the summery-ness of it all.

is there anything better than a glass of peach flavored sun tea in june?

if there is, i haven't found it yet.
i have enjoyed this ritual of having a glass of iced tea each day as i sit down to begin my homework.
lately i have begun some new rituals; some a little healthier than others : )
here are a few that come to mind:

summer means waking up a little earlier to enjoy my coffee in front of the news.
& a bonus: because it is summer, the sun falls into my living room windows and bathes me in a golden light just
before i head back upstairs to ready myself for another day of classes (bio and speech communication), errands, and shuttles to and from drivers ed (for the girl) (le gasp!).

summer is... longer days that mean i can get just a little bit more done after dinner.
most nights i am heading out the door into the late evening texas sun
once again a happy orange
to pound the pavement in hopes of working off that extra scoop of breyer's rocky road.

summer is fresh fruits and green vegetables that taste like they were picked moments before.
i am enjoying more greens and less meat.
the family, however is not. they are die-hard carnivores.

summer is the scent of fresh mowed lawns and the sound of the neighborhood kids having a water gun fight.
i find myself outside more, watering the grass (by hand- we are in water restrictions) and weeding the garden.

these are the days- and i am enjoying them while i can.
how has summer changed your daily rituals?

a year almost.

so many changes in just one year.
most of you reading have my random facebook updates,
so i will spare you the long version of a catch up.
and spare myself the typing it would take.

right now i am digging summer.
later starts to my day (if 630 is late)
and longer hours to get things accomplished.

girl turned 15.
and is now in driver's ed.

be still my heart.

the boy is coming home to finish out his schooling.
he had enough of ASU, i suppose.
probably he just missed my hovering. :: not ::

i am happy.

the moms moved one street over from us.
its nice having about every second day off
from making dinner.
its like my very own drive thru for homemade meals.

the other shoe doesn't have to drop.

my darling husband recently went all the way to england for work
and did an awesome job of bringing me beautiful pictures
of that country we fell in love with when we lived there
over 14 years ago.

i remember how
we took a day to ourselves not long after our daughter was born
to celebrate our anniversary.
i remember standing with him in front
of this marquee. snapshot taken.
only visible in my memory now
we were so young.
the marquee remains the same.
we do not.
and i am okay with that.

i am looking forward to my days.
i am excited and hopeful for each one to begin.
i cut back my hours at my job...and
i've started classes at the community college
the boy is happy at university in san angelo
and the girl is enjoying her new school.
the husband is standing in a good place at work,
it looks like he may be getting into a different area
of his field, one he is actually looking forward to.
life seems pretty darn good right about now.
no need to wait for more, i am loving what life is at the moment.

boy goes to university.

i forgot for a bit that i was blogging again.
: )
forgive me, for i am exhausted.
this weekend pretty much ran both ends of the
emotional spectrum simultaneously. why?

because we packed up the uhaul and drove the boy one to university.
i am so grateful he doesn't have to stay in the dorms.
he will be living with my father in law, so he has family there.
and his uncle lives in town too...he'll be fine.
we spent the weekend unpacking and setting up his space.

it's a nice space, very light.
i should've waited until i hung the curtains to take this pic
but i had to sneak it in.
the boy didn't want any overly mushy show of emotion.
and apparently taking too many pictures counts as mushy.
(i am suprised that spell check accepts the word mushy. and also, i used mushy twice in one post.)
at least he allowed me this indulgence once we saw this old door.

oh, how i love downtown san angelo.
and that boy.

a lil bit crafty.

last week i got a lil bit crafty.
i woke up early, got on the treadmill
then decided to get ready for work right away
so i could play with ink, paper and glue
then go straight to work.

it is such a lil thing,
and this pic is a bit blurry
but you get the gist.



i found a stack of those lil white envelopes
collecting dust but they are ready for a purpose!
so i am thinking i need to make a book.



i want to make a bunch of these "pages"
and then throw random bits of ephemera
in the bags.
things like movie tickets
roller derby ticket stubs
and all sorts of other fun stuff.
because you know i collect a bunch of junk!!
(i am working on this bad habit, though!!)

i haven't decided how i want to bind them together.
i am a fan of the rings.
but i am thinking stuff may slide out.
so i may make covers out of chipboard covered in paint
or a cute patterned paper.

i'm thinking polks dots!!

new delish.

God loves me.



here's the proof:




don't let the 100 calorie label fool you.
it's not a smaller drink than the regular mocha frap in a bottle
nor is it a smaller taste!
this is the yummy-est treat i have found
next to my keebler right bites fudge grahams and banana combo.
and you know how picky i am about my starbucks lovin.
just thought i'd share. : )

p.s. the iced VIA is yummy too!!

summer is the heat.

after lunch with friends i took the girl to visit her
grandma.
swimming is not my thing.
but sitting poolside with a camera in hand is. : )
speaking of my favorite fourteen year old:



i am so jealous i can't dye mine too!!
damn you corporate america!!!!!

on being a mom to teenagers.

i am struggling lately.
i am trying to find a balance between
working 40+ hrs a week
and being a mom.
but because i have to do things *my* way
i can't just be a mom
i have to be the *best* mom.
holy heck am i tired.
and guilty.
and so very anxious.
i mean, because:

the girl one starts high school this fall.
next month, actually.
we are trying to get an assignment overseas
but with J being in the reserves and a civilian
it's a lil bit tougher.
a few more hoops to jump through, but i digress.

so she's a freshman.
and fragile in so many ways.
she loves art and anime and her friends.
none of whom will be going to her school.
she loves books about vampires and dragons and mythical creatures.
and girls are mean.
so very mean.
especially to those girls that are different.
like my girl.
so i am super nervous for her.
and nervous for me, because i don't know how
i'll handle it if her little heart is broken



and this one.
this one is going to be a freshman at ASU.
i am so not sure about how i feel about that.
i am sure i am excited for him
but i am also unsure of how he will do.
he is so much like me.
often times moody, but more often looking to find the light.
i worry he will be discouraged,
or worse; lose his light. his passion for what he is going to school for.

on not complaining.

oh geez i miss this guy.
i have gotten so used to having him here
every day- no deployments, no TDYs
since he got out of the USAF...
apparently as a reservist, he has the same commitment.
at least it's just a two week separation.... i know it could have been
that 6 month deployment to afghanistan. i know this.
so i'll quietly miss him, without complaint,
for the next two weeks.

on my part.

i usually brew at home.
but some mornings, when i have to be at work
at ohhh, SEVEN A.M.- i stop for my fave drink.
venti non fat caramel misto with 2 splenda.
just typing that made my mouth water.

for the past 3 1/2 months i have been taking my re-useable mug
to my girls at the bucks. and i have been so happy with the little steps
i am taking to make sure i am creating less waste.
it started when we were in NYC during this event.
(i took pics, but they are on the mac daddy, and i am on the babymac at the moment)
i wondered how many cups i was responsible for,
and what the impact could be if i just took one of my plethora of travel mugs with me each day.

i am happy to say that i have stuck to my resolution thus far
and i am now thinking about what more i can do.
like: if i take a reuseable cup to chick-fil-a, and paid for a medium but
had them use my cup instead of wasting one of their styrofoam ones,
would they let me?
i think its worth a try.

more later. gots to get to work!!

xo

on slowing down and loving sushi.

i was able to grab some sushi the other day with a gal pal
from work and i was reminded how much i love it.
the restaurant she chose wasn't (and never will be) a fave of mine
but the company more than made up for the lousy waiter
and the pricey dish i chose.
i usually head to goro's sushi (on mossrock, if you're in the 210)
the O Roll and the Stephanie are my faves...

i need to remember to do this more often.
being in the retail business, i very often stick to what is close to the
dealership...an hour for lunch leaves little wiggle room
if you want something other than
a McFatass. don't get me wrong.
i loved the golden arches when i lived in Oz.
but for some reason here in the U.S. i am not a fan.



the yoga dvd i mentioned in my last post can be found here.
although i picked mine up at barnes and noble a couple of years ago.
i am still loving it.
i love how it makes me feel so peaceful and powerful all at the same time.
i am thinking i may try julian's yoga DVD for more of an umph...
anyone try it yet? i'd love to know what you think!

more when there's more.
or when i feel like there's more
when there really isn't. : )

on catching up.

since we've spoken last:

• my boy has turned 18.
• and graduated.
• my girl has turned 14
• i've panicked 84 thousand times
• and gotten over it and gone through it
• i've found the perfect yoga DVD
• and have been re-united with a part of me i've missed

: ) more later. maybe. probably.

he's lazy.

so am i.

i am trying, though.
i did some laundry and some dishes.
i should cook tonight, but i am still
digesting last night's dinner. ::blech::

the wonderful hubby invited people over this weekend.
and my house is less than "home-y" right now.
so i am scrambling
trying to make sense of all of the little pieces
that have made their way into our homes over the years.

i need to find my "style" sense, i think.
i like what i like, and unfortunately,
i like a lot of different things.

now i have to figure out how to make them fit.

on beer pong.

halloween did not disappoint this year.
everyone came to my neighborhood to
trick or treat:
there was a zebra

and the kool-aid man

and the clan from the batman comics
harley quinn, joker, batman, robin...and poison ivy.

here's one of just the nephews and niece


i went to a co-worker's party later that night.
turns out, i'm pretty good at beer pong.

i met up with achmed.
you know-

the dead terrorist
and had a few shots to make sure
i would remember my night
well into sunday morning...


this old girl just aint what she used to be-
but it sure was fun pretending i could hang!

on mute.

i don't pick up my camera as much anymore
and it shows.

i need to prioritize
that is my issue.

i'm thinking i need to be more selfish
it sounds horrrible
but i feel myself slipping away
the more i let my hobbies slide.

happy saturday.
i'm headed into work
but you can bet i will be
obsessing about my paints and inks and pictures.
and my CAMERA.

xoxo

shut.up.

i can't believe i haven't updated in so long.
who am i kidding?
yes i can
i'd like to say i've been playing in the sun.

but i really haven't.

life has been confusing and overwhelming.
i sometimes have to remember that i am happy
to be off all those meds ...
but there are times when i am so stuck in emotional mud
that its all i can do to get to tomorrow.
it's all about letting someone down.
always, someone is going to be let down-
most times it's me.
and i guess that's okay
because that's what i do to not have the guilt.

i am not one that deals well with change
if i know what to expect i know how i will deal
ya know?
the past few weeks my schedule has been pretty much
here and there and everywhere and i am not liking it.
i do not deal well with change.

school.
i am waiting to hear if this VA thing will go through.
i may get to go back to school spring 2010...
and it's another thing that gets me all worked up.
i want to do it.
i am excited to go.
i LOVE school supplies.
but i am 33 freaking years old.
& i kinda feel like
"what's the point?".

i dont deal well with change.

33 is the year for me.

saturday was my 33rd.

i had family over.
i had cake.
i had two, actually.


i am thinking this year holds
a lot of promise
and i am ready to rock it.

on living overseas.

see, the thing about living in new countries is
you get used to having wonderful new food addictions.

and then you leave.

today i was trying to make jam cookies.



i gave it a pretty good go.
but
they don't taste like the jam cookies
we were in love with in australia.

the kids are as disappointed as i am.
:(

i want to live in yesterday.

got the heck out of dodge
day trip to the 325 is always good.
stopped in to have a look-see at the
american british antiques shop...
the kids din't know what to make of these...

made me feel like *i* was an antique...

loved the downtown streets...
so many photo ops...

NEVER enough time...


so far sunday is a drag.
i have things planned...
but once again i am left to
deal with the stress of living
too close to the fire.

on saturday.

what a nice read...
finished this today-
just short of the deadline i set for myself.

i didn't cry
which suprises me,
since i am quite teary lately
about a lot of things.

i thought is was a lovely story,
just not heartwrenching.
no spoilers
in case one of you are going to pick it up-
i just wasn't feeling
the tragedy of it.

now to wait for my friend to read it
so we can go see the movie together!!