A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! ~Author Unknown
The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? ~J.B. Priestley
Sometimes, it’s good to take a step back, press the pause button and evaluate the crossroads before plunging blindly ahead. Not my usual M.O., I must admit, but as I get older, I am finding there is some wisdom in looking before I leap. I’ve always been a planner but at the same time, once I have an idea in my head, I’m generally ready to jump in with both feet and charge ahead. For the last month or so, I’ve done both. I’ve come to learn that occasionally, stepping back and giving myself the opportunity to readjust my direction is a good thing.
Improving On the Silence is one of three blogsites that I own. Some days three is way too many; other days it doesn’t seem enough. The last couple of months have been all about re-evaluating my sites, their purpose and their direction. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed I’ve been rather silent for the last several weeks.
I went to a blog conference in September. I reconnected with a friend I hadn’t seen since high school, met some great women who blog, and was really prompted to rethink my purpose in blogging. As a result, I needed to step away from the computer and give myself some perspective.
Just after the conference, I took a couple weeks off for a very long road trip (13 states in 12 days–yes, there are blog posts coming). It was another great thinking opportunity. I saw some places I’ve never seen, reconnected with family and old friends I hadn’t seen in too long, spent some quality time with my two older children and had lots of “alone time” to think.
When I left Colorado it was still summer; when I returned it was definitely fall; and, it seems that winter has managed to put in its first appearance in the last week. Between all the miles, the weather and the pondering, I felt like I had been gone much longer than I have.
The break has been good, though. It’s only been in the last few days that I realized I missed this blog and the writing I get to do here. My other blogs are much more focused; one is all about business and social media and the other is focused on topics of interest to LDS (Mormon) women. That latter one covers a lot of ground, but it’s still not the same as Improving on the Silence, which is the home of my writing heart.
So, I’m back. I’ve had a good break; I’ve had time to think. I had time to do some mental and physical exploring; just wait until you see all the great photos and some of the crazy stories (hint: my smartphone/GPS is possessed) I have to share with you. I have a couple of new business projects I’m working on that I’ll share over the next couple of months (if you’re a blogger, you are going to want to stay tuned). I’ve missed this blog; I’ve missed you.
So, tell me, how have you been while I’ve been gone? Now you know what’s new with me; what’s new with you?
We’ve survived the first quarter of school here and actually done pretty well.
With two teenagers and a college student still at home, the school year tends to be pretty crazy. They are all involved in extra-curricular activities and church activities as well. In addition, fall is marching band season so we have the added craziness of a fall sport.
Not counting my own years of school, this is my 20th year of sending kids off to school, and if we count the youngest one’s college experience, I have only nine more to go.
We live in a city where the school day starts early in the morning, so morning time is crazy at our house. This year, I have one who leaves at 5:45, one who leaves at 6:30, one who leaves at 6:50 and one who leaves at 7:30. I should probably just install a revolving door.
To survive the school year craziness, we’ve come up with a few sanity-saving strategies at our house. Here are a few of the things we’ve learned that help get everyone through the school year without mom going completely crazy.
Take care of daily hygiene (like baths and showers) at night, making morning less hectic. Make school lunches the night before and put in any perishables in the refrigerator. Put non-perishables in lunch sacks or lunch boxes so you only have to add refrigerator items in the morning. This is critical at our house where children begin leaving for school early. Doing everything the night before means they don’t have to get up any earlier than they already do. And speaking of lunches. . .
Give them whatever supervision and guidance is age-appropriate. Set up some guidelines for what you do or don’t want them to put in their lunch and put them to work. Kids are more likely to eat what they choose themselves and you are beginning to teach them the skills of self-sufficiency that will be so important should you ever wish for them to actually leave the nest.
Include in it all the supplies your kids normally need for their homework: lined paper, writing implements, pencil sharperiner, glue sticks, scissors, colored pencils, crayons or markers, highlighter, calculator, graph paper, sticky notes, etc. This way kids can get right to work when its homework time and neither of you will be wasting time hunting things down. If your kids are far apart in school, you might consider two baskets–one for elementary school kids and one for your high schoolers.
Teach your kids to put backpacks there each night after getting everything together. That way, they can grab and go. If you have room, adding coat hooks or a coat rack here will make getting everyone out the door even easier.
If it’s safe, let them walk. Imagine avoiding the daily school traffic jam. Having my high schooler ride the bus home every day not only saves me about 30 minutes but also the stress of allthose teenage drivers in the high school parking lot. I figure I’m saving about $30/mnth in gas and half a work week each month when all is said and done. My middle schooler walks home when the weather is good. We’re not far enough for bus service and many of her classmates also walk. If these aren’t options, then look for carpool opportunities. Both of my neighbors have middle-school students. When the weather gets too cold to walk, we’ll be taking turns driving and picking up. That way, I only have to 1/3 of the time and I gain another 45 minutes or so on the days I don’t go. Plus, I’m doing my part to be “green.”
With four people (one is my husband) getting up and leaving at four different times each day, I could spend way too much time fixing and cleaning up from breakfast. Instead, I make breakfast on either Saturday or Sunday mornings and I make a lot of it. Quadrupling batches of pancakes,waffles and muffins, cooking an entire carton of eggs into nifty little egg sandwich-size rounds and frying up extra packages of bacon or sausage that all make their way into my freezer doesn’t take much more time with weekend breakfast, but it saves me hours during the week. I cook and individually freeze breakfast favorites so my family can just grab what they want from the freezer and either microwave or toast it for a quick, healthy breakfast. I also make sure we have other quick options: yogurt, granola bars, cereal, cottage cheese, fruit & bagels.
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What have you found that makes the school year flow more easily at your house? Any tips you’d like to share? Please add your comments, questions or observations in the comment section below.
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It’s Balloon Fiesta in Albuqeruqe.
And for the first time in 11 years, I am not there.
I miss my balloons.
Nothing like a pile of autumn leaves for sheer joy. . .
He’s still my baby boy, but where did the years go?
Now, he’s all grown up and turning 21 tomorrow. It went much too fast.
I blog because I blog. I have a need to write. For me, it ranks right up there with food, water & popcorn.
Seriously.
Well, maybe just below the food and water, but right up there with popcorn. Usually even above sleep.
Having people actually read what I write is a total bonus. Of course, I want to be read–and shared–and commented on.
So, having someone actually do those things–and then pay it forward with a little blogging award–well, that just made my getting up at 3 (a.m., not p.m., silly) to write a whole lot nicer.
Suerae Stein over at Red Barn Artworks was so kind as to include me in her list of blogs worth reading (and I guess you must agree, because here you are) and gifted me with a Versatile Bloggers Award. I like that title, because I rarely write about just one topic. My brain moves in about 12 different directions all the time and I am constantly having to chase after it.
Like me, Suerae is a photographic artist. She creates beautiful digital artworks and then prints them on all kinds of nifty things to make your home and your life more beautiful. She’ll also print your photographs for you. Be sure you stop by and check out her blog and her website. You won’t be disappointed.
Now, on to the requirements here of the award. First, I’ve appropriately thanked and linked back to the person who bestowed it on me. Then, I get to pass this on to 15 bloggers who I enjoy following and I need to tell you seven things about me.
Here are my 15 blogs:
Ok. Now for the hard part: 7 things about me that you don’t already know.
The tie lesson.
I saved this essay from the internet several years ago. It is not mine and it did not come with an author. I even saved the link so I could attribute it properly if I ever used it. Unfortunately, the link is dead and a lengthy web search has not turned up the author.
But it is beautiful and appropriate and I felt the need to share it anyway. If you are the author, or if you know who the author is, please let me know so I can credit him or her appropriately.
A few men- not more than fifteen, according the information available- armed with knives, with box cutters and threats of bombs. Four civilian aircraft. This, apparently, is all it takes to change the world. That, and hate.
I’m going to talk about love.
The kind of love that lets a man put his two-month-old child into someone else’s arms so he can try to help make sure that the doomed aircraft he is riding on is not used as a flying bomb.
The kind of love that makes a firefighter run into a teetering skyscraper in the hope that he can rescue the people trapped inside, only to have that building collapse on him and more than a hundred of his brother firefighters.
The kind of love that allows another firefighter to shrug off his injuries, saying, “Whadya expect? I’m a New Yorker!” and then burst into tears, thinking of his fallen buddy, who has ten children.
The kind of love that creates a convoy of physicians and nurses heading for New York City, riding in Ambulances and their own vehicles, not knowing how much help they can be, but just wanting to help.
The kind of love that causes people the country over to stop and give blood, because that’s the only way they can help.
The kind of love that permits a community like ours to put aside everything to come together and stand against those who would harm our own.
This country, and the free world beside us, stands shocked and dismayed. We are angry, and justifiably so. We have been attacked by people with no desire but to make us afraid, to make us hurt, perhaps even to make us hate the way they do. Maybe they do this because they know no other way; I personally do not care for thier motives. I know that whatever thier ultimate goals, they have failed already. They attempted to sow fear, and instead reaped heroism.
We are dealing with people who will die in order to kill, so great is their hate. But they are dealing with a people who will give their lives to save the lives of people they don’t even know, so great is our love.
In the end, how can they possibly stand against that?
9/11/2001. Ten years have passed.
What will you always remember and never forget?
Please leave your comments below.
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Is it kind, is it good, is it true, does it improve on the silence?
