You know...when I am stressed out, I clean. It's my exercise in control. Everyone who knows me, knows I am a "clean freak"...nothing out of order, things always in their place...dust smells...It's the only thing I can truly control in life.
I spent the last two days rearranging three rooms. I moved the big kids bedroom to the old office area. They're happier because they are in the room with the air conditioner. I made their old room the little kids rooms...wide open with space to play and a table for games, a television, and lots of interesting things on the walls. I made the small guest room my office and I cannot begin to tell you how nice it is to have a completely private room for my computer, television and treadmill.
After all the moving around, I put a few things in the attic. Just some boxes of books I don't want to get rid of and some office accouterments I don't need right now. Then, I thoroughly cleaned the rooms. It just feels better. Better energy...better Feng Shui.
Next on my list is to rearrange the kitchen cabinets. With extra people in the house, things get put away in places I would never have thought to place them. There IS method to my madness and lately...it's just madness. Wish me luck in that endeavor.
Today, Amy and Chris went to UTDB in the medical center. Amy has an impacted wisdom tooth. I have baby duty. It's interesting how differently Kaleob acts when I am the caregiver. He has not cried at all this morning. Usually, he's a little cry baby. I managed to get all the laundry done, folded, and put away without having to stop and console him. It's been a really nice time to bond and play. He's napping now.
I feel so normal and in control today. I have been practicing my de-stress regimen lately and life is easier to face. I only have two weeks of school left and I am really excited about that.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Spring Cleaning
Good Morning!! I cannot believe that school is almost out for the summer. I am so glad because burn out is fast approaching. My brain feels like mush and with all the family dilemma over the last few weeks, I am desperately in need of some time off.
My friends from Louisiana are coming to stay for a month. I am excited! Yes, I realize that a month is a long time and by then end I hope our friendship is stronger than it is today. That's almost like letting someone move in with you...WOW...I already have a full house. Still, I think we'll have fun and it will be nice to be able to help shape A.J and R.J.'s exposure to something more than a tiny little town with limited resources. Here they'll be close enough to the beach to create lifelong memories. They love the museum and will be able to go pretty often. There's a community pool in our neighborhood and we have a big yard for them to have fun in. The boys are 15 and 13 so the trails in our area will provide them with hours of walking and collecting. Rhonda needs some time to do things that don't involve taking care of others. Maybe she'll have fun window shopping or meeting new friends. She needs the vacation and I am glad she has a place to go.
I am intent upon some additional spring cleaning. Today I am starting the task of rearranging three rooms. I want to create some more functional space, so I am making the office smaller by moving it to the little guest room. Moving the kids to the office space, which is one of the largest rooms in the house, and putting the children in Chris and Amy's old room. That's a whole lot of furniture and stuff to move around.
Guess I am going to sign off and get started on the project. Ponytail, big t-shirt, comfy shorts...I am ready and raring to go!!!
My friends from Louisiana are coming to stay for a month. I am excited! Yes, I realize that a month is a long time and by then end I hope our friendship is stronger than it is today. That's almost like letting someone move in with you...WOW...I already have a full house. Still, I think we'll have fun and it will be nice to be able to help shape A.J and R.J.'s exposure to something more than a tiny little town with limited resources. Here they'll be close enough to the beach to create lifelong memories. They love the museum and will be able to go pretty often. There's a community pool in our neighborhood and we have a big yard for them to have fun in. The boys are 15 and 13 so the trails in our area will provide them with hours of walking and collecting. Rhonda needs some time to do things that don't involve taking care of others. Maybe she'll have fun window shopping or meeting new friends. She needs the vacation and I am glad she has a place to go.
I am intent upon some additional spring cleaning. Today I am starting the task of rearranging three rooms. I want to create some more functional space, so I am making the office smaller by moving it to the little guest room. Moving the kids to the office space, which is one of the largest rooms in the house, and putting the children in Chris and Amy's old room. That's a whole lot of furniture and stuff to move around.
Guess I am going to sign off and get started on the project. Ponytail, big t-shirt, comfy shorts...I am ready and raring to go!!!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Slowing it down
Had a brief, albeit profound conversation last night with Eve and Little Chris. The discussion reminded me how far my own advices I have travelled over the last six years. I am writing this morning in hopes of reminding myself and others about how to de-stress and stay energized in the toughest of situations.
The first thing I forgot is that I am connected to everything on this planet. I am the energy of God and He has determined the best course of action for me. I have to be self-aware and open to opportunity no matter how strange the opportunity appears to be. "All things work for the good of those who love the Lord"...key word being ALL. Even when something is uncomfortable - it is a chance to grow, learn, improve, and at some point I will be able to look back and see its positive effect on my life.
The next thing I forgot is that it is my responsibility to de-stress every day. I used to spend a few minutes before going to sleep imagining my mind as an attic. I would visually walk through it and put things in order...spruce up any messes...categorize the unknown into small, manageable files and finally, open at least one new "door" each night. It's amazing how cathartic that process is. I haven't done it in years, and I believe that's why things seems so big now. My attic is just full of junk I have tossed up there - all willy nilly - over the last six years.
Finally, I was reminded that I have absolutely no control over anything or anyone except me and my reactions to those things or people. I can choose to lose sight of the big plan or move forward as a positive influence in the grand scheme of things. My job is to love God, myself, and others. Aside from that, I am not the savior or the scapegoat.
So...here's my checklist for successfull, stress reduced, life:
1. Wake each morning with thanksgiving for another opportunity to be a better person.
2. Do at least one thing for someone else today.
3. Remember to treat myself kindly.
4. Be honest, hopeful, helpful, and hard-working.
5. Laugh at something.
6 Hum or sing a tune.
7. Listen to the sounds of life and enjoy the melody whether it's birds chirping, cars passing, fans blowing....
8. Chew my food, taste the spices, appreciate the meal.
9. Walk, run, move!
10. Visit the attic every single night. Make repairs, put things away, and dust off the shelves. Sleep
Tomorrow - repeat!
The first thing I forgot is that I am connected to everything on this planet. I am the energy of God and He has determined the best course of action for me. I have to be self-aware and open to opportunity no matter how strange the opportunity appears to be. "All things work for the good of those who love the Lord"...key word being ALL. Even when something is uncomfortable - it is a chance to grow, learn, improve, and at some point I will be able to look back and see its positive effect on my life.
The next thing I forgot is that it is my responsibility to de-stress every day. I used to spend a few minutes before going to sleep imagining my mind as an attic. I would visually walk through it and put things in order...spruce up any messes...categorize the unknown into small, manageable files and finally, open at least one new "door" each night. It's amazing how cathartic that process is. I haven't done it in years, and I believe that's why things seems so big now. My attic is just full of junk I have tossed up there - all willy nilly - over the last six years.
Finally, I was reminded that I have absolutely no control over anything or anyone except me and my reactions to those things or people. I can choose to lose sight of the big plan or move forward as a positive influence in the grand scheme of things. My job is to love God, myself, and others. Aside from that, I am not the savior or the scapegoat.
So...here's my checklist for successfull, stress reduced, life:
1. Wake each morning with thanksgiving for another opportunity to be a better person.
2. Do at least one thing for someone else today.
3. Remember to treat myself kindly.
4. Be honest, hopeful, helpful, and hard-working.
5. Laugh at something.
6 Hum or sing a tune.
7. Listen to the sounds of life and enjoy the melody whether it's birds chirping, cars passing, fans blowing....
8. Chew my food, taste the spices, appreciate the meal.
9. Walk, run, move!
10. Visit the attic every single night. Make repairs, put things away, and dust off the shelves. Sleep
Tomorrow - repeat!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Dysfunctional^2
It never ceases to amaze me how much control parents have over the emotional well being of their children. I lived in my parent's home for thirteen and a half years of my forty-six years of life. That's not that long, yet everything I think and do is directly related to the teachings, thoughts, and fears of those family ties.
My brother was in a motorcycle accident last weekend. The key word here, is accident! Should he have been more careful than to ride in the rain...it wasn't raining when he started out that evening. Is he a magnet for unfortunate incidences...that's an understatement - to say the least!
I posted about my parent's bad behavior upon first notice of the accident. Dad angrily assuming Chris expected him to pay for hospitalization or medical expenses. Mom's first reaction was anger that Chris was on a motorcycle again. Tim, as ever, relatively silent in regard to the situation. Me...well, I am definitely one to speak my mind...yelled at my parents for their inappropriate behavior. I called Chris to see how he was and what the prognosis was...Dad wants the phone because he NEEDS his keys to get into the new "old" house - not to make sure his son is faring well. Not one family member went to visit Chris while he was in Scott & White - No excuse for me not going either...no extra money, no gas...kids had my car and didn't return with it as I requested...still...he's my brother and I should have gotten there and camped out in his room. I am ashamed of myself, too.
So...I drove to Temple on Tuesday to bring Chris home from the hospital. He looked rough, but alive and on the mend. We get back to the ranch and Dad has medication for Chris. It's a mild pain reliever. Well, Chris spent an extra day in the hospital because they were trying to find a medication that worked...Narco was the only one and Dad refuses to get that drug because he's afraid of addiction. Well, yes, that's a possibility; however, the strong medication is necessary to keep Chris comfortable and reduce movements which may keep him from healing properly. I am livid, but cannot afford to go get the proper medication for Chris.
Yesterday, Dad calls and wants me to call Todd. It's wrong that Todd took all of Chris' money, but then again...Chris' accident cost Todd over 10, 000.00 because the bike had no insurance on it. I see both sides of the coin. Todd could've at least offered to get Chris' script. Anyway....Dad is angry with Todd, angry with Chris, and to add insult to injury, angry with CHris' girlfriend, Lauren, because one of her dogs bit NancyLee. All this to say...Dad kicked Chris out yesterday. He said it was just too much stress.
My brother...unable to work right now, no money, and nowhere to go. Talk about a kick in the teeth. Where is the conscience in hurting someone you say you love without measure. It took a year and a half of me interfering just to get Chris to be willing to re-associate with his family. Dad tore that down in one fail swoop. Chris thinks that it's me who meddled so much as to get Dad to kick him out.
I am sickened by this latest turn of events and wondering if it makes me just like Mom and Dad when I say that I think I have had enough. Wondering if I am a horrible person for thinking I should keep my distance - send cards and well wishes - but stop attending lunch bunch or family functions. NancyLee said she had never seen a man look so broken and it breaks my heart to think my little brother (so what that he's 45) thrown out like yesterday's paper.
I love my family in spite of all their failures and frailties...why can't they be more loving and open? Oh well...that's the way it is, and just the way it's always been. I have tried to keep us together...I have failed miserably.
My brother was in a motorcycle accident last weekend. The key word here, is accident! Should he have been more careful than to ride in the rain...it wasn't raining when he started out that evening. Is he a magnet for unfortunate incidences...that's an understatement - to say the least!
I posted about my parent's bad behavior upon first notice of the accident. Dad angrily assuming Chris expected him to pay for hospitalization or medical expenses. Mom's first reaction was anger that Chris was on a motorcycle again. Tim, as ever, relatively silent in regard to the situation. Me...well, I am definitely one to speak my mind...yelled at my parents for their inappropriate behavior. I called Chris to see how he was and what the prognosis was...Dad wants the phone because he NEEDS his keys to get into the new "old" house - not to make sure his son is faring well. Not one family member went to visit Chris while he was in Scott & White - No excuse for me not going either...no extra money, no gas...kids had my car and didn't return with it as I requested...still...he's my brother and I should have gotten there and camped out in his room. I am ashamed of myself, too.
So...I drove to Temple on Tuesday to bring Chris home from the hospital. He looked rough, but alive and on the mend. We get back to the ranch and Dad has medication for Chris. It's a mild pain reliever. Well, Chris spent an extra day in the hospital because they were trying to find a medication that worked...Narco was the only one and Dad refuses to get that drug because he's afraid of addiction. Well, yes, that's a possibility; however, the strong medication is necessary to keep Chris comfortable and reduce movements which may keep him from healing properly. I am livid, but cannot afford to go get the proper medication for Chris.
Yesterday, Dad calls and wants me to call Todd. It's wrong that Todd took all of Chris' money, but then again...Chris' accident cost Todd over 10, 000.00 because the bike had no insurance on it. I see both sides of the coin. Todd could've at least offered to get Chris' script. Anyway....Dad is angry with Todd, angry with Chris, and to add insult to injury, angry with CHris' girlfriend, Lauren, because one of her dogs bit NancyLee. All this to say...Dad kicked Chris out yesterday. He said it was just too much stress.
My brother...unable to work right now, no money, and nowhere to go. Talk about a kick in the teeth. Where is the conscience in hurting someone you say you love without measure. It took a year and a half of me interfering just to get Chris to be willing to re-associate with his family. Dad tore that down in one fail swoop. Chris thinks that it's me who meddled so much as to get Dad to kick him out.
I am sickened by this latest turn of events and wondering if it makes me just like Mom and Dad when I say that I think I have had enough. Wondering if I am a horrible person for thinking I should keep my distance - send cards and well wishes - but stop attending lunch bunch or family functions. NancyLee said she had never seen a man look so broken and it breaks my heart to think my little brother (so what that he's 45) thrown out like yesterday's paper.
I love my family in spite of all their failures and frailties...why can't they be more loving and open? Oh well...that's the way it is, and just the way it's always been. I have tried to keep us together...I have failed miserably.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
It just wouldn't be normal
Friday's housekeeping and work went smoothly and the fresh smells of printer ink on a completed research paper, PineSol with a smidge of bleach, Gain infused Downy on clean sheets, System Biologe shampoo and conditioner mixed with BeautiControl Sea scrub and finally, garlic and onion roasted chicken permeated the rooms of my house and lightened my heart with the spirit of accomplishment. Aha, but just when I think everything is in order, I find out that the energies of life deem drama as the mainstay of my existence.
Saturday is Lunch Bunch for me, Dad, Mom, and Tim. We meet at Kenny & Ziggys in the Galleria and eat Turkey Pastrami and Turkey while we discuss politics, the movies we've seen, the week's events, and upcoming plans. It's a great time to enjoy each other and keep up with each other's lives. More casual than a family gathering, this time is more like a friendship circle without the stressors of being on best behavior and appropriately dressed for dinner. I enjoy this Saturday ritual even though there are times when the conversations become heated or the topics are a tad boring.
This Saturday started out as usual. Gabbing and laughing. I brought everyone a list of unclaimed moneys I had found. I knew if I merely told them about the opportunity they would have been interested, but never followed through. Dad has over a thousand dollars in unclaimed funds! Mom has money, but doesn't want to take the time to claim it...she thinks it's too much trouble for 52.17. I think that the money is hers and she should get it...Dad took the sheet with her information and will probably have Joyce check it out.
Lately our meetings are a little strained because Mom is angry with me about something. She hasn't told me what it is, but then again, I haven't asked. For the last three or four months Mom has found every opportunity to speak derrogatively about me and refuses to say I love you back when I tell her I love her. When the incident with Frodo happened my Mother told me that she found it difficult to love me even though she tries (I am okay with it as much as anyone can be...this is the same woman who told me that if she could do it all over again, she would not have adopted ME and the same person who refused to speak to me or her grandson for fifteen years). I love her and that's all that matters - really. She'll either get over this perception of wrongdoing I have done, or she will tell my what's eating at her.
As we were about to leave the restaurant, Dad received a phone call from Chris. He had a motorcycle wreck Friday evening and found out on Saturday that he broke three vertebrae (One in his neck and two in his upper back). Initially, we didn't know how serious the injury was. Dad's first remark was about his assumption that Chris' assumption was that since Chris is uninsured, there is expectation of money. Mom's first reaction was to say that Chris was completely irresponsible and should have known better than to ride a motorcyle. I lost my mind and yelled at my PARENTS!. First and foremost...neither I nor my brother think our parents will pay for anything...we're in our forties - secondly, my brother is a biker..the truest kind...wind in the face, freedom of the open road, Harley Davidson, ape hanger holding... biker. Anyone who lives to ride feels the same way..."it's not a matter of 'if' you will wreck, it's a matter of 'when'". Stuff happens! I think the rents were surprised by my vehemence.
Chris was transferred from Brenham to Temple to be seen by a neurosurgeon. Temple is 167 miles from me, but apparently, I am the only one concernced with going to visit him and make sure he has what he needs. That makes me mad. As a parent...I don't care how inconsequential a hospitalization seems...I would be there for my son no matter how far or how inconvenient. The kids have my car with them in Somerville, so I will be going today when they get back. Surgery is not necessary and it appears Chris will be released tomorrow. I'll camp out in his room and then we'll leave as soon as he's released.
Today's post is merely a ranting. No pretty or flowery words, just facts. I could write pages and pages about the dynamics of my dysfunctional family. As cathartic as that may be, now is not the time. So, while my house is in order, the pscyhodrama of my relationships is once again in turmoil. It just wouldn't be normal if there wasn't some weirdness on my plate.
Saturday is Lunch Bunch for me, Dad, Mom, and Tim. We meet at Kenny & Ziggys in the Galleria and eat Turkey Pastrami and Turkey while we discuss politics, the movies we've seen, the week's events, and upcoming plans. It's a great time to enjoy each other and keep up with each other's lives. More casual than a family gathering, this time is more like a friendship circle without the stressors of being on best behavior and appropriately dressed for dinner. I enjoy this Saturday ritual even though there are times when the conversations become heated or the topics are a tad boring.
This Saturday started out as usual. Gabbing and laughing. I brought everyone a list of unclaimed moneys I had found. I knew if I merely told them about the opportunity they would have been interested, but never followed through. Dad has over a thousand dollars in unclaimed funds! Mom has money, but doesn't want to take the time to claim it...she thinks it's too much trouble for 52.17. I think that the money is hers and she should get it...Dad took the sheet with her information and will probably have Joyce check it out.
Lately our meetings are a little strained because Mom is angry with me about something. She hasn't told me what it is, but then again, I haven't asked. For the last three or four months Mom has found every opportunity to speak derrogatively about me and refuses to say I love you back when I tell her I love her. When the incident with Frodo happened my Mother told me that she found it difficult to love me even though she tries (I am okay with it as much as anyone can be...this is the same woman who told me that if she could do it all over again, she would not have adopted ME and the same person who refused to speak to me or her grandson for fifteen years). I love her and that's all that matters - really. She'll either get over this perception of wrongdoing I have done, or she will tell my what's eating at her.
As we were about to leave the restaurant, Dad received a phone call from Chris. He had a motorcycle wreck Friday evening and found out on Saturday that he broke three vertebrae (One in his neck and two in his upper back). Initially, we didn't know how serious the injury was. Dad's first remark was about his assumption that Chris' assumption was that since Chris is uninsured, there is expectation of money. Mom's first reaction was to say that Chris was completely irresponsible and should have known better than to ride a motorcyle. I lost my mind and yelled at my PARENTS!. First and foremost...neither I nor my brother think our parents will pay for anything...we're in our forties - secondly, my brother is a biker..the truest kind...wind in the face, freedom of the open road, Harley Davidson, ape hanger holding... biker. Anyone who lives to ride feels the same way..."it's not a matter of 'if' you will wreck, it's a matter of 'when'". Stuff happens! I think the rents were surprised by my vehemence.
Chris was transferred from Brenham to Temple to be seen by a neurosurgeon. Temple is 167 miles from me, but apparently, I am the only one concernced with going to visit him and make sure he has what he needs. That makes me mad. As a parent...I don't care how inconsequential a hospitalization seems...I would be there for my son no matter how far or how inconvenient. The kids have my car with them in Somerville, so I will be going today when they get back. Surgery is not necessary and it appears Chris will be released tomorrow. I'll camp out in his room and then we'll leave as soon as he's released.
Today's post is merely a ranting. No pretty or flowery words, just facts. I could write pages and pages about the dynamics of my dysfunctional family. As cathartic as that may be, now is not the time. So, while my house is in order, the pscyhodrama of my relationships is once again in turmoil. It just wouldn't be normal if there wasn't some weirdness on my plate.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thinking Out Loud
Good Morning all,
Today and for the rest of the weekend the kids are visiting Lake Sommerville to spend time with Chris' Dad and Aunt Sandra. They left last night - happy, and excited. I managed to be the perfect mother calling out just the right number of, "did you remember to pack..., do you have enough..., what about the sunblock, don't forget to take the phone", all the while leaping and cartwheeling in my mind with sheer joy! Freedom! Weehoo!
So - I am sitting here at my desk - coffee cup to the left; Good Morning America to the right; three open tabs in the Explorer and faithful Mr. Frodo napping in his bed (three feet from my desk). Eve and Skyped our, "Good morning" greetings and I am ready to begin a day of paper writing, APA revisions to the Laerd website, ethnography transcription, and math homework. Wow, sounds like a lot, but really it's not as much as some days.
Most likely, I will not complete everything today, but that's okay...it'll wait. My thoughts wander to recent conversations about politics, religion, food, Ghost Adventures, and I am having fun recalling the funny and/or interesting interjections made by all the participants - including myself. This is how I clear my mind - get myself ready for the "work" that must be done.
Last night Eve and I discussed politics. A tricky conversation even for people who share similiar positions. We discussed, and listened to each other's opinions of the current state of affairs in this country we love. I made some remarks that would, most definitely, get me kicked out of a party post haste. I do not agree with most of our president's decisions for America, but I think everyone has lost a healthy perspective on the situation. People are saying that Barak will turn out to be our worst president EVER...I postulate that just like any other polarizing leader, he will be known to our children's children as a groundbreaker and brave leader who changed our country forever. Lincoln's presidency and platform brought Civil War and I imagine the people of that era thought he would go down in history as the worst president EVER. One hundred and twleve years later I would sit in Ms. Flysowki's Social Studies class and be honored to come from a place where people like Abraham Lincoln could stand against the masses and bring about change. Are you shocked? I am not surprised. I am not saying that Obama is Lincoln - I am saying that one hundred years from now - he will be taught about in classrooms.
Well, I suppose it's actually time to get to work and put aside all this self-indulgent rhetoric. I am hoping everyone spends a few minutes a day thinking out loud, laughing at themselves, and most importantly - getting outside the box! Later gators...
Today and for the rest of the weekend the kids are visiting Lake Sommerville to spend time with Chris' Dad and Aunt Sandra. They left last night - happy, and excited. I managed to be the perfect mother calling out just the right number of, "did you remember to pack..., do you have enough..., what about the sunblock, don't forget to take the phone", all the while leaping and cartwheeling in my mind with sheer joy! Freedom! Weehoo!
So - I am sitting here at my desk - coffee cup to the left; Good Morning America to the right; three open tabs in the Explorer and faithful Mr. Frodo napping in his bed (three feet from my desk). Eve and Skyped our, "Good morning" greetings and I am ready to begin a day of paper writing, APA revisions to the Laerd website, ethnography transcription, and math homework. Wow, sounds like a lot, but really it's not as much as some days.
Most likely, I will not complete everything today, but that's okay...it'll wait. My thoughts wander to recent conversations about politics, religion, food, Ghost Adventures, and I am having fun recalling the funny and/or interesting interjections made by all the participants - including myself. This is how I clear my mind - get myself ready for the "work" that must be done.
Last night Eve and I discussed politics. A tricky conversation even for people who share similiar positions. We discussed, and listened to each other's opinions of the current state of affairs in this country we love. I made some remarks that would, most definitely, get me kicked out of a party post haste. I do not agree with most of our president's decisions for America, but I think everyone has lost a healthy perspective on the situation. People are saying that Barak will turn out to be our worst president EVER...I postulate that just like any other polarizing leader, he will be known to our children's children as a groundbreaker and brave leader who changed our country forever. Lincoln's presidency and platform brought Civil War and I imagine the people of that era thought he would go down in history as the worst president EVER. One hundred and twleve years later I would sit in Ms. Flysowki's Social Studies class and be honored to come from a place where people like Abraham Lincoln could stand against the masses and bring about change. Are you shocked? I am not surprised. I am not saying that Obama is Lincoln - I am saying that one hundred years from now - he will be taught about in classrooms.
Well, I suppose it's actually time to get to work and put aside all this self-indulgent rhetoric. I am hoping everyone spends a few minutes a day thinking out loud, laughing at themselves, and most importantly - getting outside the box! Later gators...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Noisy Quiet
Awakend this morning to a light, misty rain and thought to myself...ummmm, I should stay in bed and sleep some more. Alas, I cannot do that - when my eyes open - I am awake and ready for the day. So Day; here we go!
The house is quiet for the most part. I hear fans going in different rooms - a sound I cannot stand. Eve turns the fan on because she has tinitus (at least she says that's the reason there must be a fan and a television on at all times), and the kids have two fans blowing into their room (which has entry from my office) since there is no central air in the addition - only a window unit. I think we all know how loud a window unit can be. The news is on, and the CPU of my desktop is softly humming its song of toil (hehehe, do I hear a hi ho, hi ho coming from under my desk?). All is normal in this full house of mine.
In a couple of hours the baby will wake. He'll cry and be completely obnoxious for a short time. The kids will stir and the television in the den will blurt out its daily information - I can almost hear Mike Rowe's voiceover this very second. I will hear the refrigerator open, the microwave ding, the garage door squeak, the water flowing through the pipes and into the guest bathroom and finally, my dog friend - Little Mr. Frodo Baggins - will perform his chirpy aria for someone or something which stirred him from his slumber three feet from my desk.
Does it sound cacophanous to you? I suppose for some, like my mother - for example - the din would be torcherous; but for me...it's just a day in the life. I cannot imagine a house so quiet that pins dropping or mice attending church services would startle me. Too much silence and I would be left singing for my own entertainment and trust me...no one wants that to happen. I think I would start to make up sounds and drive myself nuts trying to figure who or what is in my home and why in the world they would come from nightmarish worlds or alien planets just to spy on my daily goings on.
All the sounds in this residence remind me of the family I adore (most of the time), and the fullness of life I experience each moment of my life. So, in the future, if you hear me complain about the noise or whine about the need for solitude just remind me of this post - I love my life and the people in it! I like the noisy quiet of the early morning on Forest Bluff Dr.
The house is quiet for the most part. I hear fans going in different rooms - a sound I cannot stand. Eve turns the fan on because she has tinitus (at least she says that's the reason there must be a fan and a television on at all times), and the kids have two fans blowing into their room (which has entry from my office) since there is no central air in the addition - only a window unit. I think we all know how loud a window unit can be. The news is on, and the CPU of my desktop is softly humming its song of toil (hehehe, do I hear a hi ho, hi ho coming from under my desk?). All is normal in this full house of mine.
In a couple of hours the baby will wake. He'll cry and be completely obnoxious for a short time. The kids will stir and the television in the den will blurt out its daily information - I can almost hear Mike Rowe's voiceover this very second. I will hear the refrigerator open, the microwave ding, the garage door squeak, the water flowing through the pipes and into the guest bathroom and finally, my dog friend - Little Mr. Frodo Baggins - will perform his chirpy aria for someone or something which stirred him from his slumber three feet from my desk.
Does it sound cacophanous to you? I suppose for some, like my mother - for example - the din would be torcherous; but for me...it's just a day in the life. I cannot imagine a house so quiet that pins dropping or mice attending church services would startle me. Too much silence and I would be left singing for my own entertainment and trust me...no one wants that to happen. I think I would start to make up sounds and drive myself nuts trying to figure who or what is in my home and why in the world they would come from nightmarish worlds or alien planets just to spy on my daily goings on.
All the sounds in this residence remind me of the family I adore (most of the time), and the fullness of life I experience each moment of my life. So, in the future, if you hear me complain about the noise or whine about the need for solitude just remind me of this post - I love my life and the people in it! I like the noisy quiet of the early morning on Forest Bluff Dr.
