I have to let it go when people do and say things that I do not understand.
For example:
when friends don't call again after 40 years of friendship, for reasons unknown
when other friends call like crazy for months on end, wanting to know every detail of your life, and then they stop, for no apparent reason
when people make comments about my physical self that aren't very flattering. What makes them think that is ok???
when people are not happy for my accomplishments and the accomplishments of my children
when people keep asking for more when I have just given, and am giving all I can at the moment.
when small shop owners think it is ok to chastize me for what they think is my overspending. I know how much I can afford to spend. How would you know anyhow??
when people assume that because I am overweight that I overeat and am a lazy person. Get to know me and my medical problems before you judge me.
I cannot control the thoughts and actions of others.
I can only control my own.
I am working at not having my feelings hurt all the time by other people.
My reactions to them have got to change.
I have to let it all roll off my back and not. react. anymore.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Come and visit me at my craft shows!
It is time for this year's craft shows. I have the following shows scheduled. Stop by and say "hi!"
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Redeemer Parish Day School Fall Fair
5603 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
10:30 am-1:30 pm
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Harford Day School Arts Festival
715 Moores Mill Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
9 am-5 pm
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friends School Holly Fest
5114 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
10 am-4 pm
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Roland Park Country School
5204 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21210
11 am-4 pm
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Redeemer Parish Day School Fall Fair
5603 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
10:30 am-1:30 pm
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Harford Day School Arts Festival
715 Moores Mill Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
9 am-5 pm
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friends School Holly Fest
5114 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
10 am-4 pm
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Roland Park Country School
5204 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21210
11 am-4 pm
Friday, September 11, 2009
Today is the Day for Cashmere
Upstairs in my stash, I have 4 balls of cashmere, two are matching beautiful taupes and browns, one is a pink and one is blue. I have been waiting to use them, wondering what they will become. Today is the day I am going to find out. One ball will become a set of fingerless gloves. Two others will be a scarf that I will try to sell at my craft shows. The other?? Not sure yet. What I do know is that my hands need to be spoiled...for hours.... Off to begin. I am relaxing already.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Perspective on life after 3 gin and seltzer drinks
Ahh. It has been a very stressful day/week, and I have ended it with 3 gin and seltzer drinks. Life seems a little less scary after 3 gin and seltzer drinks. It seems more relaxing, more hopeful somehow. I am not supposed to drink 3 gin and seltzer drinks--not even one. Too bad. Sometimes, you just gotta.
I am almost able to forget that today it is 14 years since my father died. My brother and mother visit his gravesite. Not me. It does not comfort me. It agitates me. It makes me incredibly sad. All I keep thinking about are his hands--how they created all kinds of beauty--art--how he hugged and held his grandchildren with them. Now they are just bones. No, not comforting. at. all. I miss him every single day. Not just on the death day. Every single day is hard. Not just the death day. Why do people put such emphasis on that one day?? I just don't get it. I wish he could see John and Dan. I wish he could hear Dan sing. I wish he were here to be a buffer between me and mother. I wish he could soften the blows. I wish for just one more bear hug, one more laugh, one more funny story, one more recitation of a story poem, one more Irish song, one more Dad breakfast, one more look of love and incredible joy when gazing upon his grandchildren, one more time seeing him looking out the window waiting for us to arrive-jumping out of his chair to run out the door to greet us all.
It has been a long week. The first week of school. Countless rehearsals for Dan. Lots of hours for John and John. Lots of cleaning, organizing, figuring out the stuff of life. I don't know if we ever can.
I am almost able to forget that today it is 14 years since my father died. My brother and mother visit his gravesite. Not me. It does not comfort me. It agitates me. It makes me incredibly sad. All I keep thinking about are his hands--how they created all kinds of beauty--art--how he hugged and held his grandchildren with them. Now they are just bones. No, not comforting. at. all. I miss him every single day. Not just on the death day. Every single day is hard. Not just the death day. Why do people put such emphasis on that one day?? I just don't get it. I wish he could see John and Dan. I wish he could hear Dan sing. I wish he were here to be a buffer between me and mother. I wish he could soften the blows. I wish for just one more bear hug, one more laugh, one more funny story, one more recitation of a story poem, one more Irish song, one more Dad breakfast, one more look of love and incredible joy when gazing upon his grandchildren, one more time seeing him looking out the window waiting for us to arrive-jumping out of his chair to run out the door to greet us all.
It has been a long week. The first week of school. Countless rehearsals for Dan. Lots of hours for John and John. Lots of cleaning, organizing, figuring out the stuff of life. I don't know if we ever can.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
If You Knew Me Well, You Would Know That...
If you knew me well, you would know that:
1. I love cats. I could have 100, if the vet bills weren't so darn high. (I have 7.)
2. My favorite candy is peanut M & M's, but I cannot eat them anymore due to pre-diabetes.
3. My favorite colors are pink, blue, and chocolate brown.
4. My favorite drinks are unsweetened iced tea, chardonnay, and gin and tonic.
5. My favorite flowers are pink carnations.
6. I have been married since 1982. I was 22 when I got married.
7. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Towson University in 1982 with degrees in English Literature and Secondary Education.
8. I taught high school English, grades 9 thru 12 for 8 years. I did graduate work in teaching reading. I was a literacy volunteer for many years.
9. My favorite food is spaghetti.
10. I absolutely adore my brother. He is an angel on earth; I am sure of it.
11. I love yard sales and thrift shops.
12. I collect Longaberger baskets.
13. I have been knitting since I was 8 years old. My dad taught me. Knitting keeps me sane.
14. I had a close relationship with my dad, not my mom. Our relationship is hard and sad.
15. I love poetry. My favorite poet is Sylvia Plath.
16. Some of my poetry was published when I was in college.
17. My great-grandmother taught in a one-room school house. I come from a long line of teachers.
18. I can speak German, sort of.
19. I love to play board games and cards. Monopoly and Scrabble are my favorites.
20. I am afraid of lightning and thunderstorms. I hate the rain.
21. My favorite seasons are fall and winter. I do not like summer.
22. I am a terrible housekeeper. Cleaning makes me grumpy.
23. I love my kids more than life itself.
24. I wanted to be a vet when I was growing up. I also wanted to be an author.
25. I don't really like dogs.
26. I miscarried my first pregnancy, and I still grieve that child.
27. I love kids, kids of all ages--especially toddlers and teenagers. (Really, they are almost the same!!)
28. I love to cook.
29. My favorite singer is James Taylor. I credit his music with getting me through a tough growing up. I also like Elton John, Billy Joel, John Denver, and Carly Simon.
30. My favorite yarns to knit with are: anything soft! handdyed yarns are great, sock yarn, alpaca, some cottons
31. My favorite things to knit are small projects-scarves, socks, mittens, hats, purses...Did I say socks??????????!!!!
32. I cannot stand people who lie to me.
33. I do not like seafood.
34. I don't think I have ever felt "pretty".
35. I need at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, or I cannot function.
36. I worry about mental illness.
37. I cry at my son's performances. Every one. I also cry at weddings and when I see new babies.
38. I worry for my oldest son, that he will be self-sufficient and able to care for himself.
39. I love Italian food.
40. I think the most important quality in a person is compassion.
41. I hate to exercise.
42. I am often messy, and I like that better than being neat.
42. I don't like homes that look like furniture stores-like nobody lives there.
43. I love Christmas.
44. I love giving gifts. It makes me happy.
45. I wish I had my own arts and crafts studio.
46. I need a lot of quiet time.
47. When I don't hear from my friends, I get very sad.
48. I worry about getting old.
49. My favorite thing to wear is blue jeans. I would wear denim all the time, if I could.
50. I hope I get to be a grandma who gets to spoil her grandkids like crazy.
1. I love cats. I could have 100, if the vet bills weren't so darn high. (I have 7.)
2. My favorite candy is peanut M & M's, but I cannot eat them anymore due to pre-diabetes.
3. My favorite colors are pink, blue, and chocolate brown.
4. My favorite drinks are unsweetened iced tea, chardonnay, and gin and tonic.
5. My favorite flowers are pink carnations.
6. I have been married since 1982. I was 22 when I got married.
7. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Towson University in 1982 with degrees in English Literature and Secondary Education.
8. I taught high school English, grades 9 thru 12 for 8 years. I did graduate work in teaching reading. I was a literacy volunteer for many years.
9. My favorite food is spaghetti.
10. I absolutely adore my brother. He is an angel on earth; I am sure of it.
11. I love yard sales and thrift shops.
12. I collect Longaberger baskets.
13. I have been knitting since I was 8 years old. My dad taught me. Knitting keeps me sane.
14. I had a close relationship with my dad, not my mom. Our relationship is hard and sad.
15. I love poetry. My favorite poet is Sylvia Plath.
16. Some of my poetry was published when I was in college.
17. My great-grandmother taught in a one-room school house. I come from a long line of teachers.
18. I can speak German, sort of.
19. I love to play board games and cards. Monopoly and Scrabble are my favorites.
20. I am afraid of lightning and thunderstorms. I hate the rain.
21. My favorite seasons are fall and winter. I do not like summer.
22. I am a terrible housekeeper. Cleaning makes me grumpy.
23. I love my kids more than life itself.
24. I wanted to be a vet when I was growing up. I also wanted to be an author.
25. I don't really like dogs.
26. I miscarried my first pregnancy, and I still grieve that child.
27. I love kids, kids of all ages--especially toddlers and teenagers. (Really, they are almost the same!!)
28. I love to cook.
29. My favorite singer is James Taylor. I credit his music with getting me through a tough growing up. I also like Elton John, Billy Joel, John Denver, and Carly Simon.
30. My favorite yarns to knit with are: anything soft! handdyed yarns are great, sock yarn, alpaca, some cottons
31. My favorite things to knit are small projects-scarves, socks, mittens, hats, purses...Did I say socks??????????!!!!
32. I cannot stand people who lie to me.
33. I do not like seafood.
34. I don't think I have ever felt "pretty".
35. I need at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep a night, or I cannot function.
36. I worry about mental illness.
37. I cry at my son's performances. Every one. I also cry at weddings and when I see new babies.
38. I worry for my oldest son, that he will be self-sufficient and able to care for himself.
39. I love Italian food.
40. I think the most important quality in a person is compassion.
41. I hate to exercise.
42. I am often messy, and I like that better than being neat.
42. I don't like homes that look like furniture stores-like nobody lives there.
43. I love Christmas.
44. I love giving gifts. It makes me happy.
45. I wish I had my own arts and crafts studio.
46. I need a lot of quiet time.
47. When I don't hear from my friends, I get very sad.
48. I worry about getting old.
49. My favorite thing to wear is blue jeans. I would wear denim all the time, if I could.
50. I hope I get to be a grandma who gets to spoil her grandkids like crazy.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
New Beginnings
Monday starts a new school year for my 11th-grade son. I hope that we all can start fresh with new attitudes, new commitments to what is important, and can support each other in our endeavors. I cannot believe Dan will be in 11th grade. Just yesterday,it seems, he was in preschool, carrying home his cool art projects in his school tote bag. Now he carries 30 pounds worth of books on his broad shoulders and his art projects have turned into textbooks, heavy binders, and homework.
Today I got really lucky. I was headed down our street, on the way to pick up my oldest son from work. A huge, red SUV came barreling down a side street and ran a stop sign. I swerved, slammed on the brakes, ended up on the grass next to the sidewalk, and waited to hear the metal crunch and the glass shatter. We missed a collision by 1/8 of an inch. I feel blessed. As fast as he was going, I am sure I would have been badly injured, and I definitely would have lost the use of my car. We both got out of the car to check on each other. Neither one of us could believe we did not hit. I accepted his apology, shook his hand, and went on my way. Talk about having a guardian angel.
Time to figure out dinner, fill out umpteen forms for the opening day of school, and knit.
Today I got really lucky. I was headed down our street, on the way to pick up my oldest son from work. A huge, red SUV came barreling down a side street and ran a stop sign. I swerved, slammed on the brakes, ended up on the grass next to the sidewalk, and waited to hear the metal crunch and the glass shatter. We missed a collision by 1/8 of an inch. I feel blessed. As fast as he was going, I am sure I would have been badly injured, and I definitely would have lost the use of my car. We both got out of the car to check on each other. Neither one of us could believe we did not hit. I accepted his apology, shook his hand, and went on my way. Talk about having a guardian angel.
Time to figure out dinner, fill out umpteen forms for the opening day of school, and knit.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Older I Get...
The older I get:
-the less I care about what other people think about me.
-the less emphasis I put on physical beauty.
-the more I want to relax.
-the more I worry about salvation.
-the less time I have to deal with people who bug me.
-the less I value material things.
-the more quiet time I need.
-the more I realize the importance of love.
-the more I want to declutter and get rid of "stuff" that weighs me down.
-the more I wonder how different I would be if I were raised with more positives and fewer negatives.
-the more I realize how important it is to follow your dreams.
-the sadder I am that I ever raised my voice at my kids.
-the more I worry about how I will leave this world.
-the more I wonder if I will leave any kind of legacy, good or bad, and what that is...
-the more I wonder what, if any, difference I make in the lives of my friends.
-the less I care about what other people think about me.
-the less emphasis I put on physical beauty.
-the more I want to relax.
-the more I worry about salvation.
-the less time I have to deal with people who bug me.
-the less I value material things.
-the more quiet time I need.
-the more I realize the importance of love.
-the more I want to declutter and get rid of "stuff" that weighs me down.
-the more I wonder how different I would be if I were raised with more positives and fewer negatives.
-the more I realize how important it is to follow your dreams.
-the sadder I am that I ever raised my voice at my kids.
-the more I worry about how I will leave this world.
-the more I wonder if I will leave any kind of legacy, good or bad, and what that is...
-the more I wonder what, if any, difference I make in the lives of my friends.
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