes as a surprise, even to myself, that I don't have a closet overflowing with all the latest foot fashions. They are such a fun item...all the colors and styles....but rarely in my budget for indulgence so what usually happens....I find myself in a crunch time decision of needing a pair of shoes....for tomorrow! That was the way it happened the other night. I was scheduled to attend a training seminar on Friday and on Thursday afternoon, I knew I would need a decent pair of shoes to wear. I knew I would never be able to clomp around in heels all day, so a nice pair of dressy flats were in order. So simple. Those little cuties are EVERYWHERE. But here is the kicker....I wear a size 11.
Having a difficult shoe size is nothing new to me, I've been dealing with it for as long as I can remember. As a child and a teen, it was a different challenge....my foot was long and incredibly narrow. Have you ever heard of a AAAAA heel? I distinctly remember a pair of shiny black slip-ons with those five "A's". My parents would always begin a shoe expedition with the admonition..."It's not necessarily what you like, but what we can find to fit."....and my foot was so much longer than all my friends who were wearing size 5,6,7.....I was in an 8 before I was 16 years old. My precious Aunt Mary always reminded me that I simply had a "firm foundation"....I've tried to remember that over the years and it DOES make me smile to think about her.
My wedding shoes were a size 8.5 and three years later, after the birth of my first daughter, I had graduated to a size 9. Most Moms will relate to the prediction of a new shoe size for every child. It's true. My feet just grew longer AND (thankfully) a little wider. I was thrilled to find a "B" width or "medium" was working out just fine. If I could have stayed at a size 10B, I might have been happy, but nooooooo......nurses wear the most comfortable of shoes and so I practically live in clogs, tennis shoes or the "official shoe of South Carolina"...the flip-flop. Not only did my feet grow longer, but they so enjoy being able to stretch out and spread across the lay of the land inside a clog, that they are now wide across the toes. I can't win!
Remember those cute little flats I was describing earlier? I found them....adorable little black and gray plaid with a fake buckle across the toe. The sample size 5 was fabulous......and look! They have one in a size 11! Unfortunately, it looked more like a small canoe wrapped in a stadium blanket. UGG! I searched four different shoe stores before running out of time.....I was stuck with wearing the heels. Thankfully, I spent most of the seminar sitting down. Tolerable. What is it with shoe designers? Do they think that any foot larger than a size 9 is only suited for construction boots? Asking the shoe store staff if they have this way- too cute, chestnut colored, reptile textured pump in a size 11 will either bring you a blank stare, or the whole crocodile.
This is not to say that I've NEVER found a pretty pair of shoes for my humongous feet....there IS one store in our town that not only stocks a really attractive selection of shoes, but they specialize in sizes 10, 11, and 12. Of course, they have a section of the store devoted to shoes that come with their own pole and strobe light. I give them a glance, just for the giggle of it, and then move to the "Mother-of-the-Bride-ish" wall of sparkles and silk. It's the store that provided the shoes for my daughter's wedding and for that, I'm grateful, but for everyday wear.....well, we lovingly refer to this shop as the "Bling-Bling Shoe Store" for a reason.
I love Winter but when it comes to footwear....it is a difficult season for me. Spring will come eventually and I will happily pull out my wonderful selection of flip-flops, paint my toes with hot pink polish and let my toes spread out even more so that I can be just that much more frustrated NEXT Winter.
Happy Shopping!
Having a difficult shoe size is nothing new to me, I've been dealing with it for as long as I can remember. As a child and a teen, it was a different challenge....my foot was long and incredibly narrow. Have you ever heard of a AAAAA heel? I distinctly remember a pair of shiny black slip-ons with those five "A's". My parents would always begin a shoe expedition with the admonition..."It's not necessarily what you like, but what we can find to fit."....and my foot was so much longer than all my friends who were wearing size 5,6,7.....I was in an 8 before I was 16 years old. My precious Aunt Mary always reminded me that I simply had a "firm foundation"....I've tried to remember that over the years and it DOES make me smile to think about her.
My wedding shoes were a size 8.5 and three years later, after the birth of my first daughter, I had graduated to a size 9. Most Moms will relate to the prediction of a new shoe size for every child. It's true. My feet just grew longer AND (thankfully) a little wider. I was thrilled to find a "B" width or "medium" was working out just fine. If I could have stayed at a size 10B, I might have been happy, but nooooooo......nurses wear the most comfortable of shoes and so I practically live in clogs, tennis shoes or the "official shoe of South Carolina"...the flip-flop. Not only did my feet grow longer, but they so enjoy being able to stretch out and spread across the lay of the land inside a clog, that they are now wide across the toes. I can't win!
Remember those cute little flats I was describing earlier? I found them....adorable little black and gray plaid with a fake buckle across the toe. The sample size 5 was fabulous......and look! They have one in a size 11! Unfortunately, it looked more like a small canoe wrapped in a stadium blanket. UGG! I searched four different shoe stores before running out of time.....I was stuck with wearing the heels. Thankfully, I spent most of the seminar sitting down. Tolerable. What is it with shoe designers? Do they think that any foot larger than a size 9 is only suited for construction boots? Asking the shoe store staff if they have this way- too cute, chestnut colored, reptile textured pump in a size 11 will either bring you a blank stare, or the whole crocodile.
This is not to say that I've NEVER found a pretty pair of shoes for my humongous feet....there IS one store in our town that not only stocks a really attractive selection of shoes, but they specialize in sizes 10, 11, and 12. Of course, they have a section of the store devoted to shoes that come with their own pole and strobe light. I give them a glance, just for the giggle of it, and then move to the "Mother-of-the-Bride-ish" wall of sparkles and silk. It's the store that provided the shoes for my daughter's wedding and for that, I'm grateful, but for everyday wear.....well, we lovingly refer to this shop as the "Bling-Bling Shoe Store" for a reason.
I love Winter but when it comes to footwear....it is a difficult season for me. Spring will come eventually and I will happily pull out my wonderful selection of flip-flops, paint my toes with hot pink polish and let my toes spread out even more so that I can be just that much more frustrated NEXT Winter.
Happy Shopping!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Does Christmas Fall in December This Year?
If you think you're picking up some sarcasm....you are correct. If you are worried that I'm serious, you are also correct. Here is a little known secret I usually keep locked away....I have a weird view of time. For as long as I can remember, I've had a visual of the calendar in my brain that resembles a racetrack, or some kind of oval shaped game board. Yes, I know...that's crazy. But if you mention a date to me, I instantly get this image in my brain. The oval has twelve parts, each representing a month with December kind of at the very top and July/August sharing the bottom. I play the part of a game piece (if this were Monopoly, I guess I'd be the Scotti Dog) moving at lightning speed around this oval....always going counter clockwise. I have absolutely NO explanation for this. At any rate....here we go again...back to the top of the oval, about to embark on another year. Christmas is always in the same space, never moving like Easter....(who really understands how THAT is calculated?)... and am I ready for it? It's a lesson I never seem to learn. I have done my best to financially prep for the big day with my little savings account....all you Dave Ramsey fans will understand how that works....but it doesn't seem to be enough. At least not enough to deal with the emotional prep.
I spent this past Monday packing up the few little "Fall" decor items I have around the house, and then hauling the Christmas stuff down from the attic. It was an all day event, but I made it. By 9:00 p.m., my house was all twinkly and glowy with lights and candles and the various holiday nick-nacks I've accumulated over the years. Many little treasures such as the paper reindeer with antlers made from the outline of my daughter's hands.....well, I may not actually put them out on display, but I simply can not bear to part with them, so year after year, I take a peek at them, feel a little twinge at the 'ol heartstrings, and then pack them back in the bin until next year. Growing children change the holidays into something really unfamiliar. The days of asking "can we put the tree up tonight, Mom?" have turned to something more like, "when are YOU planning to put up the tree Mom?" Last year we encountered a whole new concept....opening Christmas presents BY DAYLIGHT!! No more four o'clock in the morning pleading for us to allow them to get up and open presents because "Santa" had been in OUR living room!! The gifts have changed from dollhouses and Barbie to purses and ipods.
This will be our second Christmas with a married daughter. After all the years of three girls scrambling around the tree to find their gifts and having to be forced to slow down and open only one gift at a time, we have only two at home. Two who sit calmly and sip coffee while leisurely opening their gifts and taking time to oooh and aaaah over the beautiful wrapping paper and bows. Our oldest daughter will appear at some point with her wonderful husband and we'll open more gifts and sip more coffee. It's all very grown-up and civilized.....and I miss the days of pajamas with feet in them, American Girl books, cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.
My game piece is whipping around the board again and each year, I see a more advanced version of this new kind of Christmas. What will this be like when all my chickens have flown the coop...and I'm truly an empty nester? I think that is why God invented "grandchildren". So hold on......here we go again!
I spent this past Monday packing up the few little "Fall" decor items I have around the house, and then hauling the Christmas stuff down from the attic. It was an all day event, but I made it. By 9:00 p.m., my house was all twinkly and glowy with lights and candles and the various holiday nick-nacks I've accumulated over the years. Many little treasures such as the paper reindeer with antlers made from the outline of my daughter's hands.....well, I may not actually put them out on display, but I simply can not bear to part with them, so year after year, I take a peek at them, feel a little twinge at the 'ol heartstrings, and then pack them back in the bin until next year. Growing children change the holidays into something really unfamiliar. The days of asking "can we put the tree up tonight, Mom?" have turned to something more like, "when are YOU planning to put up the tree Mom?" Last year we encountered a whole new concept....opening Christmas presents BY DAYLIGHT!! No more four o'clock in the morning pleading for us to allow them to get up and open presents because "Santa" had been in OUR living room!! The gifts have changed from dollhouses and Barbie to purses and ipods.
This will be our second Christmas with a married daughter. After all the years of three girls scrambling around the tree to find their gifts and having to be forced to slow down and open only one gift at a time, we have only two at home. Two who sit calmly and sip coffee while leisurely opening their gifts and taking time to oooh and aaaah over the beautiful wrapping paper and bows. Our oldest daughter will appear at some point with her wonderful husband and we'll open more gifts and sip more coffee. It's all very grown-up and civilized.....and I miss the days of pajamas with feet in them, American Girl books, cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.
My game piece is whipping around the board again and each year, I see a more advanced version of this new kind of Christmas. What will this be like when all my chickens have flown the coop...and I'm truly an empty nester? I think that is why God invented "grandchildren". So hold on......here we go again!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ya Have to Start Somewhere...
Have you ever had a ton of stuff on the brain....and you want to express it, but just can't find the right outlet? I suppose that is the conception of this whole blogging thing for me. I'm at an interesting, in-between stage of my life and even though I am oh so computer stupid, I decided to take a shot at it. I'm a Fiftysomething wife, mom, mother-in-law, sister, friend, nurse, almost empty-nester with no interest in Facebook. Actually, I think it's a fairly cool concept, but I really want to flex some writing muscle and Facebook world is more about the snipits of one's life.
So where to start.....I guess with the question....."when did I cease to be smart?" I used to be. I always felt pretty saavy with party conversation and always being in the know with how to do this, or when to do that. I had a great memory for everyone's birthday, anniversary etc. I was the one who could whip up a favorite recipe from the top of my head without cracking a cookbook or recipe file. I knew the names of all my girl's friends and where they were born, what size birthday present to buy and what kind of car their mother's drove.....you get the idea. Now....not so much. It's that look your children give you when you say something that they think is ridiculous. My favorite look comes when I'm telling a story or asking a question and you can see it on their face....."Mom, you already told me this"....or "We've already had this conversation." Aaaggghh! Am I alone out there with this one, or are there lots of ex-brilliant moms that now suffer from information overload. That HAS to be the answer. I have been the one to retain so much information for so long....my circuitry is just not able to fire anymore.
So I'm feeling less than brilliant......who cares, right? Well, I guess I do.
I will work on making a fairly interesting blog with some fun pictures....now and then. The real test will be to see if I can remember how to log back on, once this post is finished. It'll either be the coolest experiment or the most embarrassing crash and burn.....stay tuned.
Kath
So where to start.....I guess with the question....."when did I cease to be smart?" I used to be. I always felt pretty saavy with party conversation and always being in the know with how to do this, or when to do that. I had a great memory for everyone's birthday, anniversary etc. I was the one who could whip up a favorite recipe from the top of my head without cracking a cookbook or recipe file. I knew the names of all my girl's friends and where they were born, what size birthday present to buy and what kind of car their mother's drove.....you get the idea. Now....not so much. It's that look your children give you when you say something that they think is ridiculous. My favorite look comes when I'm telling a story or asking a question and you can see it on their face....."Mom, you already told me this"....or "We've already had this conversation." Aaaggghh! Am I alone out there with this one, or are there lots of ex-brilliant moms that now suffer from information overload. That HAS to be the answer. I have been the one to retain so much information for so long....my circuitry is just not able to fire anymore.
So I'm feeling less than brilliant......who cares, right? Well, I guess I do.
I will work on making a fairly interesting blog with some fun pictures....now and then. The real test will be to see if I can remember how to log back on, once this post is finished. It'll either be the coolest experiment or the most embarrassing crash and burn.....stay tuned.
Kath
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