Rain-kissed Flowers

I am not much of a photographer. Brian, on the other hand, is. Here are my poor little deck flowers after three days of rain. He makes them look magical!

Updates ...

Thought I would share a few updates, even though I don't really have any news. I am just proceeding on the assumption that you all care, regardless, and would like to know what's going on. If that's not the case, just skip over this entry :-)

ISSUE #1: Housing -- nothing to tell. No offers on my townhouse, and I am holding off looking at other houses to buy until this one is sold (or until I get a real job, see below). I do still look online occasionally at what's out there, but I am done playing games (even though I never entered the world of real estate with the intent of playing games, seems that's what the sellers and mortgage bankers I have met are wanting to do. Pooh on them.) (Except for the folks at Rescue Mortgage. THEY ROCK!!!)

ISSUE #2: Job -- I am applying for nursing jobs, had a great interview last week and then went back for a second interview as one of two finalists, but ultimately they chose the other person. Boo. But I am back to searching and sending out resumes, and with advice from some friends as to where to find a variety of job postings, am feeling pretty hopeful that something will pop soon. Which is good, as I am pretty broke. Once I have a job it will be easier to buy a house, too (imagine that?!) so I can start pursuing that first issue again.

Otherwise ... not much to report on. Kids are done with school today, YAY, personal life continues to develop nicely, YAY, dogs are fine and fun, YAY.

Weather sucks. BOO.

Appreciating Nature

Yesterday we took a walk along the Minnesota River, and it made me pause and think about how much I appreciate my city's preservation of natural areas. We have so many parks and trails and places to be outside (including the dog park, my most frequented park in town!) and it makes for a good life.

I love the trail rules! I like the author's perspective and attitude:

I am not much of a photographer but tried to capture a flower shot ...

And interesting tree roots ...

Throwing rocks into the water ...

Pesky, but still beautiful ~

This last picture is actually from a different park, not the river, but we visited this park the same day as the river so I wanted to include it anyway.

I used to knit ....

My very favorite slippers ever (you might recall them from here and here) have holes in the soles.

I am so sad. They still work since it's warm out now, but I am going to have to make me some new ones, and I am so afraid that I will not remember how to do it! I knit them under the tutelage of the Knitting Queen last time, so may have to bribe her to come over and just be near by - her very presence is inspirational when it comes to creative projects.

Since putting my house on the market, I have not knit a single stitch. The mittens I started in December ... still thumbless. The baby gift I started well in advance of the due date? That baby is rolling over now and still giftless from me.

I miss it. Will have to dig out some half-done project, or maybe just start new with new slippers. Maybe tonight.

:-)

Prop 8

I am confused. In California marriage is CLEARLY only between one man and one woman. The people say so. The Supreme Court agrees.

EXCEPT for those 18,000 couples ... 36,000 individuals ... who got married last year. Whoops. We will accept THEIR marriages as OK and legal and acceptable.

But NO ONE ELSE.

Either it is or it isn't. You can't say it isn't except for a group who lucked out based on the calendar. If California says same-sex marriage is a no-no, let's nullify those 18,000 marriages.

Or, here's an idea ... If those 36,000 people are allowed to stay married, and the world as we know it doesn't end, let's say any two adults can marry.

Our world is a crazy place. I love that Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont and Connecticut are doing the right thing. I know that other states will follow, it's just a question of how long it all gets dragged out. In the meantime I will just stay confused, I guess. Confused is better than furious.

Just the higlights

• I am in Cleveland with Brian and will be driving back to MN with him early next week!
• I am not buying the white house that I have been thinking I was buying for the past 2 months. I really, really don't want to go into details.
• I think I might take the townhouse off the market at least for the summer to relax and regroup.
• The boys are counting down the days left til school is out (so am I, but perhaps not for exactly the same reasons!)
• I am actively seeking employment in the nursing field, so far it's slow going but I am confident something will turn up soon.
• I am thrilled Shawn Johnson won Dancing with the Stars. I am totally pleased JT won Survivor. Tammy & Victor were great winners on The Amazing Race. I really don't care who wins American Idol tonight.
• It's HOT out!!!!!!!

That's it for now. What are the bullet points currently in your life?

Season Finale

Who watches Grey's Anatomy? Who watched last night? Who can I talk to about what happened?????

Dog Days of Mexico

After that last post about how dismal my life is, I thought I better post more Mexico pictures!

I will always remember the dogs of Sayulita. The first night we were there, I had a dream that I was crowned "Queen of the Dogs" in the town. Everywhere we went, we saw dogs running, playing, sleeping, enjoying life. I kept thinking, over and over again, what a great life it would be to be a dog in that town!

Most of the dogs we saw were clearly with someone, but sometimes they were just wandering. But they had collars and appeared well cared for, and were friendly and curious and eager to make friends. They played fetch with a variety of objects on the beach - begging their owners (or anyone else close by) to throw their "toys" (sometimes a water bottle, sometimes a coconut husk, sometimes driftwood, sometimes something unidentifiable!) into the ocean and then they would bound into the waves, joyfully playing with the surf, to catch the item and eagerly bring it back to start all over again. I couldn't help but grin as I watched!

When we walked from our house to the beach, we passed a villa which had a small hole in the fence, around which were the words "Sayulita Chihuahuas" (well, at least that's what it was supposed to say, misspellings and unnecessary apostrophe aside) - we all assumed it was a drainage hole for the rainy season. On the day before we left, I was walking back to the house on my own - and as I came up the hill, I saw a little face peeking out at me through that hole, and the true purpose of the opening became clear! I felt as if I had been given a gift, to see the darling puppy who then patiently waited for me to get my camera out and take a picture, before he popped back inside.

Later than same night, we were walking along the beach in the moonlight - beautiful, BTW - and I said hello to a dog with a slight limp. He apparently liked my greeting, as he stuck with us as we walked from the beach into town, and then up the hills to our house, and then he dashed into the garden and made himself quite comfortable under one of our deck chairs, as if he lived there and would never consider leaving! Eventually I picked him up and carried him back out on the street, but it was heart-breaking (for me -- the others were laughing at me!) to put him outside and then listen to his whimper as he tried to get back in with me. But he, too, had a collar and was well-fed, so I knew he would make his way safely home.

I have had people tell me that if reincarnation is real, they want to come back as one of my dogs - but now, I think I would chose to come back as a Sayulita dog. Life, for them, is always a beach party.

Life's (not always) a Beach!

I haven't been posting lately because I have been going through a bit of a rough patch since returning from Mexico. Suddenly all that I am trying to accomplish this year seems to be overwhelming me, and I have been feeling out of control (which is bad for my normal way of dealing with life) and as if too many things will never be settled.

Professionally, I have come to the conclusion that the freelance work was great for the 2+ years I did it, but now I am longing for a job where I show up, do my work, go home, and every two weeks (or once a month) they send me money. I don't have to go find clients, I don't have to submit proposals, I don't have to send invoices, I don't have to be thinking 24/7 "I should be working." So I have been looking at nursing jobs, and have applied for a couple, and we'll see how my re-entry into that field goes.

On the home front, I have decided I am never buying another house until I am rich enough to pay cash. The hoops I am being asked to jump through for this house I am buying - between the seller and the mortgage company - are seemingly never-ending, and I am so worn down by the continual requests for more documentation, more scans and statements, just more, more, more. Then there's the flip side of moving -- selling the townhouse. Still not even one offer. At this point I would consider almost ANY offer. Just please let me get one! There has been so little traffic - in about 11 weeks of being on the market, I think about 7 prospects have walked through and viewed the property. So I guess it's good that it's not that a lot of people are seeing it and rejecting it, and everyone tells me the price is fair and good. It's just so hard to wait. And if it doesn't sell, I am in trouble.

So ... all that has kept me from feeling like posting, but hopefully things will start to pick up and my mood will improve (I am having a beer as I type this and that is helping!)

In praise of Don Julio

One of the learning experiences I had while in Mexico revolved around tequila. I am not a fan of tequila; the only margaritas I ever order have to be strawberry-flavored with a healthy coating of sugar on the rim of the glass.

But, when in Mexico ... well, it seems slightly unacceptable not to at least try tequila. Thankfully, one of my travel mates, Therese, knows her tequila. We bought two kinds. One (brand? I have no idea!) to make margaritas with, and one (Don Julio .. mmmmmmmmm) to use for shots.

I also don't do shots. (give me beer & wine and I am happy!) But, when in Mexico ... I figured I ought to be open-minded and try it at least once. Here are the 4 of us, after our first shot of Don Julio - in dixie cups, no less, we are classy women.

Do I look like I hated it?!? Seriously, that Don Julio is smooooooooth stuff!

And here we are in the parking lot of the airport. Ready to depart. Still had an inch or so of Don Julio, so what's a girl to do? We got out our dixie cups, Alice carefully divided the tequila, and we had our final shot before leaving the country.
I wasn't able to get a picture of us after this shot, though, as the parking lot security crew was asking us to move along ....

I am now a fan of tequila.

Swine Flu? No worries!

Carla sent me a "piece of flair" on Facebook last night that says "People said a black man would be elected president 'when pigs fly.' 100 days after Obama took office ... SWINE FLU!"

Here's Alice & me on the airplane going down to Mexico. Not a care in the world! And here we are coming home ... This is actually in the airport, and truth-be-told, we only put the masks on for this picture. We didn't actually wear them, and there were very few people who were wearing them.

I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Don't say I never did nuthin' for ya ...

Apparently the yellow I had chosen for my blog for May - the bright, cheery, reminiscent of the sun in Mexico yellow I liked so much - was just too much for some people's eyes.

So I switched to a pale, barely even recognizable as yellow shade.

Because I love you that much!

YAY MAINE!!!

Just read this while browsing (make that wasting time) online ... YAY MAINE!!!

Sayulita!

True paradise on earth. Stories and more photos coming very soon ...

I'm not kidding

Really, I am going to Mexico tomorrow. Yes, I do realize there is a new strain of flu out there, and yes, I do realize people in Mexico have died.

But really, I am still going. Our group of 4 well-educated, intelligent women includes a doctor and a nurse ... we know what we are going in to, and we know what precautions to take, and we know what the realistic risk is.

And we are going to have a terrific time! We are going to bake on the beach. We are going to laugh by the pool. We are going to feast on the patio. We are going to come back refreshed, relaxed, rejuvenated, and healthy.

I'll post pictures next week when we're back!

Cleveland

Just got home from visiting Brian (the new man) in Cleveland. Cleveland - yes, that's what I said. Not one of the places I ever put much thought into at all, nor on my list of preferred destinations when I dreamt of travelling. But he is there, so there I went.

And you know what? Cleveland is a really, really nice place! It's on the shore of Lake Erie - a Great Lake I had not visited before. We went out on a pier to watch the sunset one day - the weather was magnificent! So was the view.

We visited (the exterior of) the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and walked along the lakeshore park in the middle of downtown. It was 88 and sunny (back in Minneapolis it was cold & rainy - HA!) and absolutely beautiful.

I had a great time exploring the neighborhood Brian's sister lives in, trying out Malley's, the local ice cream & chocolate shop (NUM - and in looking up their URL I see they have mail order! Dangerous!), going to the soccer game and baseball game (to see Brian's nephew and brother-in-law, respectively), taking long walks at night to look at stars, and just hanging out with the family.

One night we ate at Bubba's Q, which was fabulous barbeque - kind of out of the way, sports-themed, food to die for!

The whole time I was there we kept saying "Next time, we have to do ....." and when it came time to leave, it was hard on all of us, I think!

Next time will be around Memorial Day weekend - when I go out to bring Brian back home!

Life is grand

Well, it's sandal season FINALLY and today I got my first pedicure of the year! I took my friend Diane with me - she's a pedicure virgin! - and then we went out for lunch. A wonderful girls-only day. I bravely said I was through with socks for the year, about a month ago on Facebook, but frankly I did wear socks again in the days between then and now -- but now? NOW I am done with socks for the year. (well, not the entire calendar year, but until the snow flies again - except that really, I go sock-less a lot then, too, I just wear warm shoes without socks. Other than my homeknit socks, I really dislike them.)

Anywho. Life is grand these days. The housing deal is moving along nicely, the paperwork is in, the closing approaching, my plans becoming more firm. I have been researching appliances and dreaming about paint colors and carpet style and countertop options. I have met with my contractor, planned the order in which projects will be done, and while I still have a whole list of questions that need to be answered, I feel like I am moving ahead nicely - and it is all just so much fun!

The job front is also developing beautifully, PLAY it Forward is meeting so many of my needs - needs that I didn't even realize I had! I am turning back into an international traveler - which was my persona 30 years ago - which I gave up to be a wife and mom, but didn't realize how much I missed it until now it is coming back to me. It feels FANTASTIC. It feels like the real me is coming back to life after a long, long sleep.

And then there is the relationship portion of life ... tomorrow I leave for a long weekend with the new man in my life, and everything there is moving along so smoothly, and feels so right, and it's both fun and fantastic!

Add to that my general good health, the well-being of my children, and the beautiful weather, and I just keep grinning and saying life is grand!

You are invited ...

I mentioned recently that I have a new career in the making, working with PLAY it Forward Adventures. It's been a couple of weeks now, and this professional match is truly one made in heaven. I am feeling energized and renewed by working on projects which invigorate and inspire me, and Jodi - my partner in this venture - and I are excited about the expansion that is now possible with two of us combing our talents, time, and resources.

We just started setting up our 2010 Master Schedule ... and I will be leading a trip to Peru and Machu Picchu in January! Machu Picchu has long been on my list of most desirable destinations. I am fascinated by all I know about the ancient Inca tribes - the combination of mythology and legend with the archaeological finds, which show how advanced these people were in so many areas of life. Most Inca settlements were destroyed in the 15th and 16th centuries, but because of its remote location, Machu Picchu was preserved, and while some people still lived in and around the ruins (descendants of the Incas), it was virtually untouched before being rediscovered in the early 1900s. Now it is designated as a World Heritage Site, descibed as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization," and is carefully cared for so that visitors can continue to marvel in its splendor.

And I am bringing a group of women there in just 9 months! (It just occurred to me that 9 months is the time of a pregnancy ... this trip will be a sort of baby for me, so how fitting is that timeline?)

This journey will be about finding balance in your life. Over the past two and a half years I have been told time and time again that I should write a book about how my life has changed and how I have managed those changes. I will be using the time between now and January to really contemplate and analyze what has helped me, and I hope to be able to share some of that with my fellow travelers in January. But it won't be "all about me" - we are having a Yoga Instructor travel with us, so that every day we will begin with Yoga practised in the mountains of Peru - talk about inspirational - and we will also fill our days with incredible site-seeing, activities chosen to challenge our bodies and our minds, and - as in all PLAY it Forward Adventures - we will do a volunteer project to give back to the people and the land that will host us during this time.

When I woke this morning, it occurred to me that nothing would be more wonderful than to have my internet friends join me on this journey! Those of you who I only know through blogging - can you even imagine a better way to meet in person? What an incredible way to begin the new year - focusing on yourself, your connection to women, finding balance for the coming months - I get shivers thinking about it.

As we finalize the details (like dates and cost) I will let you know. Roughly - 8 days in early January, something in the $2600-2900 range (does not include your round-trip airfare to Lima), and limited to 12 participants so I expect it will fill quickly.

So I plant this seed in your brain. Mull it over, stew on it, think about it ... and I truly hope you can find a way to join me!

Celebrating EVEN MORE!!!!!!!!!!

I AM A NEW HOME OWNER!!!

Finally, after 3 offers on other houses that fell through, and 8 weeks of negotiating on the 4th, all the signed paperwork came through today and WE ARE MOVING.

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is looking like we are aiming for a closing date of May 19 - so just over a month from now. I am meeting with the Wells Fargo mortgage person tomorrow. I have met with my contractor to start the plans for all the renovation work needed.

Because there is a lot of work needed. Here are some pictures, to give you an idea.

Here's the living room (I am standing in the dining area to take the picture.) The walls will be painted, the fireplace resurfaced (it's hard to see, but the brick is painted a glossy pale green. Not much to be done with that.) The lovely stained carpet will be replaced - no hardwood under the carpet, unfortunately.
And here is the kitchen. Take a moment and think about the paint color here, combined with the paint color in the living & dining rooms. Christmas, all year round! The kitchen is a complete do-over. I contemplated keeping the cupboards, but the layout is not efficient, there is no place for a dishwasher, and everyone tells me I will regret it if I don't do it ... so do it, I will. (and yes, that countertop is pink.)
Here's my bedroom. Some wall issues to be addressed. But mainly just paint and refinishing of the floor to make this room perfect. Oh, and maybe new lights on the ceiling fan.

Here, on the other hand, is Ty's room - for now, anyway, eventually the boys will both be moving to new rooms in the basement. This room has the most interesting use of combination sponge-painting/wallpaper borders I have ever seen! It's much, much worse in person.The main bathroom is not too bad. The countertop - a totally artificial substance which scares me a little - has a lovely shell-shaped sink, and the toilet has a delightful padded seat with the signs of the zodiac on it. Both will be replaced. Oh - and the lighting in here? Two recessed bulbs, nicely done. But these people spatterpainted the bulbs - I can only assume for ambiance. Weird.

This is the back entry way - one door goes to the garage, one to the back patio. The red (ceiling and all!) is the same paint as in the kitchen. This will eventually be made into one big mudroom with built-in cubbies, closets, recharging station, mail station, etc. The organizational hub!

When you head downstairs, this is the first thing you see. The plan is to gut the basement as close to 100% as possible and just start over. So this will eventually be a welcoming area to what we refer to as "boy land" - the entire basement will be made into a place where teenage boys can hang out and have fun.

Here's the basement fireplace, eventually there will be a big-screen TV above it, and the walls will not be mustard-colored. In fact, some of the walls will not even be there anymore.

I don't have any pictures of the downstairs bathroom - I'll try to get some but I don't think my camera can adequately show the horribleness that is that room. We are moving the bathroom and starting completely over. Ditto for the boys' bedrooms. We will put in two egress windows and end up with 2 great rooms. Where currently there is a mess.

LOTS of work - but it will be SO GREAT when it's all done!!!

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Celebrating

YAY!!!! I went for a walk in the park today - barefoot!