Ode to Saturday

Up just after the sun with the boys.
There is a flurry of activity as they seek and find uniform parts.
The red ones today.
Like a dervish they whirl out the door and the house is a refuge again.
I enjoy the quiet peace along with a cup of coffee.
These first moments when the day ahead is fresh with potential are my holiest of each morning.
I just sit and listen to the birds sing some with content and some with frenzy.
The blue jays and morning doves stand out amongst the calling chorus.
Then a garbage truck hisses forward and beeps backward on a rare Saturday pick up.
Like it or not it is a reminder that my day must begin as well.
I rouse a still sleepy girl who resists until she remembers that she has soft ball practice.
And that soft ball is now the game she most loves to play.
I decide I will resist the urge to get busy.
Instead I will stay at practice with my book and another cup of coffee.
As soon as I am situated in the shade of a tree with a view of the team, I am sure I made the right choice.
I almost finish my book.
Miss Bit hits every single ball when she is up for batting practice.
Coach Mario who is the coach of the 6th-8th graders and a helper this morning, deems her a natural.
He tells her he wants her on the Wild Cats next year.
She tells him she'll only be in 5th grade.
He says, "Don't worry kid...you'll be ready.  Heck you're ready now!"
On the way home, she is beaming because she really likes the name Wild Cats.
We get a call that the boys won their first game.
It's the first victory for this team and it is welcome.
Miss Bit showers and packs for a sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Before she gets in Grandma's car, she gives me an extra hug, kiss and I love you.
I head to the basement to spend some time with my elliptical, some free weights and the RHONY.
Those mean girls help me to dig deep.
There are things like weeds and laundry that are beckoning, but I am ignoring them.
Instead I pay attention to my new cookbook.
It's All Good has filled me with some fresh inspiration.
I make a chimichurri sauce and a new salsa.
I am on a serious salsa kick.
Sauces and salad dressings too.
They are so simple, and they elevate everyday ingredients.
I marinate a pork tenderloin for tomorrow's dinner and make muffins for tomorrow's breakfast.
The boys will be on the road even earlier tomorrow and glazed donut muffins travel well.
The boys come home after a loss.
They are hungry and tired.
All T. Bone wants is a shower and a pizza all to himself.
Coach and I order Chinese and unwind on the patio.
It is a perfect night.
We eat our veggie egg rolls and put the Hunan and Kung Pao in the fridge too tired to be hungry any more.
Miss Bit calls to say goodnight.
And it was...
A good day and a good night.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Friday.  It's been a rough week in my head. I'm ready to leave it in the dust.

Unprepared written by Rob Lowe upon the occasion of his son Matthew's exodus to college.  What a guy and dad that Rob Lowe is!
 

This line from above excerpt: Don't ever compare your insides to someone else's outsides.  Amen to that!

Bluebirds.  They always make my heart skip a beat as they streak across the sky.

 
Chile Verde.  The most delicious combination of pulled pork, tomatillo salsa, chicken broth, white beans, onions, cilantro, cumin and chili powder.
 

Team family. After Coach's pitching lesson this week, T. Bone and Miss Bit stayed out until dark working on fine tuning her pitch.  He was sweet and patient and she was appreciative. 

She pitched last night for the first time ever.  She pitched great last night.  I know she was scared and excited, but she was cool as a cucumber.  She also had a double play that sort of made her star of the game. What I am grateful for is that these little victories give her self-confidence a boost and more passion for a game she already loves. 

Some Nerve has struck a nerve with me.  I read, Clutter is delayed decisions, and I got busy decluttering because it rang so very true.  I have boxes of my Mom's papers and mementos that I have turned a blind eye to in the last 5 years.  This weekend I began the happy sad process of sorting through the things (cards, letters, newspaper clippings, art projects, lockets of hair and baby teeth) that she felt were important enough to keep over the years.

Coach, the consummate salesman, put some of our old "junk" up on Craigslist and sold it for some good money.   (Of course, any money is good money.)
 

  The inspiration that is and will forever be Maya Angelou.  RIP wise one.  One of the most poignant bits of wisdom she left us with is: I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
 

My friend Jess who comes to cheer on Team Lightning and then stays to support me and doesn't complain when I serve her a meal of chick peas two ways. At least the pitas were homemade, and the wine didn't run out.

 

T. Bone's team played a great game tonight beating the only team they've lost to this season.

Another week of sublime spring weather.

 

This one...#13!

 

 

These two.

 

 

Movie night.

 

Team spirit.

 

 

BFFs on and off the field.

 



 

2 day pass

one memorial day weekend behind us and 12 days of school ahead of us.
summer starts in 25 days!
never mind that every one of my senses was tricked this weekend into believing it was already here.
the neighborhood came alive with the sound of children's laughter, the near constant drone of lawnmowers and birdsong that sounded from dawn to dusk.
i saw miss bit's bleeding heart grow overnight, an oriole streak through the yard, a palm-sized baby bunny take cover under the leaf of a hosta, and neighbors i forgot we had.
depending on the time of day, the smell of fresh-cut grass or grilled meats permeated the air.
and what didn't we grill?
we tasted the season's first all beef dogs, sticky bbq chicken and a batch of harp burgers, which were served with an around the world smorgasbord of sides...
another batch of tomatillo salsa, a new twist on hummus and my easy peasy caprese dip.
and simple salads like a mediterranean chick pea number and a caesar pasta salad that could, should and will be a meal unto itself.
i felt melancholy as i'm prone to do when something is ending for another beginning.
i found myself missing my mom much more than usual.
i had a moment at a gathering where i was sitting around this table and i wondered who these people i know so long are.
it was startling.
saddening too.
i also realized that i can be my pared down, true self with only a trusted few.
of course, my mom was in that cherished company.
the result of my somber mood was that i was not very lovely company.
good thing housework and yard work aren't discerning.
i felt conflicted about pouring so much energy into working all weekend long, but it is one of our only tournament-free weekends, and so we do what we must do.
i got a little taste for the impending need for strict screen time limits once the days open up like route 66.
the kids would go out for a bike ride, or a ball game and then come in and get sucked back to the world of mine craft like they had no choice or chance at resistance.
it's a phenomenon the likes of which i've never before encountered.
i demanded a movie night because we were too plum tired to play games.
we decided on the book thief  at my strong urging.
miss bit was the only one to stay awake for the entire movie, but i read the book.
we were both heavy hearted by the end of it all.
yet i woke up this morning feeling sunnier despite the cloud cover (go figure), less porous and lighter.
we stayed close to home again today.
more work, a sweaty walk, a couple play dates and finally family dinner.
delish pulled pork tonight spice rubbed and slow cooked all afternoon long.
it will be a short week, but still full.
and still i am searching for the pause button.

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

My streptocarpella aka bluebells to my mom, and maybe cape primrose to others.  There is one nursery I know of that has a few available each spring.  I called the other day because they aren't exactly nearby, and the kind lady told me they only had 4 left.  That's exactly what I wanted so I decided it was a perfect day for a drive.  I strongly felt my mom's presence all afternoon.  I feel her presence whenever I look at the pretty violet sky blooms and especially when they attract hummingbirds as they are known to do.

I'm not a gardener.  I don't like dirt or bugs, but I do like flowers.  The extent of my gardening is a few pots of pretty annuals (this year all English garden white and green with ivy) and some groundcover.  Except that I spent hours in another nursery this week.  I was planning and visualizing and dreaming and it occurred to me that I am getting more into this gardening thing than I thought.   There is something grounding about digging in the earth, taking care of tiny roots, nurturing new plants until they burst with blooms, and then standing back and admiring the way they grow and thrive with less and less intervention on my part.  The metaphor is not lost on me.

T. Bone had his last choir concert this week.  He decided he will not continue choir in 8th grade.  I had mixed feelings about until I saw him on the risers looking pained at the whole experience.  Let me tell you sitting in the steamy gym on those chairs of torture is painful too.  He showed zero smiles, no light in his eyes, his lips were barely moving.  That image of him allowed me to reflect on what he had gained in the 3 years he enjoyed choir (well, I guess he only really enjoyed 2 of the 3) instead of focusing on what he would be giving up.  That was an epiphany for me.  I was all prepared to be a little nostalgic and weepy hearted at how fast he is growing up and another last once again thrust upon us, but I was like Yep, it's time, it was charming while it lasted.

Of course, Miss Bit is very excited to join choir next year so I'll still be summoned to the sweaty gym twice a year to be entertained.  I think she'll be bright eyed and smiling though, and there's no where I'd rather be.

Windows wide open days and nights.

Patty Chang Anker's Some Nerve.  It's having more of an impact on me than I expected.  The whole idea of confronting fears, which whatever they are end up being road blocks to peace and growth, is making me reflect.  We're all scared of something.  I thought I knew what my fears were, but this book is making me realize that I'm scared of more than I thought. That is unsettling, but in the best of ways.

Tomato sandwiches.  I had my first one this week.  It may have been a bit premature because the tomato was still a tad tasteless.  I cannot wait for fresh tomatoes from a local garden instead of Mexico.

More spring cleaning.  Coach and his brother tamed our yard today.  They cut and cleared.  There's still plenty of work to do, but that will always be the case.  We are slowly working our way through the long list of to dos.

Summer camps and activities are signed up for and paid for (ouch!).  It will be golf, tennis and a summer fun camp at school for T. Bone, and Survivor Camp at the nature center, water ballet and perhaps, tennis too for Miss Bit.  That leaves plenty of time for spontaneity and slothhood.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! 

These Days...

Reading:  Eleanor and Park with Miss Bit, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage and Happier at Home.

Wondering why I always feel the need to read between 3 and 7 books at a time???

Noticing that the trees are suddenly bursting with buds and the grass is greener than green seemingly overnight.

Watching Fargo. I didn't think I'd like it, but now I'm hooked.

Listening to Valley of Amazement while I walk, and at times, blushing just a bit. 

Eating the first round of summer fruit: the perfect tart green grapes, crisp watermelon and juicy nectarines. 

Drinking the usual suspects, but also the most refreshing pear vodka and club soda concoction.

Dreaming of the freedom of summer as we run ragged every night of the week to end of year concerts and meetings and practices and games. 

Feeling the affects of all the pollen in the air as the world around me greens up.  My allergies have never been this bothersome.

Wanting more hours in every day.

Wearing layers.  It is the time of the year of cool mornings and evenings, and cold fronts and cooler by the lake.  I just got both kids set for the warmer weather.  They outgrew E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G from last summer.

Hoping that I wasn't premature in getting most of my flowers yesterday. 

Thinking I'll weed and plant today after a long sunny walk (with lots of Kleenex).

Enjoying the birdsong that wafts in through open windows.

Loving tomatillos, the extended hours of daylight, Patty Chang Anker's Some Nerve (yes, another book I forgot to mention above), my spit shined car and Coach for all his elbow grease, a long weekend ahead, impromptu play dates even for adults, strepto carpella, country drives and going to bed early exhausted from a full day.

2 day pass

this weekend went by at warp speed -
it was a real good couple days.
the boys were away for a baseball tournament all saturday and part of sunday.
miss bit and i stayed behind so she could attend softball practice.
we declared it a girls day and night.
the two of us went out for an early dinner -
at a restaurant with a waiter, which delighted miss bit who thought we were noodles bound.
after our lovely time, grandma joined us for a play.
we saw west side story, which was being performed on the stage of my alma mater.
i haven't been back since i graduated -
decades ago in the same auditorium, crossing the same stage.
that stirred up more emotions in me than i expected.
walking up the stairs to the theater i saw myself in my beanie and red graduation gown surrounded by family and friends.
it was the same kind of beautiful night that june oh so many years ago.
the performance was everything i hoped for.
the talented young cast succeeded in making us question whether or not we were in the audience of a high school theatre.
grandma j. smiled all through the show remembering when she first saw it with her mom when she was miss bit's age.
after the finale and bows and applause, the seniors in the cast came forward.
one by one they kneeled to kiss the stage.
some of them were crying as they said their almost final farewells.
i was a puddle, of course, feeling all of their emotions and many of my own dormant for so long.
again those memories came flooding in, up and over.
from my seat in the balcony, i could see exactly where i sat during our senior assembly.
we weren't listening to i feel pretty or somewhere, but rather rem's superman as a slide show of the last four! years captured it all.
i am i am i am superman and i can do anything.
we were the 80's version of a flash mob, and the air was electric with celebration of what was and anticipation of what would be -
already.
miss bit brought me back real time when she leaned in to ask me if i was crying.
she knows me so well.
and then i got ahead of myself imagining her as a graduate in a short decade's time.
i had a glimpse of the the happy sad way it will feel to witness her walk across the stage.
thankfully the parking ticket waiting on my windshield broke my mood of melancholy.
grandma suggested we stop for dessert and it seemed like a perfect idea lest we turn in before the end of the perfect night.
and it was...perfect.
the boys left so early sunday, i didn't even hear them stir.
after a loss, they were home before lunch to enjoy the rest of the beautiful spring day.
i opened all the windows to air out the house, and coach and i got to some deep spring cleaning inside and out.
the yard was soon filled with friends.
just when everyone went home, my brother and sil stopped by after golf.
we poured some cold cocktails and a bowl of the tomatillo salsa i made earlier in the day, and chilled.
coach grilled the first brats of the season.
they were perfect....just like the weekend.
he's at a football meeting now (already!) and the kids are showering or finishing homework -
and i'm already looking ahead to the next weekend...
memorial day!
already?!?!
how?
wow!

Grateful Friday

Today I give thanks for...

Tomatillo dressing.  All I want to eat is salad after making this simple, spicy recipe.  The other ingredients are 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 1/2 c mayo, bunch of cilantro,  2 cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper.

 

Frogs.  Miss Bit was joyful when I told her that the pond was infested, and that yes, of course, I would take her. She schemed that she would be happy to catch a single frog, but that her goal was at least 8.  The seventh frog surprised her by attempting to swallow two of her fingers.  She decided seven was satisfactory enough!

 The most thoughtful cards and gifts I received for Mother's Day.  I was so touched by all 3 of the handmaid, heartfelt cards.  The gifts too.  T. Bone gave me a new visor, which I will wear when I sit in the stands and cheer him on.  Miss Bit gave me a new set of measuring cups, which we will use when we bake together. Coach gifted me some of my favorite lotion (Aveda), candy (dark chocolate and black licorice), and reading material (Mary Oliver).

Little leaguers who shuck corn after winning games.

Homemade tortillas and this fresh salsa.  I slightly adapt these recipes.  I add 2 cups of all purpose flour and a 1/2 cup of masa to give the tortillas a little more texture.  For the salsa I add a whole onion, 2 cloves of garlic and at least a teaspoon of sugar, salt and cumin.

A colorful spring, finally.  Buds and flowers.

And babies too. 

Tag teaming.  This was a very full 7 days of practices, games, matches, field trips and concerts. We found ourselves dividing and conquering.

Red winged blackbirds.

Cat naps.

 

Binge watching Fargo this week.

Spumoni for dinner.

Miss Bit's Spring Pops concert today.  I especially loved her class's rendition of Hall of Fame.  There is something both cute and ironically ridiculous about elementary school children singing today's hits, but it was sunny outside and Friday and her last concert in this school ever so I focused on the sweetness.

Now she is at the middle school enjoying her first activity night.  It is a welcome for the soon to be incoming 5th graders.  She was excited and seemed older and more mature already...lip gloss, purse and her own money to spend. 

Prayers answered.  My friend, who is a three time cancer survivor, was just given the all clear again.