Sunday Naps Are The Best!

"It's a BLUE POTTY!"

exclaimed Jane as we walked out our front door to this view:

(It's there for the workers who are re-roofing the buildings in our complex.)

I'm glad somebody's excited about it. Now if we could just get Jane, who has regressed in potty-going at all, to get excited about an indoor potty--especially since I AM NOT taking her to an outhouse. THAT would be something!

A Decade Ago...

Our first date was especially romantic.

Oh, wait. Back up. Let's start at "the beginning." :)

It was 13 Feb, late afternoon. Bart and I were up in the Student Government office of the College where we met. I was in Student Government. Bart was the farthest student from Student Government I had ever met. He was there to take advantage of the awesome benefits I had--you know, being apart of such an elite group and all. Computer access was HUGE then. And I had access.

So, there we were. I was watching him play a computer game. Important business, you know.

We were chatting about nothing in particular when Bart, eyes still on the screen, said,

"So, are you going to the dance tomorrow?"

"No. Are you?"

"No. Do you want to go?"

Pause.

He said it nonchalantly and I was thinking, Is this a rhetorical question or is he really asking me to go with HIM?

"Uh. Do you mean, do I want to go with YOU?"

"Yeah. Do you want to go with me?" If we were having this conversation today he would end that sentence with, "Knucklehead!" But at this point in the game he was not accustomed to calling me names.

My response: "Sure."

The date itself was fun. It's just images now, really. We went in a group that had invited Bart, but I didn't really know anyone else and we didn't stay with them.

The dance was happenin'! We danced, we laughed (I think--I don't really remember). We put in a guess on a gigantic canister full of an assortment of candy. We guessed the EXACT amount of candy and got to take that home with us to divvy up. It was a sign, don't you think?

Bart kissed my cheek when he dropped me off.

It was magical.

OK. So it wasn't MAGICAL.

The dance wasn't THAT great--it was just a dance.

I didn't love the way my hair was done (Sorry, Mo. I know you had good intentions) and I was in a DRESS, (we all know how I felt about dresses then), and Bart was in a SUIT (we all know how he feels about "real" clothes).

But we did have a good time, mostly because we were with each other.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

I'm glad to be making it with him.

Milk, It Does the Body Good.

I don't know about anyone else, but we drink a lot of MILK:

I'm talking a Gallon a day.

As I was growing up, I'd go to the store with my mom. People would look at her cart full of 6 gallons of milk in disbelief. The inevitable, "WOW! That's a lot of milk!" would follow. Mom would always smile her little smile, and as the exclaimer walked down the aisle and out of earshot she'd turn to me and say, "Let's not tell them that we do this twice a week, ok?"

I have four brothers and a sister--all of us milk drinkers, even if my mom had to cajole Brothers 1 & 3 to drink it with chocolate powder. That's a lot of people drinking milk in one house. I thought everyone was that way. Give or take a few gallons.

Fast Forward to NOW. I still drink milk. I married a milk drinker. Our children are milk drinkers. (No comments on the baby, please.) =)

Last night we were on our last 1/2 Gallon. I went to the store and put our usual 5 Gallons in my cart and wheeled it through check out. As I was exiting the store a lady stopped me and said,

"Do you freeze your milk?"

*smiling* "No. We just drink this much milk."

"Really? How long does it take you to go through that?"

"We usually drink a Gallon a day."

"WOW! That's a lot of milk! I've been trying to decide if I need to cut back from 1/2 Gallon to a Quart."

*smile. Exit*

Really?

It never ceases to amaze me how many people do NOT drink milk. Ever. I understand those who are intolerant of it or those who genuinely dislike it. And it's not like our family never drinks anything else. Granted, we don't drink Coffee or Tea, and we only have juice and pop as a treat once in a while. But what about the rest of people?

Don't they ever have cereal?

Cookies?

Chocolate Cake?

PB&Js?

Isn't it just about the most refreshing thing in the world to wash down your dinner with a nice, deep swig of delicious MILK?

Why don't People drink milk?

WHY?!

Things on my mind...

I've had some things on my mind of late. Not important things. Just STUFF. I know, I know. My high school English teacher (whom I LOVE, by the way) would tell me to come up with more "expensive" words to describe what I mean. But really, it is just STUFF.

Firstly, winter always makes me feel a little pent up.

So I've been reminiscing about these days:

Ah, how young and innocent we were. How simple life was. How good that water smelled, looked, tasted. It makes me want to take a vacation somewhere tropical.

And then there were times like these:

I love being out doors. Bart would tell you I have my limits of being "dirty" (and I'm not so proud that I will admit otherwise--I mean, what's wrong with being clean even while being recreational?) There's just something exhilarating about feeling your legs burning after a good volleyball game or hike. I love the fresh air in my lungs.

HOWEVER, we can't go on any big vacations right now. Mostly because of this

and this little cutie.

Secondly, I've been thinking a lot about these people:

That gets me thinking about where we will eventually end up and how close to family we will be. *sigh*

That thought leads to the actual place we will live. That, of course, is undetermined and in my experience, even when you THINK life is going to go a certain way and that you'll do this, and this, and this, it doesn't turn out that way. Ever. At least, that has been MY experience.

So I begin thinking about our white picket fence

and how we will decorate.

I don't give this much thought because I know virtually NOTHING about home decor.

THAT thought leads to how I need to learn more about things I know nothing about (shouldn't be hard, should it?) I need to improve my mind and get physically and mentally fit. I need to beautify my soul.




I know that thoughts of this kind will always be there. There will always be SOMETHING I want to do that I can't at the moment. Admittedly, it's very easy to get feeling sorry for myself. Waa, waa, waa.

That's why we have to take trips like these:

Yes, it's February. Yes, we have to wear jackets. But there is just nothing like getting out and playing in the sand. My thoughts were refreshed and rejuvenated as I listened to the ocean, the gulls, and felt the fresh air fill my lungs. Life is good. My family is healthy and happy.

*contented sigh*

Now, what was I saying?