Yay! Spring is here!
Normally I like living in a place with 4 distinct seasons, but after living through a long hard winter, my tolerance has definitely been tested. Spring couldn’t have come soon enough.
A big day
It’s a big day in our house today.
Maddie had a birthday…
And I got my award…
For those of you who are dying to see what a cheapskate can buy for under $65 (shoes and jewelery included)…
It was a lovely day, all in all. My presentation went smashingly well (despite the HUGE pressure of presenting in front of a room full of professional communicators), there were no technical glitches with the multi-media part of the presentation, and Maddie was happy with her pink cupcakes.
(I think I deserve Supermom of the Year award, too, for pulling off made-from-scratch cupcakes with pink icing AND sparkles for her whole grade 1 class! It’s probably a little guilt, though, for being in India over her 6th birthday. Oops – guess I just lost Supermom status.)
Short thoughts
Everything is easier to take when Spring arrives.
I have to go buy panty hose – the first I’ve bought in years.
I need rubber boots so that I can splash in puddles with Maddie.
Both Nikki’s and Julie’s soccer teams are in the running for city championships.
I’m tired of having a drippy nose.
There are few foods more perfect than the cashew.
Sometimes I have trouble deciding what I believe.
I have failed at my attempt to take a photograph every day.
I’m craving candy.
In which I have the last laugh
Alternate title: Not only am I communicator of the year, but as of today, I am SHOPPER OF THE YEAR! Oh yeah!
Designer jacket (Nygard!) at thrift store: 7.99
Short sleeved sweater to wear underneath: 3.99 (thrift store)
Designer skirt at Winners: 24.99
Fancy shoes that almost meet my daughter’s fashion standards: 6.99 (thrift store!)
Fair trade jewelery from Ten Thousand Villages: $20.00
Joy it gives me to have a whole “new” outfit that looks classy and put together (and makes my husband think I’m hot), AND fits within my “recycled, re-used, and/or fair trade” personal preference, for under $65: PRICELESS!
I actually really TRIED to get something snazzy and new and possibly even expensive for a change, but after 4 stores, I could fine absolutely nothing of interest. A quick stop at a thrift store, and I had almost the whole outfit. I’m still smiling.
And the best part? I didn’t even have that oh-I’m-so-depressed-about-clothes-shopping-I-need-cheesecake moment. Today’s lovely weather definitely helped the mood.
Note: photos to follow after I get a haircut and my nose is a little less red and raw from this blasted cold.
Blessings
I’ve been thinking about blessings lately. How do we bless each other? (I like the Wikipedia definition of blessing – “the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one’s hopes”.) I think by offering words of encouragement, congratulations, comfort and hope, we offer each other our blessings. Sometimes it’s as simple as “have a nice day” or “hope your trip goes well”.
I’ve been lucky enough to receive a lot of blessings lately, and I definitely feel blessed by it all. Some of those blessings are coming from you, my blog friends (and in-person friends who read this blog). More and more people are learning of my upcoming award and so lots of people are calling or sending notes to say “way to go”, “you’ve done well”, or “you deserve it”. I appreciate and cherish each and every one of these little gifts and I am reminded that I need to make sure that I bless other people as often as I am blessed by them.
But sometimes blessings come with a catch. Sometimes there’s a little baggage attached, or a cryptic underhanded dig, and then the blessing can become null and void. Like, for example, “congratulations, kiddo!” Ummm… kiddo? I’m a 42 year old professional and haven’t been a “kiddo” for many, many years. Even though you’re a few years older and you were at one time my superior, doesn’t mean that I forever remain a “kiddo”. Or “I guess you’ve arrived now” said with a hint of bitterness and disdain. No, I haven’t “arrived”, but by saying so are you implying that this distinction has created a divide between you and me?
There’s also the notable silence from the people whose blessing your inner child craves. The people whose standards you’ve tried to live up to and have felt yourself failing again and again. The people who’ve intimidated you or made you feel insecure. Though you try not to let it happen, sometimes their silence speaks louder than the dozens of encouraging words from the other people in your life.
What kind of blessings have been meaningful to you lately? What kind have fallen short? I want to know, so that I make sure to offer the kind of blessings people will cherish.
In the meantime, I’m riding the wave of your blessings as I prepare my acceptance speech for next week.