TToT – The One in Which I Tell You All of the Things

January 31, 2015 Off By Lisa

The Internet swallowed me.

It seriously did. I hopped on the social media bandwagon and then…overwhelm. So many people – so many good people – to meet. And so many really amazing things to read. I couldn’t keep up. So I buried my head in the sand, stepped back, and said “whoa.” I am truly so excited to “meet” and talk with so many great bloggers. I just feel like I can’t possibly read everything, tweet everything, follow everybody…yikes!

I’ll get there. Baby steps.

I love what it’s doing for the #1000Speak campaign, though. There is so much good out there and to see it all come through that Facebook page…it’s also overwhelming, but in a whole different way. A good way.

#1000SpeakFlower

So while the Internet was gnawing on me, I was writing my little fingers off. Not posting any of it, mind you, but writing my little fingers off. It’s all coming, I promise. Well some of it – a lot of the writing is for the books, not the blog. But I still owe you a smoothie story and the two soups. I’m way behind on Soup of the Week. I have some more of Kidzilla’s wisdom to share, and lots more in process in the drafts box.

So here’s what’s been happening around here this week. The thankfuls are all here…Monday was a snow day so Zilla and the Hub were at home and in my space all day. Not that it was bad…it’s completely nice. But since quitting my job in August, I have quickly grown accustomed to having the house to myself all day. So my day did not unfold as it usually does and that’s where the writing but not posting thing started to pick up speed. But my family was home with me, snug and warm and not out on snowy roads. I’m thankful for that. And I am still and always thankful to be working on my own from home, small as the payback may be right now, and not in a place that was not right for me.

We anticipated a snow day on Tuesday but our plans were thwarted and the massive blizzard never quite developed – at least not here in PA. Because we so foolishly assumed we would be home a second day, bedtime kind of got away from us. Zilla ended up staying home from school Tuesday anyway. Again, not what I’m used to so most of my plans for the day (which included the makeup work from Monday) got pushed aside. Distraction comes easy here in the house that ADD built. But I am thankful for the time Zilla and I spent on our own together. That is always so precious to me. We drive each other crazy some most days, but we do have a grand time together.

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Wednesday I had a lunch date with my former stepmom. (Is that even right? Sort of … she’s my deceased father’s second wife and is now remarried so I guess she’s …just her!)  Anyway, we had a nice long lunch date which chopped up a large part of the early afternoon but it was really great because we looked at pictures and talked about lots of things I never expected and it was GOOD. And we had fantastic BLT sandwiches.

When I went to pick up Zilla at school that afternoon, I was a bit early. I was waiting in the parking lot with the car running and emergency brake on when BANG! I thought I had either been shot or someone had hit my car, but when I looked around, I saw neither gunman nor cars so it must have been the brake. And the brake light was on, so obviously we needed to have it serviced and I certainly wasn’t going to drive around with the brake system warning light on in the meantime.

That meant we needed a car for the evening’s events and that involved a major restructuring of the assignments for the evening – who would go where at what time and in which car. Again, in this house where every single person and at least one cat has ADD, this is not easy. The Hub’s parents are out of town and said to help ourselves to theirs. Hooray – we were thankful for that. But the Great Car Shuffle took a few minutes and as a result we were running significantly late for our evening event, Zilla’s Daisy Scout investiture ceremony.

The thing takes all of ten minutes and we were about that far behind. Zilla is no fool and quickly picked up on the fact that she was potentially going to miss the ceremony. To her credit, she held it together while stating how very much she didn’t want to miss it and did not cry or whine. I quickly texted one of the leaders and explained our situation. She said they’d wait for us. Thankful doesn’t begin to express how we felt about that. We flew in the door, Zilla hopped in line with her friends, and the ceremony went on! I sent both leaders an e-mail expressing buckets of gratitude.

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Thursday morning the car had to go to the garage before I dropped the Hub and Zilla need at work and school. Everybody had to be up earlier than usual to make this happen. Unfortunately, the Hub missed his alarm by a full thirty minutes so we had to go with the shot-out-of-a-cannon approach. Zilla cooperated like a champ and we made it everywhere we needed to be on time. Even better, the car was finished by the end of the day and the cost was manageable. Super Sister was able to help out by giving the Hub a ride to retrieve the car so Zilla and I didn’t have to schlepp out again in the middle of homework and dinner prep.

Today I volunteered in the library at Zilla’s school – that is always a crazy little experience. I got some writing down this afternoon before picking her up and we had a fun dinner out with Super Sister and my Mom to celebrate Zilla’s Book It! achievements for the month. Have I ever mentioned how thankful I am that she’s such a great and eager reader?

And there you have pretty much the basis of my crazy life for the week, which is more than anyone probably wanted to read.

1000 Voices

I am thankful to be part of the 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion initiative and am quite excited to be connecting with so many good people. I just love what I see happening already…and we’re nowhere near February 20th yet.

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I am thankful for the stunning clouds Zilla and I saw on the way home Friday afternoon and that we were able to see them together. I am thankful for Friday night silliness and snuggles with Zilla and that she decided to get herself ready for bed without being asked. If only we grownups listened to our bodies as well! I am thankful for my spending some time working near the Hub while he patiently waits for me to finish this. OK, he may or may not be playing a video game while he waits, but still.

So what’s new with you?

Your turn: What are you thankful for this week? What craziness has filled your days? Are you tired of snow days yet? Will the groundhog see his shadow next week? You know the drill…share ’em or link ’em!

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