Patti Gibbons Art

I intended to be writing more, but I have to admit, I have been putting my energy into my granddaughter the past 10 days.  This is the third year that we take Alanna for two weeks in the summer, and indulge her in every experience that we possibly can.  I joke that her social life is better than mine, which means we move like twisters. We swim a lot as we are graced to know many people with pools, a necessary respite on hot summer days when you don't have A/C.  We've also watched the first three Harry Potter movies, and just borrowed the next three from a friend. I am hoping that one of us will take her to see the last one in 3D before she goes. I was not the perfect parent.  I loved my kids, but I was a stressed single mom who had no money, worked and went to  college to get my BS and MS so that I could have a good job with benefits to support my kids.  There price for that often took its toll in ways that make me wince.  Short tempered, always ...

Today is the second snow day in a row, and I savor the time that I am forced to stay indoors by the terrorist weather channel propaganda, and the simple fact that I have a car that sucks in the snow. I am a teacher, I work very hard for these snow days, and I simply just don't go out.  If you have a truck with a plow, or a Hummer, then you can entice me.  If the sun breaks through and miraculously melts everything and the birds start singing, I might go out. But otherwise, I stay put. Snow days mean I can sleep in a few hours more after the snow chain call, and I actually get enough rest to make up for all the hours I am up with night sweats.  I get to take a long steamy shower instead of feeling like I ran through a car wash.  I eat my breakfast when I am hungry, and it lasts past noon. I work on the taxes with relaxation while I watch a movie. I might do some house beautification, which is my new mindful way of saying house cleaning.  I spend some time listi...