27 Minutes

     It's been awhile! Let's see what I can cram on here in 27 minutes (exactly the amount of time I have for this Blog today)


     When we last caught up, the bathroom was a Tiffany Blue nightmare. That one little gallon of paint ended up becoming the need to add recessed lights and a new fan for the bathroom. It was noted that one of the new lights was installed, (by my direction, after being hauled out of a dead sleep and dragged down the stairs to determine the location of the lights) over the toilet, completely without really thinking it through. Which now gives it a delightful spotlight. It now literally looks as if the toilet is on display. When you turn on the bathroom lights now, and gaze at the toilet, all that is missing is the sound of angels singing. But, the colors look great now, so, there's that....




     While we were overhauling the bathroom (And, the above paragraph simplified that miserable process greatly...) I decided on a whim at the Home Depot paint counter, that, we should probably rearrange the kitchen. You know. Just move that cupboard over there, and those cupboards here. And, while we are at it, there is a great light on clearance, so, we should probably grab that. Hey, since we're here, those peel and stick floor tiles that some brilliant person decided would make splendid counter tops, absolutely cannot stay...
    So. The kitchen was painted, the cupboards moved around, the counters re-tiled, and a new light and range hood installed.
     Also, this all happened only 2 weeks before a projected visit from my out of town cousin and her sons. Not BECAUSE of their visit, but, because of a gallon of paint bought for the bathroom. And the resulting lighting mess. Most of which can be directly traced back to one electrician who was apparently hired to do work in the bathroom shortly before we bought the house. I am not saying that he is a terrible electrician. But I am saying that, I will not be at all surprised if his house ever sustained damage from an electrical fire. Anyhow, one idea became many ideas, and our entire house was completely torn apart last minute just because of one gallon of Tiffany Blue paint. The bathroom is now referred to as "The Tiffany Room"


     Currently, we are in the midst of baseball season. This tends to be our busiest time of the year. Between baseball, Scouts, and all the other millions of things that all seem to take place between April and June, life will be insanity until school lets out this year. I suppose that once you accept that, it's easier to deal with. Therefore, weekly menus are created and posted on the weekend, and, getting dinners into everyone and getting everyone where they need to be is marginally easier. The crazy home and work schedules have a considerable amount to do with the neglect of this Blog.


     Probably the busiest of the kids, is Joe. Joe is juggling baseball, Boy Scouts and a twice weekly after school Mine Craft Club that is apparently all educational. Joe is on the go nearly every day. It has not, however, stopped his constant questions my favorite recently being "Mom. Does Nitrogen turn into liquid nitrogen at absolute zero?" I handed him my phone and told him to look it up. I still don't know the answer to that question.
     Joe's most recent obsession has been all things astronomy. This has entailed Joe and I taking night time star gazing trips - the most recent with a new friend of his. I remarked upon it on Facebook, and, a friend of mine messaged me that her husband is an astronomer, and he and his astronomer friend would be delighted to have Joe up for an evening of star gazing. We went up last night, and, it was an amazing experience. Using my phone, he took several moon pictures through the telescope. I am delighted that I am using the best one as my computer wallpaper at work. My patients seem to like the picture, too.


     This up coming weekend is the Annual Maple Festival in Franklinville. Anyone who has read this blog for any sort of longevity will know that the highlight of the Maple Fest for me is the Maple Fest book sale.
     I actually mentioned it this morning to the Bearded Man.

     "Do you know what?"


     "What?"


     "I was at the library recently and some ladies brought a bunch of books in for the book sale. They offered to put them in the book sale piles, but, the volunteer at the front desk told them to leave the books with her. She said they go thru them first, and sometimes keep the good ones!!!!"


     "Hmmmm." (with absolutely no interest)


     "I was all outraged, until I thought that, if I was a volunteer, I would probably jump at the chance with completely no moral or ethical qualms about it. So, I suppose I can't be outraged anymore. Besides, I am not sure if they keep them for themselves, or the library."


     "Mmmhmmm" (Still no interest.)


     Anyhow, I figure with all the working out I have been doing lately, I should be okay when the initial rush of elderly line cutting ladies at opening of the library doors happens. It's a yearly thing. They show  up last minute and then hip check their way to the front of the line, pushing and shoving and tumbling through the doors with purses and elbows swinging. Where they then proceed to stop at the first table and block all access to any of the books. It's a yearly challenge.


     The Sunday School Year is winding down. We have two more days left. One of learning, and one for the End of Year Party. This past weekend, I asked the kids to write on the white board something they had learned this year. Because, I am nearly certain the only reason they show up is because their parents make them, and, we always provide a snack. Anyhow, even the one kid who argues everything wrote something nice on the board.
     There is always "One", however. And, sure enough, one of my students wrote "I am not going to heaven by any means" followed by "It's a trap"
     Well. Four out of five ain't bad, I suppose. There isn't a Sunday that goes by that I don't feel guilty and completely unworthy of teaching that class. Every single lesson I teach, there is the glaring reality staring back at me that: I certainly don't practice what I preach sometimes, and, someone who is so terribly sure of their spot in hell should probably not be trying to help others to heaven. Ah well. We do our best. Since I am pretty certain the kids retain nearly nothing I teach them, I don't think I am creating too much damage.


     With the nicer Spring weather lately, comes the neighborhood coming alive again. I never know how many kids will be tumbling around my lawn day by day. A new kid recently moved in only 2 doors away. We have only seen his mother once, briefly, but, I told her that it's useless to resist the crowd of kids. They will play between the five houses in a row that are full of kids whether we like it or not, so, she may as well get used to it.
     I recently made chocolate chip cookies... before I knew it, there was a line of children at my front door for cookies. It was not unlike Halloween. I didn't even know some of them. Apparently as kids were stepping off the porch, they were telling kids who were walking by after school that "That lady there has cookies!"
    This is the worst time of year for poor Buster the dog. My anxiety ridden nanny dog hates the nice weather. When his kids are outside, and the potentially murderous other kids are all over. And the tumbling and running, and chaos. There are the evil people walking by and the possibility for mayhem and torture everywhere the poor dog looks. There are dogs in the yard behind us that might be threatening. There is the dog in the yard next to ours who might break free of his lead and figure out how to hop the fence and kill his precious children at any given time. There is the most evil of all creatures - the mail lady - who apparently looks as if she could snap and kill us all at any moment. There are the other dogs being walked, who look shifty as all get out, the rotten killer squirrel in the tree in the back yard, and those terrible birds are just not to be trusted. Buster likes the winter time. The kids are inside. All potential murderers are outside. The kids are all in one general area, and he can relax. During the nice weather, the poor dog must run from window to window, or along the perimeters of the back yard barking viciously at anything that looks suspicious (everything). It is a rough time for him. It is also a rough time for those of us that must listen to the constant frantic barking of my dog who, if her were in human form, would benefit from a nice daily dose of Xanax. He just cannot deal with this .


     That is pretty much the excitement around my household. I am sure there is probably so much more, but, it will have to wait for the next Blog. Hopefully I can get them out more frequently!