Kinda late on my blog tonight but we were watching The Lord of the Rings : Fellowship of the Ring with Devin for the first time. I just love Gandalf so much, and I may adopt his quote to counter my "lateness," referred to by some as "Cheryl Time."

"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."


...I am now off to arrive in my bed, precisely when I want to. GOODNIGHT!

Today was such a milestone day for us. Dropped over a thousand, that I really didn't have being that it is the end of the summer, on our downpayment, but after all the waiting, and "6 month appointments," Devin FINALLY got his braces on! As much as I miss my little kids at times, I just love how they are growing up, and, braces are a big step in that direction.

I said to Tim the other day that our summers just keep getting better and better, and I figure the only real big shift or change in life has been the kids getting older. They need less "tending" and therefore there is just so much more freedom, for them, for us, for our family as a whole. We can travel wherever, whenever, at the drop of a hat. They LOVE going to their grandparents' homes, alone OR together. Bedtime is flexible, tasks can be shared as a family, and, perhaps the best thing is, they can make their OWN BREAKFAST! (Lunch, and even some dinners too! And I'm not just talkin' Easy Mac! My kids can COOK!)

Some people love little newborn babies, and others thrive with pre-schoolers, but as I continue on my journey, I think I am finding that I am a REALLY GOOD older kids mom. I don't know if I would have predicted that, but the longer I live, the more I realize you never know...

One of my little save your sanity quotes as of late has been "Sometimes good enough is good enough." It is a very handy phrase, particularly useful when you live in an old farmhouse. No job is easy, and NOTHING is plumb or square. You often times have to go with good enough. Well, today I came across this quote...

"To know what is enough is true wealth." Tao te Ching.

Again, I feel like the universe is sending me messages. Maybe it is prepping me to stay calm with the start of the new school year. Maybe it is telling me that, whatever I do, if done with sincerity and heart, will be enough?

Maybe.

Just in case you are in need of some guidance, here is a recipe for an enjoyable afternoon. Add husband doing odd jobs for you around the house, good tunes on the remote speakers and sunshine like you wouldn't believe and it pretty much adds up the the perfect day!

"Chicarita"
1 can frozen limeade
1 can tequila
1 can water
1 can light beer with lime
fresh lime to taste
ice

:)Enjoy!

8/27
What a perfect summer day! The kids went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a few days, and Tim and I got some blissful "Home Vacation" days.

Today, we made a "to do list" that was really "do-able," and shockingly, completed everything on it. Such accomplishment led to the rest of the day being full of relaxation. I threw on my bikini top, and soaked in the sun on the porch, enjoying The Host and also a vodka tonic or two. I even threw some fresh pineapple in it, so it was PRACTICALLY a health drink! Had a wonderful surprise when Mary D. stopped by to bring me a smutty novel to start the school year with! Now, the plan is to continue to chase the sun out on the boat, with some snacks for dinner, and a bottle of wine...
"You may see time as passing by, and not understand that time never arrives. There is only this moment." -Dogen

There are some nights when you don't have time to blog, because you are too busy catching up with a friend. Had a blast with Sue, and some wine. Nuff said!

OK, so first I go to a really eye opening exhibit at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, on Cleopatra. I buy a poster, to hang in my classroom, because it is really eye catching, and I need some new "stuff" to look at in my work environment. It has a huge eye on it. I start to think of some fun activities to go with the poster. Perhaps I could put a slogan next to it along the lines of "Eyes on your OWN work," or perhaps do an art activity "SEE what I did this summer?" with the kids drawing an image in an iris of an eye.

Then, I go to Walmart, today, and happen to find myself throwing The Host by Stephenie Meyer in the cart. It is the Sci Fi book written by the Twilight author. It has been out for a while, in paperback even. I have wanted to read it since I finished with the Twilight series, but, for whatever reason, just haven't.

Well, as I sat on the porch, tonight, getting into it, I realized, it too has the big EYE!

WHAT is the universe trying to tell me?!

We have been taking advantage of a few days as home, as a family, and have been doing all kinds of exciting things such as cleaning and organizing. Basically it comes down to us actually finishing a lot of the projects that were promised, or started, earlier in the summer. As I shared before, Tim has painted a ceiling, and yesterday, while the paint dried at home, we went out to buy a much needed vacuum. We impulse bought a steam cleaner as well. Today's fun and excitement was provided by using that for the first time. It is pretty gross to see the filth you were living in when you buy new cleaning paraphanalia...let's just leave it at that.

Funniest part of the day, though, was the disposal of our old, broken mind you, vacuum. We live on a bend, on a road that leads to several marinas, so we get a fair amount of traffic in the summer months, for sure. We have always been able to have Garage Sales on a moment's notice. Basically we can throw our crap out of the lawn, and people stop by at a steady stream and take it away for us, leaving us with a quick couple hundred cash. The other convenience of living on a seasonally busy road is that anything you just want to get rid of will go away if you just leave it down by the side of the road.

Well, here we were, on a quiet Tuesday morning, with a broken vacuum on our hands. We put it down at 12:15 and took bets for when it would leave the premisis. Bets ranged from 3:15 pm today, all the way to Friday afternoon. Sad to say, or happy I suppose, I won with the 3:15 bet. Someone came and stuffed our crappy vacuum in the back of their vehicle at 1:30 pm!

Got any crap you wanna get rid of, come on up! We'll make a day of it, have a drink, cookout, and watch "One Man's Trash is Another Man's Tresure" play out in my front yard. It is amazing to me each and every time!

Don't have much writing in me these days. I do, seriously, think I am still on recovery from the breakneck travel and fun pace that our summer has had. Plus, today, we painted the ceiling in our living room. Well, Tim painted it, to be truthful, but a big project seriously disrupts family life all around. Two rainy days have also created a messy "ish" yard, which is not so much fun with a black lab around. Yeah, I am making excuses, but I also am cutting myself a little bit of summer slack here.

I did finish another book these last couple of days, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. This one was pretty good, and had a bunch of laugh out loud/read out loud to tolerant husband moments for sure. The first chapter alone was 23 pages that made me TOTALLY OK with turning 40, and that is, at root, the purpose of this blog is it not? Reading that first chapter would make anyone go "Hmmm, my life really is pretty OK, I guess." That in and of itself is a reason this book will stay on my shelf. The interactions between the author and her mother really had me giggling too, thinking to myself that we're all more similar, as people, than we are different. Then there was the Mennonite Primer in the back of the book, which was informative AND funny as hell!

What to read next, what to do next, where to go next...two weeks of summer left...

...sigh. Totally felt like I might do some productive writing today, but no, you just get useless blather. I am just so tired! We trecked to and through Phila for three days, had one day down, and then went to the St. Lawrence yesterday. Today has been a rainy, dreary, sluggish day of recovery. Rather than attempt any witticism, you get song lyrics instead. It's a good one, from Mandy Moore. Yeah, I know, you might put her in the "Britney" catagory, but don't. Listen to either of her more current albums and you might be pleasently surprised. You know, as I post, I am finding it funny that I would be thinking, today, about a song that speaks of a certain type of "weekend." Undeniably, we are getting closer and closer to that time of year when work begins again, and weekends matter. In summer it is like Tuesday is Saturday most days. I am getting ready to welcome the value of a weekend, but summer, I surely will be missing you.

It's a take-out weekend
It's a fake-out smile and pretend
If nobody sees you cry
You can say it was raining outside

[CHORUS]
And all that you want
Is a few days down
All that you need
A little time to drown
It's to be expected
With all the weight you carry 'round
All that you want is
A Few Days Down

It's a short vacation
To a foreign nation
Oh, nothing familiar here
Just you and your lonesome heart complaining

[CHORUS]

I'm looking out
Ten stories high
And like a blanket lifted
The quiet night
The city finally waking up
To the morning light

[CHORUS]

...if I ever stay home for longer than a day, I might write again. We'll see. Today was a day trip to the St. Lawrence to see the family at camp. Good day, but exhausted. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Well, the travel karma couldn't last.

Had the "Under $20 Day in Niagara Falls," but ended up making my "$20 contribution to the city of Philadelphia" through a parking violation at the Franklin Institute. It pissed Tim off a bit, but it just made me laugh. I am going to chock it up to continuing to prove my theory. My hope is that if I keep accepting this as a basic truth of travel, my $20 will come back to me...someday. Maybe this will happen in Paris...or Greece...just "putting it out there."

We had a great 3 days in the city of brotherly love, with my brother no less, and I am eternally thankful to him for it. Today, Tim napped, I napped...three days of busy travel makes one week...weak...well, you know what I am trying to say.

Just a little humorous anecdote for your Monday. Male readers, beware...I'm talking about "womanly things" today...well, that, and media...well, just read on and you'll see.

Sometimes, when I think about it, we watch a lot of "stuff" in our house, of varying degrees of seriousness. We love a well written series, and through our Netflix subscription primarialy, watch "True Blood," "Big Love," "Weeds," and "Rescue Me" together. So some nights are series nights, nights when we are watching our "TV friends"...people we've invested in, over several years. We watch with excitement and voyeuristic curiosity, to see what they are up to in the messes that are their lives. These shows require time to watch and discuss, and usually a couple of glasses of wine.

Then there is our food/travel obsession so we do our Anthony Bourdain, and Dahani Jones, and Adam Richman, on Travel Channel and Food TV, pretty religiously. These shows may require wine, or beer, and certainly, snacks.

Well, I got to giggling with Tim the other night. We have a Netflix movie that has been kicking around for a while, "Beer League." Real highbrow entertainment, I know, and the reason it has been around for so long is that it really is a specific type of movie. First of all it certainly requires both of the above mentioned refreshment categories; drinks, preferably beer, of course, and snacks as well. Then we got to laughing because it is a movie that in NO way is going to lead to ANY "extra curricular" activities, if you know what I mean. And, quite frankly, it is nice when your "shows" get you in the mood, at least some of the time. So, as we were deciding to just seal up the movie and send it back, I said to Tim, "We might want to watch it this week, though. My period is due. HEY, maybe that's why they call some movies "Period Pieces!" We cracked ourselves up, and it might be gross and disgusting, but come on, you know you have your period undies in the back of your undie drawer...I have a point, don't I?

A movie review was requested of me, multiple times, and funny enough, it is what I was beginning to plan as my blog while I drove home. Sometimes you really are presented with what you need to do in life, even if it just to write a movie review about "Eat Pray Love."

Elizabeth Gilbert's story starts out confused and sad. She is at the end of a marriage, and then goes on to lose herself in another relationship. She feels nothing in life anymore and seeing herself so dead, and lost, and empty, sets off on a trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia...to Eat, Pray, and, in the end, Love.

If you have read this book, you know how powerful it is. I'd say the movie, as a visual representation of a piece of written work, is equally powerful. It was full of the wonderful stories, and myriad lessons, from the book. It also has positively breathtaking imagery. I am such a travel hound, and to see Italy, India and Bali in bright, vivid cinematography, on the big screen, feels like a passport stamp in itself. Then there was the acting. I mean, Julia Roberts...you just don't get any better than that. Then, in the last half hour or so, Javier Bardem. That man had me at "Vicky Christina Barcelona," another great travel movie, if you're looking for one, but set, instead, in Spain. I am thinking of ways right now to coerce Tim to grow his hair just a wee bit longer...

So the review, two thumbs up. Take a girlfriend...nope, not too many men in that theater tonight...and go see "Eat Pray Love."

Some nights you are just to IRRITATED to blog.

Well, I know you all are waiting with baited breath, and I have to share that I did, in fact, make it through my big bad day at work. Got up at 7:30 even...that is like a full hour to hour and a half earlier than I am used to rising these days, sad, I know, but true. It felt pretty good, actually, to be able to get up, get going, and be productive all day. Of course I came home and crashed on the couch with my new Glamour magazine for like an hour afterwards, but, let's face facts, I probably would have done that anyways. It really was nice to see my new team, and to tackle my new curriculum, and then, to have the gift of an hour or so to unpack 10 or so boxes in my new room.

Newness, it seems, is going to be a big theme for the start of this school year. Being that there was no administrator in our building today, we all "toured" a bit, even though it is the big no no to even darken the door in the midst of all the construction. It was kind of exciting, the place and the changes I mean, not just the bucking of authority. The place has been bandaid beige for as long as I have worked there, and now the color theme is blues, with some blocks of other colors in the floor tiles. The playground looks amazing, and the cafeteria is almost headed towards posh, well, for an elementary school cafeteria. No place I'd wish to dine, mind you, particularly once you add the gross out factor of the kids into the mix, but still, the improvements that were promised look like they are really going to come true. I can't imagine how it is all going to be done in 3 weeks, but whatever happens there will happen. None of us can control what is or is not done, but at least what is there will be pretty cool...better to go on the energy of that than get bogged down in the negatives.

You know, I almost hate to say this, but I am almost charged up for the school year to start. Almost. I think it is going to be a great new year, at a new grade level. I was ready for some new...ready for some change...but there are still three solid weeks and then some of summer to drink in. That fact makes me think I ought to leave it at just that. Almost. And almost feels pretty good. Sometimes pretty good is good enough.

R's are creeping in again it seems...

I respect people who work in professions other than teaching, and thus work in the summer months.

Tomorrow I have a math curriculum work day. I have been dreading it all week as I am so bummed to have to actually get UP and go to WORK! My more mature self, though, is well aware that a lot of people, most people actually, do it all summer long, eh? With that in mind, I will stop my whining and forge ahead.

I also respect the strength I see in the women around me.

I was doing a lot of thinking about lives out there, that at least at this moment in time, are a whole lot harder than mine. We're all faced with hardships over and over and over again in life, but sometimes they come hard and fast and seemingly all at once. I spent time today with a friend who is going through so much right now, and my heart, tonight, is with her. I also have a friend who is moving on in a big way tomorrow. My heart is with her as well. Another friend is facing the inevitable moving on of her parents, and my heart is with her.

So, sorry to be a little bit of a downer tonight, but I just don't have it in me...

I'm BAAAAACK! And be afraid, be very afraid, as I am HIGH on music!

Went to Saratoga Performing Arts Center with a bunch of people to see John Mayer and Train on the 8th. Then, Tim and I expanded that into an anniversary getaway to Lake George, where we happened upon a free out door show by a Saratoga musician named Rich Ortiz. Not to mention the fact that I have been wearing out my iPod listening to an iTunes Free Download of the Week find, Anuhea, and also to Ithaca grown Sim Redmond Band, since learning about them from a friend's FB page. I just can hardly stand it. After professing my "CD of Summer" thing in my Replay blog from the R's of Summer series, I have been innundated with musical love. It has been an amazingly musical summer...one I will remember for a long time I am sure.

The concert we attended was the best I have ever been to. Just the sound of it all...summer night...huge crowd...open amphitheater...drum and bass in your chest...was remarkable. And a lot of people will roll their eyes at John Mayer, but let me tell you, if all you know of him is his radio music and his ramblings that hit the front pages and People magazine, you are missing out. He is an amazing blues/rock guitarist. Mayer's band was unbelievable as well. His guitarist, Robbie McIntosh, is a legend, having played with The Pretenders and Sir Paul, to name a few, and his drummer has played with the likes of Steely Dan and Sting. This concert was a mob scene with 15,000 some odd people on a hot, steamy, summer of 2010 night, but it was like he was playing just for you...each and every one...of you.

Then there was the opening act too, Train. WOW! I had been listening to their CD "Save Me SanFrancisco" and was really looking forward to hearing them live, and they did NOT disappoint! "Parachute" was an energized opener, and "Drops of Jupiter" was such a crowd stirring climax. Let's just say that it was almost like a show where either group, Train or JM, could have been the headliner.

As our little adventure continued, I found it almost ironic to happen upon live music (Rich Ortiz) in Lake George the night we were there having dinner and taking in the breathtaking views. We even wrapped up our trip hearing a three piece group at the "Scale House Brewery" in Ithaca, where we stopped for pizza, just to prolong our vacation, before heading back to mom and dad's, and the kids.

So if I may borrow from the Most Interesting Man in the World, "Stay musical my friends..." Look any of these groups up on iTunes, or on their own websites, and you will be more interesting, and interested, yourself.

8/7
The porch thats seen it all, including 17 years of marriage. Had a great dinner tonight, of leftover filet from "little steaks" night with the kids. Then it was Montezuma Winery "Midnight Flight" grape/blueberry sparkling wine and chocolate cheesecake and cannoli, as we couldn't make up our minds! Yep, the pic is a little fuzzy, but you know, after 17 years of marriage, some of it is a little fuzzy, and, we like it that way! Just us two, oh, and Lucy's feet make, well, 8...but you know, if we're done with her she can go in a crate. Kid free for 3 days...that's what anniversaries are all about!

...well, we're at the beginning of anniversary time here in the Howell household. Yep, 17 years ago tonight we were having our rehearsal dinner at the Ramada in Ithaca. It was a great night, as was the next day, our wedding, but as far as food, well, I know we are better cooks than any of the cookin' we had those nights.

We've ended up with a little tradition for a few years now of "little steaks" to celebrate mom and dad's anniversary as a family. A few years ago we got a good deal on some filet, cooked it up, wrapped in bacon on the grill, with some potatos and corn on the cob, and, well the kids, little food snobs that they are, were hooked. Today, stinkin' lobster was like $7.00 a pound, but NO, we had to have the "little steaks!" Tonight's menu included corn on the cob, and caprese salad, along with a lovely Goose Watch Chambourcin, and you know, after a bottle of that, I could've cared less what we had paid for the steaks!

We did do a little "number crunching" though, as we sat finishing the wine, and the $40 in meat + $2.50 for corn + $2.00 for tomatos + $3.00 for fresh basil + $2.50 for fresh mozzarella + $12 (we think) for wine = $62. AND there are leftovers for another full meal, if not, possibly two. FOR FOUR! So you do the math. Treat yourselves well, buy the nice steak, drink the wine, and celebrate yourselves, your families. Celebrate LIFE! It is SO worth it!

"Friends with Pools"

I know I have been off the radar for a couple of days, but I have a good excuse. I have great friends who have great pools. And who doesn't love a friend with a pool? All of the fun, none of the upkeep.

Along with my poolslugging, if I were truly to admit to my sloth of the last two days, I would also have to admit that I was in a pool, or sleeping and waking up slowly/putting on my jammies and reading late into the night, so much that I wore the same outfit for two days! I guess we are into full disclosure now, but then again, when have I been one to hold back? It's nothing that shocking, I know, but now I am feeling the need to explain myself.

Yesterday my outfit, that mind you I did not put on until noon, took me to Auburn, then hung on a hook in Kathy's bathroom all day, whilst I spent my time swimming and talking and eating and drinking in her pool. Today, as I was getting ready to spend the day with Sue, not knowing quite what we'd do with "Our Day" but knowing it PROBABLY would come down to wine in the pool, I threw on that same outfit. Today, at least my outfit got to see "The Press Box" for lunch, but then, again, it hung in Sue's kids' bathroom for the rest of the day, as we soaked up the sun and the wine and the laughter in her pool, and talked about anything and everything and nothing all at once.

I suppose to wrap up, I ought to let you know, on the topic of pools, I have a lot of issues. (Is there anything she DOESN'T have issues about you all ask? But I am telling you, this one is legit!) Observe first of all that I am a Pisces, through and through, always have been, always will be...two fish, swimming in opposite directions. And I wonder why I can't make a decision? Then there is the fact that I was on the Highschool swim team sophomore-senior years. Finally, and probably most scarringly, there is the fact that the gorgeous pool my parents chose to put in, they, essentially, put in AFTER I graduated Highschool! I ask myself regularly, why don't I have a pool of MY OWN? But, on days like today, and yesterday, I know why. Instead, I have the BEST FRIENDS EVER, and lucky for me, they have GREAT POOLS!

Nuff said!
Splash!

Deleted blog last night...too whipped from fun day with friends to blog tonight. What lame excuse will tomorrow bring?

I just deleted my post...seriously...I have been writing for about 20 minutes...just blather, but still...I deleted my whole post. That's it. It wasn't meant to be.

Laurie Halse Anderson, one of my favorite authors, children's or otherwise, has started her wonderful "assignment" to writers again. WFMAD or "Write Fifteen Minutes A Day" is an August project that she takes you through on her blog which you can find on her website http://madwomanintheforest.com/ and also on Facebook, Live Journal and such. It is, simply, a charge to commit to writing for 15 minutes a day, but she gives great prompts and structure to the project as well through her blog posts. I did it last summer, and, naturally, am doing it again this summer. This was my comment to Laurie tonight, and, if you are AT ALL interested in writing, I would encourage you to check it out. If you aren't a writer, at least give her books a try! They are amazing!

Thank you, Laurie Halse Anderson!

"WHY not write? Well, because it is way more tempting to sit around, check the laundry, text a friend, check Facebook, read a bit, water the flowers. But then you sit down to write. You start and you realize that 15 minutes is nothing at all and you could write forever. That is until the kids need something, or the phone rings, or you get a ding from an email, and all those things that at once were your chosen distractions become your nemesis.

Thank you for this “school like” task of WFMAD. I think at times when we have an “assignment” we take things more seriously, and give ourselves the time to do what we want, and at heart, need, to do. I actually started a blog for my 39th year of life…I turn 40 in March…and I committed to writing on it each an every day. It is part journal, part memoir, part just my thoughts at times, on random topics, but making it an assignment has made me follow through. (what a teacher/student/life long learner I am…ack!) I set an attainable goal, and have been at it for 5 months now. WFMAD blends so nicely in with that, and perhaps, gives me the “assignment” that will allow me to stretch even more as a writer.

So, I want to take the time to thank you, Laurie. I am excited to see what the month of August produces."

"A Footnote"

So, we had a little family excursion to Niagara Falls today. It was tagged on to our trip to Buffalo to attend Matt's HS graduation pig roast which was Saturday. Sadly, Gwynn got sick that night, but, being that we were already in Buffalo, we stuck around since it was a closer drive to a hotel than 2 and a half hours home, in the car, with a puking kid. She only threw up, really, once, so Sunday we woke to a beautuful day and thought "How can we make this trip worth while and also tolerable for all?"

Bring on the $20 day in Niagara Falls.

Now, you have to know, there is a backstory to this. When I went to New Orleans in 2005, just before Katrina hit, it seemed each of us that traveled there made our "$20 contribution to the city." I can't quite recall what Marie's contribution was, but know we laughed about it at the time. Kristyn paid $20 to be able to join the piano bar singers at "Howl At the Moon" bar, and Patti and I got conned out of $20 EACH to have our palms read in Jackson Square. As I have traveled other places since, I have joked when the $20 price point comes up, as it so often does. There are two incidents that come to mind right off; one being $20 cab rides in San Juan, PR, and the other being the tacky photoshopped family photo atop the CN Tower in Toronto that Devin insisted on bringing home with us. Each time that type of thing happens, while frustrating on some levels, I remember that in the world of travel karma one has to make their $20 contribution and move on.

Today, I felt a karmic return. I mean, how does one get out of Niagara Falls on $20? In particular when parking alone cost $10? Looking back, one reason is that food was not an issue. We had stayed at a Hampton Inn and their hotel breakfast that was actually GOOD and filling. Then we parked for $10, which seemed a lot, but being that the American Falls area is a NYS Park made it feel a little bit OK. Next we walked all along the American Falls, somewhere I had never been as I had always seen the falls from Canada, taking pictures, laughing, talking and brushing up on NYS history. After all I will be teaching it again this year in 4th grade. We decided against the "Maid of the Mist" and "Cave of the Winds" due to our little sick girl, but did sit for a while under a shade tree, watching the magnitude of the falls, and making a strategic plan for how we could come back another time, including scoping out the hotels that looked the nicest over on the Canadian side. We walked up to the visitors center, and paid $4 to go out on the observation deck, and then just gave the kids some quarters to put in those binocular viewers. They were happy as clams.

At that point, Gwynn's energy was waning, and we were pretty much done. I was a little sad to leave when there was still more to do, but also had to admit that, all in all, it was a really good day. I thought we'd do a ton of stuff, but was expecting bad weather. While we did little, we had a gorgeous day to see a natural wonder. Realistically, we put this trip together last minute, and I had few expectations going in to our day. But as often happens, with fewer expectations, all of them were met. I enjoyed my family, I saw something beautiful, and then, as karmic payback perhaps, I did it all, actually, for UNDER $20! Thanks be to the travel gods!