What's so great about four"

It hasn’t been intentional, but I’ve texted every four days so far. I don’t look at the calendar and think it’s been four days I need to blog. I just write when I feel like writing. The number four symbolizes the principle of putting ideas into form. It signifies work and productivity. So I thought I’d give you some more facts about the number four.

Four Fun Facts For Four

1. Four is the smallest number of colors sufficient to color all planar maps with no adjoining countries sharing the same color.
2. If you multiply the number 21978 by 4, it turns backwards!
3. The “four-second rule” is the amount of time that internet users will wait for a page to load before leaving and going to another site.
4. Think of any number and write it out in WORDS. Count the number of letters it contains and write that down in WORDS. And so on: You will always arrive at 4.

Example: 

     ~TWENTY-EIGHT (11 letters) - >

    ~ELEVEN (6 letters) - >

    ~SIX (3 letters) - >

    ~THREE (5 letters) - >

    ~FIVE (4 letters) - >

    ~FOUR (4 letters) - >

For all you riddle lovers out there... Show how one-half of five is four!

I’ve been enjoying writing this blog greatly. You’ll likely hear from me in 4 days with the answer to the riddle!

PS-my dear friend is going to have her baby in- you guessed it-FOUR days. 

Black Bag Moments

"Sometimes the journey begins within." Unknown
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I can’t remember when exactly it started, but I definitely remember why. I’m an introvert, you see. So when I became a mom I found my personal space totally invaded. Gone were the days where I didn’t have a little person follow me everywhere-even into the restroom. As a stay-at-home mom, I find nearing the end of the day, I need some time to be alone. I love my children very much and I love being loved by them; but sometimes I’m ready to tear my hair out. 

Many years ago, in the effort of conserving space in the bathroom with little storage, I placed all my nail polishes, bubble baths, face masks, etc in a black purse I rarely used. One particularly trying evening when my husband got home from work, he noticed how frazzled I was. (He likely figured it out from some evil eye or outlandish comment about dinner I gave him.) He walked into the bedroom, retrieved the bag, handed it to me and said, “Disappear with this and I don’t want you to come out for at least 30 minutes!” It was said lovingly, but somehow I balked at the idea of taking time for me.

Jump ahead to a couple of days ago. My husband walked in the door, something in my look told him what I needed. He handed me the old skeleton key to the downstairs bed/bathroom and said something along the lines of ‘go have yourself a black bag moment’. I take liberty in “quoting” what he said but it was something along those lines. Anyway, I lingered in a Black Amethyst scented bubble bath, after which I polished my toenails and lathered on the same-scented lotion-all before 6:36pm. I’ve gotten better about taking time for me but I really should take more advantage of those “black bag moments”.

Oh and for those of you wondering, yes, I do have a rubber duck in my bath! We’re never too old to be a kid sometimes.

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"Let's pray that the human race never escapes from Earth to spread its iniquity elsewhere." C. S. Lewis

Balancing Act

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." Unknown
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I recently pulled out my old yearbooks. Dusting them off, I read some of the comments people wrote in them. “Never change” and “Always stay the same” were common remarks throughout my junior high years. I viewed that a compliment. Recently though, I heard the phrase, “You’ll never change.” No end-of-year sentiments and definitely not junior high so there’s a new set of rules. This time around it’s not so much a compliment as a plea for something-anything-to be transformed. 

I’ve never been good with the whole “change” concept. I want what’s familiar; seldom stepping outside my comfort zone to experience the life unknown. I know I’m not alone here, many of us have our routines and would prefer others to leave them alone. I’m trying to find the balance between: spontaneity and structure, pleasing others and pleasing myself; giving and receiving, adaptation and stagnation. It’ll happen...and that right there is proof that when the time is right, the right things happen. Not one of us was destined to stay a caterpillar.

We would rather be ruined than changed;

We would rather die in our dread

Than climb the cross of the moment

And let our illusions die.

~W.H. Auden

Another Year Gone By

I celebrated a birthday recently. I’m thirty! I know I don’t look a day over... 29 and a half! 

It wasn’t the day I’d envisioned for myself with my husband busy putting a few catalogs to print, my son sick and my daughter having enough energy to power a small nation. I was disappointed that “my day” wouldn’t be everything I wanted it to be. In other words, I couldn’t selfishly put my wants before others needs. I mean it’s my 30th-that’s a milestone in my book-wasn’t I entitled to a little selfishness? Seemed like it was shaping up to look like just another average day. And, in a lot of ways it was, let me explain...

I was supposed to have the morning free with my son at school and my daughter playing at a friends house. So we didn’t spread germs, my daughter stayed home along with my son. I played games and watched videos with my kids instead of taking that coveted luxuriously pampering bubble bath. It didn’t really matter what games we played or movies we watched, I was spending some much-needed time with my precious kiddos. Something I didn’t realize I craved as much as they.

I have a dear friend, who asked a number of days before if I wanted to have lunch with her on my birthday. Of course I wanted to! She told me to invite whomever I wanted. I kinda thought it was a passing comment until the night before when I called to tell her that my son was sick so the plans might be changed. I’m chuckling under my breath while I type this, remembering that she asked who I’d invited. Being me, I’d waited until the last minute to invite anyone so every one of them (3 to be exact) said they couldn’t make it-one did end up showing up though! Anyway, she’d invited some mutual friends and we had a lovely small group gathered at the local mexican restaurant for lunch. What an unexpected surprise! That was so sweet. I got to wear a sombrero and the waiter put whipped cream from the dessert on my nose instead of in my mouth. Oh and if you’re wondering about the kids, my hubby came home to watch them while I went out. :)

I have a “wonderful” habit of making a long story longer, however I don’t want to forget any detail-mainly because the moral of this story is that little things add up to a lot. Getting back to my story... my mom called to say happy birthday. The first thing out of her mouth is that she had a surprise for me-my dad was also on the line. My dad works nights and sleeps days and rarely has time for more than a “hi, goodbye and I love you” as much as he would like to talk more, it’s rare for him to take the time to listen to my long-winded accounts of every little detail of my life. (Those reading this won’t wonder why! Ha!) I received a card in the mail from my sister. She’d just had her fifth little baby not two weeks prior and yet she still remembered to send a card. Very thoughtful. 

I let my daughter decorate my cake. It was a cake that followed my diet that I’d made months beforehand and had frozen. She put tasty lemon frosting on and sprinkles. She’s still working on her numbers, so the candles read “13”. It would make more sense if I were turning 31 but I’m not. Hum, oh well she was happy.

So earlier when I said that in a lot of ways, my birthday was just an average day, I meant that I would have chosen a much different scenario for my big 3-0, but upon reflection, I couldn’t have had a better birthday (or any average day) than being surrounded by family and friends who love me! 

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"Thirty was so strange for me. I've really had to come to terms with the fact that I am a walking and talking adult." C.S. Lewis

The Information Age

I was extremely optimistic when I started this blogging/website project. Not a week later, I’m a bit discouraged. As you’ll note when you get a chance to read this, that I’ve now written two blogs and the site isn’t online yet. I’m finding myself falling into perfectionism-again. I somehow wanted everything just right before I felt I could post it in the cyber world. What I’m realizing is that the more I get completed the more I want to complete. This will never be done, if I don’t change my mind frame. So, although it is against my A-squared nature, I just might try to figure out how to put this online (gasp) before it’s exactly like I want it. 

I revert back to my motivation in starting this project in the first place. Education mainly, but also to give family and friends far away a chance to be an “active” part of our family. How much less threatening it is to type alone at my computer than it would be to share this with all of you individually. Odd that I want to be known, yet without facing the rejection of interacting physically. Really though that’s a rabbit trail. 

So back to the educational side of things. Believing that I am learning (albeit slower than I’d like), I gain confidence in posting this before I’m “done.” Not only will I be able to look back at how much has changed on the site-because really if it were perfect when I put it up then what would I be learning-but also I won’t continue changing the site to better it. I’ll have learned just enough to get by and then life’s demands will force my attention away from this project. In essence, by posting this imperfect, it will be a continual motivator to come back here and learn something new.

So to all of you seasoned bloggers out there, I tip my (proverbial) hat to you. Your inspiration will continue to motivate me into leaving the familiar behind to go places I’m confident-that although unknown to me now-will become future comfort zones.

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"It is easy to be brave when far away from danger." Aesop

A Blog Is Born

So, when I started thinking about making a blog, I didn’t realize that I’d become so aware of any and all circumstances that might merit blogging. I found myself writing little snippets or stories in my head-before the blog or even the site was born. I’m welcoming myself to the 21st century. There’s always so much to learn and I’m thankful for the opportunity to, not only spread my wings educationally, but also have an outlet to share some of myself with all of you.

Today involved a lot of firsts for those in my family. My husband, got to play with some new photography equipment; not only that, he did his first pregnancy photos. (Yes, he took some of me while I was expecting, but it’s different.) My son lost his first tooth. My daughter learned how to wink. The background “music” for my writing of this entry includes detailed instruction on how to tie a shoe (as told from my husband to my son). Life seems to be about a lot of firsts for me and my family right now. Apparently what I’ve learned these last 30 years, was to teach me that it’s only the beginning and I’ve got so much further to go!




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"Be the change you want to see in the world." Ghandi