Sep 11

Love and Peace

by Stacey

Yesterday, right before I left to walk the dog, I saw a post from my friend Kathleen. She had posted one of those amazing pictures of her feet next to a leaf that was shaped like a heart. I thought how lucky she was to catch that shape.

As I stopped in our driveway to close our gate, I looked down and saw this.

While not completely perfect, it was awfully close.

And it seems like the perfect image to share today.

Love and peace to all on this, another September 11th.

Sep 10

First Day of School 2013

by Stacey

With the extra week of summer, this first day of school has been much anticipated by adults and children alike. Today the girls walked in to school as fifth and second graders for the first time. I was shocked, after what has been a lovely, but long summer, that I got a bit teary eyed as I hugged Katherine goodbye in front of her desk.

I think it was really the difference with which the girls handled the day that got my tears going. Katherine held my hand as we walked, stopped in front of the school sign to take our annual picture, asked me to stay in her new classroom with her for one more minute and gave me a huge hug when I left. Caroline did none of this. She walked a few paces in front of us, gave me a look when I suggested pictures in front of the sign and then smiled quickly before running off to wait in line with her friends.

In just three years, Katherine will be the fifth grader, walking independently, shunning embarrassing pictures and perhaps acknowledging with me a goodbye on that first day. In just three years. At this point, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised at the difference that three years can bring but I still am. For now, I suppose all I can do is be grateful for the reminder.

Happy Fall everyone!

Sep 09

A Big Life

by Stacey

Every so often I dabble into the world of scrapbooking blogs. The downside of this is that I feel like a huge slacker whose children will have no recollection of their childhoods because I have done so little, by comparison, to document these childhoods. The upside is that I find all sorts of creative women who provide tons and tons of great writing prompts. So much of what these women do in pictures, I can do in words.

This September, for example, I am participating in 30 Days of Lists. Many of the other women in this challenge are creating gorgeous scrapbook pages each day. I am creating lists.

And the super fun part is that Caroline is doing it with me. She was reading over my shoulder one day and asked what I was doing and them promptly asked if she could do it too. She has enjoyed some of the prompts and then chosen her own on the days that the lists don’t really ‘do it for her.’

Today, she chose her own list… “List all the jobs you might like to try someday.”

Caroline was unsure if I would be able to do this with her because to quote my tween, “I am old.” But I surprised her and truthfully myself, when I came up with this relatively long list…

Waitress (this I would only want to do for a day and only because I think I might be the only person in the world who has never waited a table).
Book Reviewer
Independent Book Store Owner
Photographer
Author
Talk show host
Nutritionist
Personal Shopper

Not bad for an old lady like me…

Sep 06

Stillness

by Stacey

“Suddenly, there is inner stillness. And within that stillness there is a subtle but intense joy, there is love, there is peace.”

-Echart Tolle

We found this little fellow at our local Botanical Garden, a small treasure just 30 minutes away. It is a place of stillness and whenever I am there, I am reminded of the wonderful things you find when you take just a little bit of time to be still.

Sep 05

An Embarrassing Moment

by Stacey

I have recently discovered Chantelle of Fat Mum Slim and she recently posted a great 50 things to blog about post.

The prompt that caught my eye this morning was the idea to write about an embarrassing moment. I had just recently told this story so it was in the front of my mind.

Years ago, I was at the gym, one of those big, scary gyms. It was 5:30pm, packed with the fit, after work crowd. I used the treadmill a lot in those days and was comfortable on one. I was running and fiddling with my headphones (and probably my yellow walkman!) at the same time. This was no big deal until I lost my footing and the treadmill pushed me right off the back onto the floor. While embarrassing, this also might not have been a big deal if I hadn’t, in my embarrassment, stepped right back on to the treadmill. And if it hadn’t spit my right off the back, again.

I can still picture the people around me who pretended they hadn’t seen me thrown from the treadmill, twice. Perhaps they thought this ridiculous behavior was contagious. And I can also picture all the gym employees rushing to me, imagining the insurance bills skyrocketing.

The picture above is from a glorious walk I took while we were on vacation. It really is safer to do your walking with two feet already on the ground.

So, you knew it was coming. Your turn. Any embarrassing moments to share?

Sep 04

In Limbo

by Stacey

As I walked the dog today I saw lots of leaves like this one on the ground. Leaves that still had the green of summer mixed in with the colors of fall. It is the perfect image for me this week. Due to the timing of Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah, our girls do not start school until next Monday. For those of you have been in school for weeks, you did read that right. The first day of school is September 9th. And it is a half day.

I have watched endless streams of back to school pictures on Facebook and read messages from moms that range from joy to sadness. And here I sit, somewhere in between.

I am glad to have these few days left before the madness of the fall schedule begins. The girls can sleep till they wake up and play and read when and what they want. I am torn though because it has begun to feel like fall. The weather has changed a bit. Labor Day has come and gone. Sports practices have begun. We can’t be totally free in our days as there some commitments but our regular schedule is not in place.

We are all feeling confused and a bit out of place. Relaxed but not really. Carefree with plans. Like this leaf. Summery, with just a touch of fall.

Sep 03

Maine: In Photos

by Stacey

Last week, I was without Wi-Fi.

Being without Wi-Fi and only intermittent connection on our phones for a week was tough (definitely a post for another day) but the trade off was completely worth it. My mother invited us to one of her most favorite places, Drakes Island in Maine. Before we left, people told us how much we would love Maine, how it was unlike any other place in the country and they were all right.

Below are some of the amazing things we saw and did.

The girls walked on a long, long jetty often by themselves, feeling proud each time they did it.

We ate lobster, which really does taste better in Maine.

We explored the quaint town of Kennebunkport.

We visited President and Mrs. Bush at their summer home.

Both of the girls read at the beach for the first time in the history of our little family. Serenity has arrived…

The low tides were gorgeous.

We took an amazing walk along The Marginal Way.

We played lots of double, triple, quadruple and even five way solitaire. Did I mention we didn’t have a television either? And most importantly, against the gorgeous backdrop that is Maine, we spent time with our family.