The Joy of Spring Break

For the Traditional Calendar schools in the Wake County Public School System, we are enjoying Spring Break this week. Because of all the higgledy-piggledy weather we have endured this Winter, our vacation started today instead of Friday. That's ok with me because our Spring Breaks are literally brakes. We stop. We veg out. We eat junk food. We hang out in our pajamas. We watch TV, movies and play on the Wii. We play Legos, create with the Rainbow Loom, play countless outdoor games and plant some bulbs in our much neglected garden. We take slow walks. We do not follow a schedule and we don't make iron clad plans. We kind of "play it by ear" as my Mom-in-Law often says. 
We are excited to take a quick trip to visit Grammy, Papa and Aunt Cathy this week. We will stop on the way down and visit our dear friend, Sheri, who lives in Greenville, NC and is affectionately known as "The Other Woman". She loves my husband to pieces and tolerates me. Just kidding, sort of. Sheri has been watching over David since he was an elementary school lad who bonded with her son, Chris, over football, basketball, and baseball and later, bars, babes, beers and beaches. Chris departed our lives much too early but Sheri remains tightly ingrained in our family tree.


Spring Break Whoop!

Grammy and I chatted about things we could do when we come down to Chocowinity and we happily decided we will see what each day brings. Sadie will be joining us this week, so her schedule will most likely dictate our schedule. But the beauty of these kinds of visits are all the possibilities that lie before us. We can stroll along the beautiful river in Little Washington, watching the boats dock and imagining the trips we would take on our pretend vessel. We can go to Scoops for an ice cream treat. We can go to Goose Creek to walk the trails, watch the wildlife and welcome the season change. We can take Sadie to the dog park to frolic among her furry friends. We can play imagination games with Aunt Cathy (who is sheer genius with her ability in this area). We can sit on the back deck, watching the birds and squirrels visit the bird feeders. We can wave to the optimistic golfers that drive off the 15th tee and hope they miss the sand traps, gullies and water that taunt the people chasing a little, white, dimpled ball. We can play Monkey in the Middle, football, soccer, catch or tag in the front yard. We can visit Mr. Macho, or Mr. Nacho as Josh says, a sweet miniature Grey Hound that lives across the street. We can play telephone at the dinner table and laugh ourselves breathless. Or we can just sit and visit. Pretty sure that's not a viable option, but an option nevertheless.
My neighbors have a toddler and an infant in their care. This past weekend the husband enjoyed a boys' trip to Vegas while Mom stayed home with the children. On Sunday, she popped over for a bit and I asked her how things were going. She smiled and said, "I know he's is enjoying himself." She was quiet and then added, "And I am enjoying the break from our daily schedule, too. I have napped when the children nap. I have watched TV without guilt. We have just gone with the flow.". They had put on the brakes. And they were happy. Granted, they will be just as happy when Daddy returns, but an alteration to our schedule is sometimes a much needed happy boost. When we don't watch the clock, when we are not slaves to a jam packed schedule, when we release our responsibilities and allow the joy of laid back living to seep in, when we just say today, "We are going to play it by ear.". And a whoosh of relief covers your body and your soul.
So, as I look forward to an unscheduled and mostly unplanned week, I notice the built up stress is slowly leaving my shoulders. I feel a smile sneak upon my face. I close my eyes, stretch my arms out slowly over my head, breathe deeply and hear the rising sounds of children with too much time on their hands. Ah, the downside to putting on the schedule brakes, but this too shall pass. And within a few moments, we will be on our way to writing our own story of Spring Break 2014. Let the fun begin!

The Joy of Vernal Equinox

Ahhhh, feel the warmth slowly return as the sun peeks her rays through the clouds this morning. A perfect gesture for the Northern Hemisphere to celebrate the Vernal Equinox, or as we non-scientists like to call, the First Day of SPRING!!!! And that is the end of my science lesson because as I began to compile my research for today, most of my truths turned out to be myths so I will leave you to your own discovery.
Our children's school asked the kids to wear half white and half black today to celebrate the Vernal Equinox. Their website even has a little tidbit about why Thursday, March 20, 2014 is a pretty cool day to celebrate. I will also tell you why: this has been the longest winter in decades, that's why! Seriously. School was closed again on Tuesday because of ice. Yes, ice slathered our back deck, made beautiful ice droplets hanging from barely budding leaves, left cool designs on the grass and made every parent in our area feel like we were extras in the movie Groundhog Day. Not often do I throw my hands up in the air to admit defeat, but this week I quickly fell to my knees in quiet surrender. Yes, Winter, who I have always loved for your beautiful landscapes, your quiet snow, your ice sculptures, your free outdoor recreational activities, the steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows, crackling and popping fires, buttered, salted popcorn, rich comfort foods and soothing Irish Coffees, I finally had to say you won. I am so over you. Like a bad boyfriend so over you. Like a bridge over troubled waters so over you. Like a Taylor Swift song so over you. Yeah, you know the one. Sigh. Just so you know, winter, I am moving on to someone who will not take me for granted. Who does not expect me to clean up after them. Someone who brings me flowers, sunsets and fresh air. Someone who makes me sing out loud, open up my windows, paint my toes, find my flip flops and put my fresh face forward. Today I welcome spring into my life and I could not be happier.

Swinging into Spring! And thinking I need
to wash winter off my shoes.

Spring and hope are similar in my opinion. We have a chance to see things fresh again, a chance to start over, a new beginning. We see tiny shoots of green struggle to pop through the winterized dirt. Within a week, a beautiful daffodil sits proudly on top of a long stem saying, "Look at me! Look at me!" bending and swaying with the whispers of the wind. Birds flutter and sing as they hunt for twigs, string, pine straw and grass to build their nests. Squirrels leave divots in the ground searching for nuts they buried in the fall. Tiny buds appear on the trees. The days stretch out their arms and push darkness into the background. Voices carry through neighborhoods. Signs pop up for swim club meetings. Grills sizzle and pop and I tend to follow the scent. The parks and trails are busy, alive and thriving. Farmers Markets become more crowded. Festivals of kites, art, food, music and culture fill our weekends. The sound of a hard ball hitting an even harder bat echo through baseball fields across the country. Brooks and streams and lakes begin to thaw in places that were frozen longer than usual. The gurgle and bubble sound lures small children to their banks to toss rocks, sticks and stones. We kiss more skinned knees and elbows but we hear less arguing. We see Lemonade Stands and Ice Cream Trucks. We see neighbors tending the yard, riding their bikes or stepping into our yard to catch up from the long winter break. We see goslings and baby ducks navigate a pond that must look like the ocean to them. We see kites soaring. We hear geese honking goodbye. We feel our skin thaw and perhaps catch a little color on our cheeks and arms. And we hope this sunshine we feel warming our bodies will be here longer than a day. We hope Spring has decided to hang around for a while and not be a weekend stowaway. We hope for a lot of things, I think.

Enjoying the exploration of Sadie's first Spring.

Spring is kind of like New Year's Day. We vow to increase our exercise regimen now that the weather is agreeable. We vow to eat better because we have access to fresh vegetables and fruit. We will grill more chicken and fish and less burgers and steaks. We will take better care of our lawn and gardens. We might grow some herbs or lettuce or tomatoes or peppers to offset the cost of rising grocery bills. We will plan more outings for our family. We will plan reunions with friends - maybe a big cookout with casserole dishes and ice filled coolers packed with iced down beverages and sparklers for the kids and homemade ice cream for dessert. We will buy more sidewalk chalk and bubbles. We will play catch and chase fireflies. We will sit on our front porch that begs for rocking chairs, sipping iced tea or lemon water and sharing summer plans that may not come to fruition. But we will be happy. We will be celebratory. We will be hopeful and joyful and springy and silly and uninhibited. We will hug our children tightly taking in the scent of dirt, grass, sweat and childhood because this season does not last long either.
So, today, I celebrate you, Vernal Equinox, First Day of Spring, Half White/Half Black Clothing Day because you are a reminder of all things hopeful, beautiful and joyful. You put the spring in my step, the cool, dark dirt in my hands and under my nails, the damp, chilly grass under my feet and the much repeated phrase, a song in my heart. And yes, while I grumbled about the overstay of winter, I must admit, like all good things in life, you, Spring, were worth the wait. Let the celebration begin!

The Joy of Quiet

In our frenetic, hectic world, quiet time is a luxurious commodity. Sometimes, when I watch the New York Stock Exchange ticker, I expect to see QUT scrolling by trading high. Usually during my week, I try to block out a day for myself when I have nothing on the calendar so I can catch up on miscellaneous things. And by that, I mean, um, I am a huge couch potato, lounging in my pajamas, praying for rain so I don't have to change out of my pj's to pick up our children at the bus stop. But this week was chock-a-block full. We had dentist appointments, vet appointments, orthodontist appointments, tutoring and volunteer obligations, extra curriculars, play dates, an evening International Festival at school and a few coffee friendship dates. And that whole Daylight Savings time thingy....what the heck...with a puppy thrown in the mix. Needless to say, I was dragging like an old farm mule come Saturday.

Nature Walk on our Neighborhood Greenway
after a winter snowfall. Beautiful solitude.

And then my husband did this amazing gesture of taking Sadie (aforementioned 13-week-old puppy) and two children to Bond Park for a glorious morning hike. Sigh. This is my Nirvana: a house to myself with nowhere to be at any given time. I poured a cup of freshly brewed coffee into my one and only hand crafted ceramic mug. I turned off the iPad, closed the desktop, pressed my phone to mute and sat propped up by two fluffy pillows on our kitchen banquet. Which sits below a wall of windows that overlooks our beautiful backyard full of tall pine trees, barely budding Japanese maple trees, one or two blooming daffodils and a bounty of wildlife. I stretched out my pajama clad legs and placed one ankle on top of the other. I looked at my steaming cup of coffee and took a sip. I burned the roof of my mouth and the tip of my tongue and oh my word, I was comfortably numb. I opened up my library book, sighed and closed the water stained pages. And I listened. I listened to Nature's Orchestra composing and playing outside my window. I heard twitters and caws. I heard frantic chatter. I heard the rustling of leaves, branches and bark as squirrels chased one another on their immense playground. I watched two vibrant Cardinals dance WAY better than anyone on a TV show. I saw "Chunky" perched on the zip line platform, surveying his kingdom (he is the biggest squirrel any of us have ever laid eyes on). I watched sunlight play hide and seek among the trees and ground. I watched a bird flutter on our deck railing, pondering, wondering and searching before flying to another destination. I saw big birds and heard big birds. I watched, adoringly, little birds with little beaks, little feet and big bellies tentatively hop on the ground. I whispered a prayer especially for their safety.
On Sunday mornings, if we don't attend church, I make sure to watch Charles Osgood on CBS Sunday Morning. To me, he is comforting, like a really good chicken pot pie. His voice is soothing, his manner genteel and I eagerly await for his announcement of the nature segment to end the 90-minute filled news show. It is totally organic and was organic before organic was cool. The soundtrack and the film is 100% natural. No additives or preservatives. Gluten free. Cholesterol free. Human free. A gentle reminder that all of us need to slow down for a minute and observe the free art surrounding us each and every day.
I looked up at my wall calendar while I was typing this entry and noticed next week is pretty chock-a-block full, too. One day includes a field trip to the Life and Science Museum in Durham, NC. I hope I can pretend to be Charles Osgood and introduce my youngest child to the beauty that surrounds us, to take notice and appreciate "things" we did not create, but yet should still feel obligated to interact with on a daily basis. I hope for a moment, 25 Kindergartners will be in awe of nature and I hope a seed will be planted that later in life, a little quiet should always grow in their busy garden life.
Shhhhh. Listen. Do you hear that? Yeah, me neither. Stillness is a completely underrated, serendipitously, joyful sound. Bose could only hope to capture the same surround sound effect, but until then, I will open up my windows, burn my tongue on hot coffee, and fill my house with the majestic, joyful sound that only nature can create. Quietly. Poetically. Joyfully.
Quiet. Try it. It does a body good.

The Joy of a Happy Song...Literally

If any of you have children, Despicable Me 2 was probably on your must see movie list this summer. Our kids loved it and well, we have to admit, so did we. And so in tribute to things that make us laugh, feel better and put us in a great mood, I would like to thank Pharrell for providing us with lots of happy today. Please, turn up the volume, find your happy shoes, and groove on, people. Life is too short not to shake your groove thing from time to time. See you on the dance floor or maybe, just maybe, catch you singing joyfully in your car like no one is watching. You are the people that make me smile because I know for one moment in your day, you were lost in the moment of happy, happy, joy, joy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

The Joy of Soup

As we struggled through another early release day and another no school notification due to inclement weather this week, I found myself perusing through soup recipes as a way to warm our weary winter bones. I love soup. Creamy soups. Hearty soups. Chilled soups. Vegetable soups. Bisques. Chowders. Leftover creation soup. One of my favorite combinations since childhood is creamy tomato soup with a buttery, crunchy grilled cheese sandwich. Tearing off the browned crust and dunking into my steaming mug of slightly tangy soup is a mouthful of culinary yumminess. I am already defrosting. 
Today, I thought I would share another family favorite: Sausage-Tortellini Soup. I discovered this recipe in a January 1999 Southern Living magazine back when I could lounge over recipe articles, explore new creations in the kitchen and place in front of someone who would joyfully eat the meal instead of listing the reasons why the food is not taste  worthy. Sigh. But, the beauty of this recipe is even our children will eat this soup without complaint and "there are vegetables floating in there"! It's a joyful moment when your children say, "Oh, I love this dinner, Mommy!" when the aroma of browning mixture of onions, garlic and sausage hit their delicate noses. And there is something comforting about a large pot of hearty soup on the stove when the weather outside is growling, banging and hammering to seep into your skin and latch onto your bones. So, Old Man Winter, who has overstayed his welcome this year, I hope this recipe sends your bags packing and we start to see Spring peeking through the snow, ice and muck that has covered yard this season. 

Sausage-Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 (14.5 ounce) cans beef broth
2 (14.4 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, untrained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup dry red wine
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerates cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Discard sausage casings. Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return mixture to pan. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Skim off fat. Stir in zucchini and tortellini: simmer 10 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.
Yield: 10 cups. Peer: 25 minutes. Cook: 46 minutes
Recipe noted to Louise Bodziony from Gladstone, Missouri

Note: I use sweet sausage when making for the children and spicy sausage when we want to kick it up a notch. Serve with crusty French bread and the remainder of the red wine for a lovely, evening meal. Enjoy!

The Joy of Fearlessness

This weekend I had the privilege of attending an amazing conference: Making a Difference in my Corner of the World. The end of January, a friend forwarded me a flier about this weekend spiritual retreat and I have to be honest about my initial reaction. At first, I thought, "Eh, I don't think this is my thing." But as I went to hit the delete button, I had a strong urge to hit the attachment button instead. Funny how a small key stroke can have such a strong impact on your life.
I would like to tell you about Jen Barrick and her Mom, Linda. On a dark, cold November night after a celebratory church service, the family of four headed home with their spirits high and their love for God overflowing when a drunk driver slammed into their van head on at a speed of 80 miles an hour. Five lives were altered, but one would be taken to a place no one thought possible. Linda recounted when she realized the wreck was real and that it took an hour and a half for their Toyota van to be cut away from their bodies. At that point, her son and husband were taken to one hospital with serious injuries, she was taken to another hospital with serious injuries and Jen would be transported to yet another hospital, unconscious and little hope for recovery much less living through the night. After 16 heart wrenching days away from her daughter, Lynn, broken, busted and bruised was reunited with her daughter who was still in a coma, fighting for every breath. The doctors mentioned to Linda that when Jen began to work out of her coma, she might cuss. A lot. Jen never uttered one bad word, but instead recited passages from the Bible and sang songs of praise. Her mom was witnessing a miracle.
There is a long and perilous journey between that moment and the moment when I laid eyes on a beautiful, spirit filled young woman on Friday night. At first glance, Jen is a typical 22-year-old. She has long flowing brown hair. Bright, sparkly, captivating eyes. A smile that stretches wider than the Grand Canyon. And a love for God you can only witness and hope to one day achieve yourself. But Jen cannot remember what day or year she is living. She cannot walk up steps unassisted. Her fine motor skills are those of a child. Crowds and loud noises can disorient her quickly. She has headaches and tires easily. Her body shows the scars that remind her of man who made a terrible, terrible decision. But her spirit is marked by the hand of God. And she is quick to share her unyielding belief with everyone she encounters. She is fearless with her faith and fearless with her singing. And she will joyfully inform you she does not have a voice for singing but she belts her tune of glory, regardless. Fearless.
How do we lose our fearlessness? How do we become skittish, skeptical, afraid of failure and even more afraid of success? How do we lose our exuberance and all the sudden, settle? I observe my children, ages 10 and almost 6, and realize they are not scared of much. Anna tried out for a local play without any theatre experience. Thought she nailed it. She didn't get the part but she said, "Well, I guess I will sign up for acting lessons." and off she went to her next adventure. Fearless. Josh presented his research project on Norway to his Kindergarten buddies recently. I asked if he was nervous. "No," he replied. "I can do this!". And by this he had to say, "Takk skal du ha!" with vigor. Fearless. 
As I sit here with a sick Sadie stretched out beside me, I realize I need to be fearless and I am struggling. I know too much. And yet, I know nothing so I am stuck here, dangling with trepidation of what our vet will say tomorrow. I. Am. Not. Fearless. I wonder how I came to this place of worry, doubt and uncertainty. Linda gently reminded us this weekend you cannot have fear and faith at the same time. It is not possible. She should know. She survived and continues to fight a daily battle of fear versus faith. I have some work to do.
I think about Jen. Her Mom says every morning, Jen rolls out of bed onto her knees and says, "What are you going to do with me today, God? I don't want to miss anything!". Wow. Jen truly does not know what lies before her today and she barely remembers what occurred yesterday, but she does not care. She lives in the moment, every moment, eyes and heart open, wondering whose life she can change today. And every night she hopes that she hit the mark. I know she did this past weekend. President Franklin D. Roosevelt summed things up perfectly. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Perhaps that should be my New Deal. Riding shotgun with Jen: faithful, fearless and joyful to the core.

For more information on Jen and her miraculous story, please read her book, miracle for jen and also visit her website www.hopeoutloud.com.