Reality

My husband is in California today.  He had to get up at 4AM, wait at work for his unreliable boss to show up and take him to the airport, and get on a plane to fly to Sacramento.  He's doing 2 hours worth of work there and then driving a box truck (think Uhaul) across Nevada and arriving back home sometime tomorrow.  Oh, and did I mention that he just sent me photos of himself sitting in the co-pilot's chair in the cockpit of the jet he flew on?  I have no idea what that was all about but the grin on his face tells me that something extraordinary happened to him this morning.

What was I doing when the photo arrived?  Reprimanding my toddler for wiping his bum without toilet paper.  Losing the argument that he needed to use HOT water to wash his hands.  Insisting that he go get clean underwear instead of running around the house naked.  And hearing him tell me after he's run on the carpet that he's found poo on his feet, too.

So, what was my initial reaction to my husband's moment of joy digitally captured and sent to me over the airwaves?  Hatred and disgust, honestly.  Completely gone was the sympathy I'd felt when he'd exhaustedly crawled out of bed in the dark.  The gentle prayer I'd offered up that he would be safe and alert on his drive back our way completely buried.  Also forgotten were the laughs I'd had with my two boys just hours earlier as they piled on top of me in bed, and any thought of encouraging words or shared enthusiasm.

That's how my days tend to be.  I know my husband words hard at a job he doesn't always like.  But because he gets to leave the house, and the kids, I tell myself his life is easy.  When he gets home at night I continue on with cooking dinner or finishing the laundry, but check out from anymore taking care of the kids.  Dad's home, Dad's turn.  It seems like it's working because he loves playing with his boys more than anything on the planet, but it's probably only working because I give him no other choice.

Do you find yourself having the same thoughts or reactions with people and events in your life?  What helps you throughout the day to focus on the beautiful and fun things that are happening instead of getting buried in individual nasty moments?

How do you show your spouse/family/friends that you appreciate the sacrifices they've made for you?  And what gives you balance throughout your day?

In My Heart On Thursday

"And the truth is, we are not better than the people who are on the show...some of us just dress better. Some of us have more money. Or some of us had better luck in the pool of parents. And sometimes we went to better schools and learned to speak better. But the behavior -- all you have to do is look at any newspaper on any day, of all the famous people involved in all kinds of things. How can we say for a second, you know. If you just look at the hearings we've had in Congress lately. Are those people morally superior to the people on my show? I would hardly think so."

-Jerry Springer

In My Heart On Thursday

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

                                                                                                           ~ Steve Jobs

In My Heart On...Friday

A day late, but worth sharing a thought that's inspiring me...

“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” 


                                                                                                                         – D. H. Lawrence

Why I've Been Missing

I've been away for several weeks visiting family and I want to share it with you...

There are a few things that will always be better in the Midwest than here in Utah.  Thunderstorms and swap meets specifically come to mind.  I didn't have the joy of the first while I was home this time, but we did the second one in style!  I introduce you to the Sparks Flea Market in Sparks, KS...

Basically an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, for 4 days in spring and fall Sparks is converted into three packed city blocks of campers, vendors, shoppers, and unimaginable bargain finds.  My favorite relics to look at were a toddler ride-on Oscar Meyer weinermobile and an antique child's wooden rocking chair.  What I ended up buying (and subsequently hiding and forgetting when it was time to come home) was an antique wooden circus truck complete with wooden circus animals.  At some point my mom will mail it to me and it'll become my first foray into re-finishing an old item.  My boys will love it and I'm so excited!

My littlest making a discovery

There didn't seem to be a reason for my recent trip when I decided to go, but by the time I was there it became obvious that the hand of providence had been at work in my life.  My grandmother passed away while I was on my 18-hour drive towards my childhood home.  I'm certain that I would not have made it out there for her funeral and to be with my family if I had not already been on the way.

Luella Josephine Dobbs from Greg Young on Vimeo.
Because I was there, I had the opportunity to sing a special song at the funeral with my mom and two of my sisters.  Growing up we sang together in church, school music competitions, and other events.  They laughed when I said I missed that and wished I lived closer, but I do and they'd better just watch out...it's not unthinkable that I'd move back just to torture them in that way.

Every year I get nostalgic for the Pella Tulip Time festival.  For anyone not familiar with Pella, it's the home of Pella Windows and VerMeer Corporation.  It was also a settling point for my ancestors and thousands of other early-20th century Dutch immigrants.  Town zoning laws require all commercial buildings to be adorned with traditional Dutch facade and a trip to Pella demands a stop at Jaarsma bakery for S-shaped, almond-flavored Dutch letters.  This year I got to go to the celebration!

It was a chilly, on-and-off rainy day, but it was so much fun!  We got there in time for the afternoon parade and I was instantly transported back to my high-school marching band days.  All the better that my alma mater (can you say alma mater for a high school?) was by far the best band in the parade.  When the rain started we curled up with fresh hot funnel cakes buried in glaze and powdered sugar and then drooled as we walked past the poffertje (mini pancakes) and stroopwaffle (syruped waffle cookies) stands.  

The rest of the day was filled with more food, an antique tractor rodeo, a kiddie corner, and a night parade.  The rest of my trip was filled with plenty of cousins for my kids to play with and family drama that incited both uncontrollable laughter as well as thoughtful conversation.  It was a different kind of visit than I usually have and I hope that my future visits can be the same.