Quiet house

Ahhh, sweet silence.

No cartoon voices, no referee whistles, no weather update.
No whining, no work phone calls, no appliances running.

This is a part of life I used to dread. Being alone and surrounded by quiet left me bored and uncomfortable. Now, it's a part of life I crave.

The possibilities are limitless. I can finish reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I can blog, I can work on my new book idea. I can take a long bath, paint my nails, and floss my teeth. Whoa, watch out social-lites! It's 7:30pm on a Friday evening and I'm in a quiet house.

Lucky, lucky me!

Whole Foods

Whole Foods is one of my favorite places to eat. Tonight my son and I had pizza, his was cheese mine was garden veggie. We shared a chocolate milk (whole milk!) and a fruit/granola parfait. OH MY GOD, it was so delicious! Every bite, every gulp was simply divine.

Fresh mozzarella was melted under big chunks of ripe tomato and yellow bell peppers and sauteed onions and broccoli. Perfection was the pizza sauce. Whole milk usually makes me gag but tonight it was so very chocolaty and creamy and smooth. Juicy pineapple paired with strawberries mixed with vanilla yogurt and granola pieces was the grand finale. All deserved an encore!

Sharing a chocolate milk with a child needs to be added to your bucket list if you haven't done so already. While pushing the milk carton across the table back and forth, back and forth after long gulps from an over sized straw I witnessed a delight so innocent and sincere. I hope I always remember the happiness he brings to my world...especially when I begin potty-training.

Grudges

Are you a grudge holder? I use to think of myself as not...but I'm beginning to notice when I get anxious or mad or just plain uncomfortable it usually traces back to me harboring ill feelings.

As much as I would like to I can not control what others do or their lack of doing. Sure I can encourage and nag and persuade or I can just let it go. If I want something done my way, when I want it done, I should just go ahead a do it...even if it's not my turn. "Not my turn"...what am I, in 7th grade? Reflecting now, it seems so juvenile.

I'm reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, Awakening to Your Life's Purpose and a quote from that book brought me to this whole grudge holding epiphany.

"...sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on."

It's easy for me to get mad at my husband for not taking our son to get his hair cut or a fellow employee for botching an important record. It's hard on me to let it stew.

Letting go feels so good.

More?

Lately I've been thinking about consumption. Not just food because, yes, I'm hungry all the time thanks to the tiny dancer in my belly, but overall. How long could I go without buying new shoes, new clothes, new make-up, new stuff? I wonder? Do I have the strength to try to prolong my visits to Target?

I'm going to try. I do not need anymore maternity clothes due to a friend's generous donation of hand-me-downs. I have enough make-up to last at least 6 months. I have more shoes than should be legal.

Here's a problem. I love holidays and season changes. Easter is around the corner and I don't think I can resist. The Easter Bunny has to visit! I can bypass 4th of July without spending, I think. I will use old or natural Fall decor. Halloween...love it!

Ok, no need to go cold turkey, right? I'll start with my selfish/vainity items and re-evaluate in a few months. I'll let you know how I do. Wish me luck:)

The River

Sounds of the river ease my spirit. Sitting on the porch enjoying sweet tea I hear ducks, a wood pecker and the neighbor's sometimes annoying dog. When the wind blows the wind chimes sing, the trees rustle and the screen doors clap.

Often I can read on the porch for hours. Not today. For some reason these sounds are more interesting.