Another fine day

Sometime within the next week I plan on having my kitchen table back in my kitchen. Right now, it it sitting calmly in my garage waiting for a final coat of varnish (I finally got fed up with the surface and stripped it). Humidity is preventing that final coat - I learned a long time ago, the hard way, that the final coat needs to be applied in not sopping wet conditions or it takes forever to dry and therefore becomes subject to little things like bugs landing on it that would become permanently encased in the varnish. Ugh.

M passed away a couple weeks ago. As I feared, we got the call during the vacation and had to pack up and leave in rather a hurry. I felt a sense of relief really - and then immediate guilt for it. M is no longer suffering, and my husband can sleep at night again. The worry over when was killing him, too. We took L to see her, and he was concerned that he was going to see gramma's bones - so we had the 15 minute abreviated discussion about heaven and where we go when we die. What happens to our souls, what we do with our bodies. I don't think he really gets it yet - that's okay. Someday he will.

Just to make matters fun, my five year old wonder managed to drop a full jar of mayonaise on his foot and break the end of his big toe. It is now a lovely purplish black and I know that the nail should be coming off any day. It's okay though - it matches the damage he did to his pinky toe on his other foot. Just a little more spectacular and noticeable. Oh, the joys of momhood!

I did love the gentle commentary by his guitar teacher that alleviated much of his anguish over his black and blue toes - she oohed and ahhed over the toes and told him that the toenail fairy was going to take his yukky broken one and he was going to grow a strong, grown up toenail where the old one falls off and it will be way stronger! It's so cute! He can't wait now for the toenail fairy.

S and A are back at their dad's. I think they are in Hinkley gambling (sorry, I mean camping in the casino parking lot) or they might be in Turtle Lake doing the same. We are making arrangements for mom's funeral for when they are back. We will have to go to North Dakota for the service and burial. J's dad is already buried there and mom's spot is waiting for her. Right now we have her cremains home with us. It's kind of nice to just say goodbye for a little while, even though we have been saying goodbye for several months. We like to say she is here for a visit. I think we are planning on making it a four day weekend. I need to finish clothing shopping for them.

A's 16th birthday is also coming up way too quickly - aack! What do you get a 16 year old that doesn't cost a million dollars? I really could use some clues. Anyone? He is so dogonne cute and funny but has everything I think he really wants. Sigh. Big sigh.

S is ready for contacts so we have an appointment for her. I think she is going to be really suprised - I told her no contacts until she's 16 and she really just doesn't want to be resigned to that. I can't wait for her eye appointment next week!

Oh well. It's 6:30am and time for me to get my butt out the door. Wednesday mornings are soooo early sometimes.

Blue frosting, cherry chocolate cupcakes and messy fridges

This morning I finally got the last of the blue frosting scraped off the island countertop and looked again at the table top in dire need of stripping and refinishing. The song "If I had a million dollars" is on my cd player, and I started thinking about what I would do if I had a million dollars.

I'd like to say that I would be completely altruistic and donate the whole thing to my favorite charities, but the truth is, I would take care of me and my family before anything else.

I would hire somebody to take care of all the blue frosting messes, the stuff piling up in the fridge, and cleaning the toilets (my least favorite job, but one I do daily).

I would get a new kitchen table. One that expands to 106" so that I can have my family and friends over without feeling squished.

I would have new living room flooring - I hate my carpet in all its shredded, level loop splendor.

All my debts, and all the debt in my family (yes, even yours M and R) would be taken care of. I might even buy my brothers each a house, and M would finally get the pink and purple paisley mini van with a soccer mom sticker I've been threatening him with since he got his temps. Of course, now that he has kids he would probably like that!

I would get a new saab for my hubby - he thinks he needs one. I would get me something that goes "shhhhhh" and is very green and gets great mileage. A would get the baby blue station wagon.

We might go to Disney, or Seaworld, or both. I think it would be fun! We also might go canoeing through the Boundary Waters - I haven't done that for years and I think it would be a great experience for the kids.

I would have some trees planted in my yard - shade, glorious shade! I would buy a distressed tract of land somewhere up north and invite anyone who wants to stargaze to go use it. No hunting allowed during stargazing season!

I would buy a piece of forest and let any family member hunt on that. Keep nature green!

I would maybe even slow down a little and take some time to breathe. Mostly, I would just be happy for my good fortune and share with my close friends and family.

Money does not motivate me. It's nice to have, it's a necessity and I enjoy having a comfortable life style, but even if we had half what we do now I would be content because I do get to scrape blue frosting off the counter as a result of making cupcakes with my son and I do get to wake up and drink coffee with my husband, and my brothers are alive and kicking it up (all 3 of them), and my sisters in law are incredible women - all 3 of them and most of all I am blessed to have so many great and wonderful friends and such an incredible family. D and T, you are my sisters in my soul and heart, and the day we became best friends is one of the greatest memories of my life.

P.S. I did not win the lottery last night. I guess I'll have to get another ticket.