Golden

SO PROUD



TO BE



AN AMERICAN



GO USA!

And to the French team:

"True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes." ~Edward Frederick Halifax

"It is always the secure who are humble." ~Gilbert Keith Chesterton

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves." ~Benjamin Whichcote

"A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." ~Benjamin Franklin

Double Up

Change always comes bearing gifts.

~Price Pritchett

Ah, change.

I found a quarter, a dime, a penny and a Chuck E Cheese token today. Know where?

My younger son's old room.

"Old room?" you say. "Why do you say, 'Old room'? Did he move out?"

Nope (he is only 4, after all...)

It's because we're changing.

We used to live in a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house. Our boys shared a room there. All 4 kids shared the one bathroom that was designated as theirs.

We needed just one more bathroom, so we moved into a 6 bedroom, 4 bath home just under 2 years ago.

Every child now has his or her own bedroom. The girls share a bath; the boys share a bath.

That was the way it's been since April 2006.

Several months ago we started hearing rumblings, whispers, subtle remarks. Something was afoot. Change was coming.

The boys wanted to share a room again.

"Nonsense!" we said. "Why do that when you each have your own room now?"

The rumblings settled. Whispers were silenced. Peace reigned throughout the land.

The subject was recently raised again.

This time, I listened.

I thought. I planned. I fantasized. I began to see how this rearrangement, this change, this altering of the status quo could benefit ME.

After a month or so of shopping for a bargain, we bought a set of bunk beds and brought them home. The mister and I assembled them in our older son's bedroom, because his room is a wee bit bigger and his closet will hold all of the boys' clothes.

And now we have an empty room. And what do you do with an empty room?

You fill it with something! And I have plans. BIG plans.

The time has come to move my scrabooking stuff upstairs. I'm not getting anything done with it being downstairs. I have no motivation to go work in there at night, because my husband stays upstairs. It makes much more sense to have the room upstairs where the kids are.... where the laundry is... where dinner can be cooked and stirred without a trip up the stairs... where the kids can watch TV in my room while I work... where our LIFE is.

I'm not going to paint the room, because I suspect that this room sharing thing will only last 5 years or so. By that time I'm hoping that the playroom will no longer be needed and I can take over that room. Then I can paint. But for now, I'm going to move into a new room, set up a new configuration that fosters my creativity, and I'm going to LOVE it.

Change does come bearing gifts. And I can't wait to open this one!

Bed, Breakfast & Brilliance

This past weekend, my sweet hubby spirited me away to a local bed & breakfast to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. Our favorite B&B, The Red Horse Inn, is a short 20 minute drive from our house, but it honestly feels like we're a gazillion miles away from anywhere. It feels so isolated from life. We always try to use the weekend to rest and just be together, whether we're talking or reading or just enjoying the quietness. It's always a refreshing weekend. I love spending time alone with my better half, because it reminds me (again) why I said, "I do!"

The owners of the inn, who have yet to overlook an important detail in their attempts to make their guests as comfortable as possible, stock each room with a variety of reading materials. I love reading the magazines and books left in the rooms, because often what is provided is not something I'd normally look at. I devour everything, because I actually have time to just sit and read without interruption. It's heaven!

One of the books in our room this weekend was full of quotes about life and aging. I failed to write down the title or the authors of the book, but I did come away from the inn with 20- 3.5" square pieces of paper bearing scribbled quotes. I wrote down everything that left an imprint on me, because I love a good quote. I love to ponder the thoughts of others, ruminate on them, and then apply them to my own life.

Here is my favorite from the book:

"My idea of forgiveness is letting go of resentment that does not serve your better interest, ridding yourself of negative thoughts. All they do is make you miserable. Believe me, you can fret and fume all you want, but whoever it was that wronged you is not suffering from your anguish whatsoever."

That was said by the infinitely wise Della Reese. Kind of an eloquent way of saying, "Put up, or shut up," huh?