Kale Salad Marinating for Dinner

Later? A Game of Jacks

What about you?
How are you spending your time between Christmas and New Year’s?

I’ve been processing life the way photographers process images. Only not as artfully nor as expediently.

So much life these last days and weeks.

There was the weekend marching band competition that I chaperoned in Virginia Beach where I started reading Rumors of Water. Sadly, that was the last time I’ve seen the book and our camera…

The next week I spent half a day in a board meeting with my friends on the Lynchburg Day Aglow team. Then there were doctors’ appointments (three in one day: two different kids’ checkups and one for me), a board meeting in Richmond for the Spence Network, then a same day drive to/from Charlottesville to taxi my oldest between Senior Regional Orchestra auditions and marching band competitions.

The next week there was more painting to do, carpet installed in two rooms and a trip to Laity Lodge in Texas. Home Sunday evening, spent the whole day yesterday moving furniture/belongings so each of the kids can now have their own bedrooms. Then more painting.

Lately it seems there’s always. more. painting.

(By the way, what do you think of this BLUE for a 13 year old boy’s bedroom? yeah. Me neither, but then last night Peter invoked the name of Randy Pausch, who said you should let kids paint their rooms whatever color they want…so, for Randy, and for Morgan…)

Throw in 2 of 8 physical therapy sessions on my ankle and you have an idea of how crazy life can be sometimes and why it’s taking me so long to process it all.

Some people process life through poetry. After hearing Julia Kasdorf read several of her poems this weekend, I was enthralled. During one of the bathroom breaks between sessions, I had a quick conversation with Julia. She was every bit as captivating in a casual conversation as she was in a more formal poetry reading.

I haven’t written any poetry since our wedding invitation and I’m entirely sure that doesn’t count as literary poetry.

Nonetheless, when the muse landed Sunday morning as I stared into the mirror while applying makeup, I quickly grabbed my journal and penned the following:

Morning Inspired by Julia Forgive Me Julia

Untitled (but feel free to submit your suggestions in the comments below)

As long as it’s mine
I don’t much mind
the sweetness of
a poot
as it pffffftttttts

I’d like to claim paint fumes have eaten away at whatever functioning brain cells I had, but the poem was written while I was at still enjoying the fresh air and breathtaking scenery at Laity Lodge.

What about you?
How do you process life? And do you have a suggestion for renaming the above poem?

Creative Commons photo on Flickr by Sychio.  

I spent the better part of an hour listening to a 13 year-old boy rap some song about a boxman. He was supposed to put his breakfast dishes away but the white boy rap was apparently too distracting. I had to call him back into the kitchen. Thankfully the dishes eventually made their way into the dishwasher.

Then he couldn’t find his band t-shirt, the one he needed for marching band tonight.

“Check your laundry basket downstairs,” I suggested.

Down he went and returned empty handed. No luck. He didn’t have any luck finding the shirt in his dresser drawers either, so I checked behind him. Thirteen year-old boys (and siblings for that matter) seldom have “mom luck” at finding things.

Sure enough, there was no band t-shirt in any of the four drawers. I asked him to check his dresser again while I double checked the laundry room. Nothing. Thinking his sister may have accidentally taken the now elusive garment, I texted her in quiet desperation.

Nope. She didn’t have it.

While I was in the laundry room, I sorted the entire hamper of dirty laundry. I simultaneously hoped I would find it and hoped I wouldn’t. I wondered if a stinky, wrinkled t-shirt was better than no t-shirt at all. Again, no luck. Back upstairs I went and finally found the shirt in the bottom dresser drawer tucked away with the swim trunks.

No worries. We had time and I hadn’t even lost my cool. Out the door we went.

Still in the driveway, I ask, “Did you brush your teeth?”

I could tell the answer by the look on his face. Despite the minutes ticking away, I asked him to go back into the house, grab a quick swig of mouthwash and bring his electric toothbrush back with him. He did so without complaining and once again, I remained calm.

He dry brushed his teeth as we drove through our neighborhood and headed towards school.

Thinking a “one thing at a time” approach might be best given this morning’s experience, I waited until he was completely finished before I asked him about the form. Just yesterday he was supposed to give the National Junior Honor Society recommendation form to one of his favorite former teachers now turned librarian.

“I didn’t have time.”

He searched the cavernous main pocket of his backpack. Nothing. Not in the binder. Not in the front pocket.

Suddenly, voila! He found the form somewhere beneath his Spanish binder and a couple of library books, took it out and placed it neatly in his library book. Just in time.

We circled the parking lot and I pulled into the car rider lane.

“Hey Mom,” he said as he reached his hand towards the side of my face.

I thought I had a piece of string or a small crumb on my cheek.

Then, without a hitch, he quickly wrapped his fingers into a ball and pinched my nose.

“Gotchyer nose!” he said with a grin.

I couldn’t help it. I busted out laughing, thankful for one of those mornings.

What about you?
How was your morning? 

Well, besides that.

And that.

I don’t have to do school supply shopping. <insert dance of joy>

Since I’m still recuperating, this year I don’t have to take the kids on that dreaded trip to one store and then another and then another. You know what I mean, right? Inevitably, you can’t find everything under one roof. It’s impossible!

I love this picture of the kids after last year’s shopping extravaganza, and that receipt. Whew! That set us back a bit, to be sure.

(They’ve changed so much in a year.)

Over the years I have gotten smarter about Back to School shopping and it’s easier now that they’re older. These days, they can take their printed lists, shopping carts of their own and be mindful of prices.

Good luck, Peter. We’re all counting on you!

PS Is there any such thing as a zippered binder that doesn’t completely fall apart before Christmas holiday? Is it possible that someone could make such a binder out of the same material as an airplane’s little black box, only lighter? And PLEASE someone invent three rings that stay ring-shaped for at least half the school year? Is that too much to ask?

What about you?
How do you manage shopping for school supplies with your students?  Have you found a binder that holds up to the likes of certain 13-year old boys?

I’m certain Peter will appreciate any tips.

UPDATE: 8/8/11 I just found this link for a zippered binder from Land’s End that appears to be durable. Sadly, it looks like it will be too small for our two 8th grade boys and 10th grade girl. May give it a try for the 6th grader though.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Funny guy, that Peter. He googled  ”National Take Your Wife to Lunch Day” and couldn’t find anything.

Not to be outdone, I told him maybe I had the day wrong.

Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Hello Google search engines.

Friday, July 29, 2011 is National Take Your Wife to Lunch Day, and in the future it will always be the last Friday of July, from now to perpetuity.

Can I get an “amen” from my sisters across the land?

And if you need reservations, why not try Open Table. Make your reservations online.

(In Peter’s defense, he’s been wonderful and wouldn’t need a national holiday to take me to lunch. It just sounded like a fun idea and remember? I’m going stir crazy without much energy or brain power, so this is the best I’ve got for now.)

What about you?
Where will you be dining with your spouse tomorrow? Leave your comments and be sure to share this post with others via Twitter, Facebook or Google+.

Creative Commons photo on Flickr by Gumption.

1. Matthew and Justin at Lumber Liquidators in Lynchburg, are patient to the nth degree and very helpful! After half a dozen trips to Lumber Liquidators, and bringing home numerous samples, including the larger show room display pieces for the final two choices, Peter and I finally agreed on a floor for the kitchen (for the post dishwasher water damage episode).
2. When Peter said, “It would only take you four hours to paint the dining room,” he was overly optimistic.
3. The Pandora radio app is the perfect companion for remodeling. We especially like Billy Joel radio.
4. Peter and I do not agree on many Pandora radio channels. I thought the Midnight Star channel totally rocked. For about four songs. (Peter? Not so much.) I also like the 80′s dance party channel and he likes the Rush radio channel.
5. The paint color I like in our friend’s house? It’s Sherwin Williams Bolero Red.
6. Home Depot (who carries Behr paint – a Consumer Reports Best Buy according to Peter, the CR junkie) can match colors from the competition.
7. Use deep tint primer when painting dark colors, like red.
8. I have actually gotten pretty good at painting trim and ceiling lines, without taping.
9. I can also paint foyers and kitchens without using a drop cloth.
10. Home Depot sells sample sizes of paint. Good thing because Behr Daredevil Red and Lost Atlantis do not look good in our kitchen.
11. Behr Shale Gray is not really gray enough and goes on like the color you might paint in a baby boy’s room. Too bad I bought a whole gallon. Except now I just consider it a deep tint primer.
12. There is a certain guy in the paint department at the Home Depot in Lynchburg who shall remain nameless, but who acts like Milton from Office Space.
13. Behr Smokey Blue is a much better color in our kitchen.
14. If you clean your paint brush too many times, before letting it dry completely, little bits of water and paint drip down your arms and onto the newly installed laminate flooring.
15. Latex paint mixed with water spots wipe up easily.
16. You can use any painting t-shirt to wipe out the last bit of water from your paint brush.
17. Fingernails are not meant to withstand the force of being caught in an aluminum ladder.
18. Fingernail beds can puncture, slightly.
19. I now have some understanding of how painful the bamboo-under-fingernail-torture might be.
20. I cannot should not paint dining rooms with oriental rugs without using a drop cloth.
21. “Thank you, God,” are not the first words out of my mouth when I drop a small paint cup filled with white semi gloss paint onto the hardwood floor and oriental rug in the dining room.
22. If you catch it early enough, latex paint comes out of oriental rugs with water and a shop vac.
23. Smokey Blue paint seeps through painting t-shirts onto bras, but does not come out with water and a shop vac.
24. Saw dust and drywall dust travel long distances and layers of such have the same appeal as a dirty car.

There’s so much more to do, perhaps I’ll have another post soon.

What about you?
What have you learned this week (remodeling or otherwise)? Anything you’ve learned the hard way that you can share with me now?

I’m planning to share this simple children’s story I wrote a few years ago for a friend’s seven year old-daughter, who was struggling with her own mean daddy.

Sometimes hearing words from someone else unlocks years of hurt and pain. Sometimes saying them out loud is freeing, even for a grown up. And sometimes, seeing the words on the page makes us realize how horrible our own behaviors can be.

My Daddy is Mean

My Daddy is mean.

He yells a lot. When he yells, his voice is very loud and scary. His face looks like a mad monster. I feel very afraid. I want to run and hide in my bed so he can’t find me. When I’m safe in my bed, I pull the covers up way over my head so the loud yells don’t go in my ears. But it doesn’t work.

My Daddy is mean.

Sometimes he yells at me in front of other people. When he does, I wish I could disappear. One time he yelled at me at my school in front of my friends and all the teachers. He was so loud that the Principal actually asked him to stop yelling. And he did. I felt really embarrassed and wanted to crawl under a giant rock.

I wish I were as powerful as my Principal. If I were, then when I asked him not to yell, he would stop. I feel powerless.

My Daddy is mean.

He calls me an idiot and says I can’t do anything right. If I say those mean words at school, I get in trouble. But my Daddy never gets in trouble. I think he’s right. I feel stupid.

I learned a rhyme to help: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” The rhyme isn’t true. My Daddy’s mean words always hurt my feelings. I feel sad.

My Daddy is mean.

Just ask my friends and they’ll tell you the same thing. They don’t like to play at my house because my daddy’s mean words and loud voice are too scary. None of their daddies are mean. They’re so lucky! I feel all alone.

My Daddy is mean.

My mother doesn’t like it when I say those words. She says I shouldn’t talk about Daddy that way and that he loves me very much. I don’t believe her. If he did, he wouldn’t be so mean.

She doesn’t understand. Daddy must not be mean to her. If he were, maybe she would want to live in a different house too.

My mother asked my daddy to stop yelling and stop being so mean. It worked for a few days. Then one day when she wasn’t around, I did something stupid again and my Daddy was mean. I wish she were as powerful as my Principal.

That day when my daddy was mean, he spanked me really hard. He jerked my arm and covered up my mouth when I was crying. It was hard to breathe. I felt stupid and scared and afraid and all alone and powerless.

Maybe one day my Principal will come to my house and my daddy won’t be mean anymore.

Would you pray?
Would you pray that God will use simple words to unlock hurt and set the captives free? Would you pray that Truth will be revealed?

My Daddy is Mean, copyright 2008, Cheryl Smith. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons photo from Flickr by 427, Mike Chaput.

I love this photo taken of Peter and the kids last Labor Day weekend. We were at Ocean Isle Beach (NC) just after the hurricane. The surf was so rough that one evening at dusk, Peter lost his swim trunks.

Not that embarrassing, trunks-fell-to-your-knees (or ankles).

Nope. I’m talking, G-O-N-E. Gone with the surf.

I was walking the dog along the beach and heard Peter yelling for me but couldn’t quite figure out why. As I drew closer, I finally figured out he needed me to bring him a towel.

I’m pretty sure laughter helps blended families gel better than most anything.

Believe me! We had our share of laughter and gelling that night and since then, whenever we remember this event.

What about you?
What are the fun stories you remember about your dad?

First, I woke up early and refreshed this morning because last night, I was totally wiped out and in bed by 9:30PM. After Peter and I had coffee and he left to go to work, I popped into a friend’s yard sale and snatched up one of those old wooden student desks. I’ve been wanting one for a while, to use as a plant stand, so it was a total SCORE!

Archie and I wogged farther than ever before – I’ll have to get back to you on total mileage, but here is the playlist that got me through:

• Hosanna – Hillsong?
• Daniel – FFH
• The Sound – William McDowell
• No Sweeter Name – Kari Jobe
• Alabaster Jar – Julie Meyer
• You’ll Come – Passion?
• Bless Your Name
• Rain Down – Carlos Whitaker (perfect upbeat tune)
• Won’t Relent – Passion?
• Rain Down – Fighting Temptations with Beyonce (that’ll get ya movin’!)

And finally, I came home to grab a shower and meet Peter for lunch, only I was starving NOW because I hadn’t had breakfast yet – good ol’ chocolate/banana Juice Plus shake.

Only there were no bananas in the house. Lucky for me I found half a frozen banana in the freezer, hidden behind some other stuff.

Unfortunately, there was really no chocolate JP powder in the house. Only vanilla. And really? What’s the point? So, I did my best substitution and added hot cocoa mix. Only it had those tiny marshmallows but hey, bananas and marshamallows go together, right?

But it wasn’t choclatey enough and I didn’t want a ton of marshmallows. Good thing I remembered cocoa powder!

Shake made and consumed.

Now, if only the *guy in the bedroom would leave so I can take a shower and meet Peter for lunch.

*It’s the alarm guy, fixing the alarm on the newly installed door.

What about you?
What can you do in five minutes? What’s your favorite quick breakfast? And most importantly – chocolate or vanilla?

This post is part of Ann Kroeker’s Food on Friday and while technically it doesn’t fit with Lisa-Jo’s Five Minute Friday, I did a backward post yesterday, and I typed fast today. So maybe it partially counts. :)

Well, I’m beginning to wonder these days if my blog is like that. The last 4-6 weeks have been so chaotic, that I’ve not had the time or emotional energy to put together two words, much less share from the heart. So much has happened that I can’t move forward without at least bringing you up to speed, but then doing so feels like moving backwards.

Nevertheless, I need to do a brain dump. If you’re short on time, skip the bullets and just go to the final paragraph. Who knows? Maybe the list is just for me, so I can see that I really have accomplished something.

In no particular order, over the last month or two I:

• Spent two nights in the hospital for a painful bacterial infection in my uterus.
• Attended end of year band and orchestra concerts.
• Went on an overnight field trip to Virginia Beach with Michaela, my step daughter, and a group of incredible fifth graders.
• Watched as a group of fifth graders saw and played in the ocean for the first time.
• Beat a couple of fifth grade boys in bowling, when I successfully broke a hundred. Barely.
• Along with Peter, Jake, Morgan and Michaela and thousands of other people, saw the Blue Angels in the Lynchburg Air Show.
• Watched people drop like flies from the heat, tried to calm our three hot, cranky children and fought off a first-time panic attack myself as we tried to leave the Lynchburg Air Show.
• Went to a Bowling Banquet with Peter. He subs on a team for league bowling. (You’d think I’d bowl better, by osmosis.)
• Drove to JMU and back to watch Hannah, my 15-year old, perform in the top orchestra for Spring String Thing.
• Prepped for and had the final call with my Leadership Huddle.
• Sat through what appeared to be the never ending elementary talent show.
• Sat through what appeared to be the never ending elementary honors program (different day).
• Watched as Michaela received the top honor: Spirit of Paul Munro Award, awarded to only 6 or 8 kids in the entire school.
• Started taking a low dose of the pill to control bleeding, despite having a Nova Sure procedure done two years ago.
• Experienced bleeding for the better part of a month. Still.
• Scheduled a combined surgery (7/22/11) for hysterectomy, hernia repair and several lipoma removals.
• Helped plan an Aglow meeting on disaster preparedness.
• Took Morgan, my 13 year old son, out of school for a day and we attended an incredible Apple seminar on how to develop apps for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Way cool!
• Packed up my two children to visit their dad in Indiana for eight weeks. This is the longest they’ve ever been away, and I know they’ll enjoy their time but I’m really missing them already.
• Primed and painted our *almost finished* Family Room.
• Watched Peter, Jake & Michaela move the furniture out of the Living Room into the Family Room and have helped rearrange said furniture and Family Room.
• Primed and painted the Laundry Room, except the trim (which steady hand Peter thankfully does).
• Scrubbed and mopped paint splatters and drywall dust from the Laundry Room floor.
• Gotten back into the routine of walking the dog (wogging: combination of walking and jogging). This is making a huge difference in my ability to remain slightly sane. Turns out L. L. is right about exercise.
• Written four blog posts (five counting this one) since the beginning of May.
• Experienced guilt about not blogging more.
• Taken kids to swim practice and to the pool.
• Celebrated Michaela’s 11th birthday.
• Attended Interfaith Outreach Associations annual luncheon, where I was inspired by so many people doing great kingdom work. People like Roger Paul (the mailman who delivered God’s invitation to me) and Diva (I’ll tell you about her soon).
• Had a great date night with Peter, one of many to come in the days ahead as we make the best of our time without children.
• Launched my CultureSmith Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/engagingpeople
• Have all but abandoned guitar lessons until things settle down a bit.
• Struggled with consistently reading my Bible, journaling and praying in the way I’ve been accustomed to.
• Welcomed new blog members to The High Calling network.
• Have lost my temper with children more times than I care to admit.
• Cried and yelled, thumped and cursed.
• Sang and praised.
• Have felt overwhelmed, out of touch and frustrated.

I’m sure there’s more, but really, I think I’m finished. If I think of something important, maybe I’ll blog about it.

A Prayer
Father, sometimes life can be so overwhelming, chaotic and complicated. The view is too obstructed, the to-do list never ending. We are in desperate need of Your Peace. Help us open ourselves up to Your Presence, in the midst of our chaos. Your Light in the midst of darkness. Joy in the midst of sorrow and pain. Courage in the midst of fear.

May we be open to all those around us in need of encouragement, for the journey is often hard and lonely. Bless those who bless us. Help us respond likewise, in obedience – even in the seemingly small things.

Creative Commons photo on Flickr by peyri.