More Miscellany

things that have made me smile lately . . .

My Mother-in-law called me last weekend to see if I'd taken my hubby to see "Where the Wild Things Are." She said it was his favorite book as a little boy. 21 years together, and I didn't know that! I can't tell you how many times I've been at the book store and stared at the book, thinking I should buy it, but I never picked it up. Will have to next time I'm there.

My daughter is a huge Twilight fan, and I must admit that I loved the books and have seen the movie a couple of times. (I blame it on my teenage heart.) She has invited me to go with her and her girlfriends to the first showing of "New Moon" at midnight on November 20th. I think it's super cool that she invited me. Of course, I'll have to nap first and probably get to work late the next day, but it'll be totally worth it.

I got a couple tomato plants planted on Saturday. It was a bit of work because I had to dig out quite a bit of bermuda grass first. And it got hot enough that I was drenched in sweat and my face got really red. As I sat in the shade on the patio, catching a nice breeze while cooling (and drying) off, a butterfly came fluttering in. Only for a few seconds, then it was on its way again. But it totally made me smile.

I also removed a bunch of "babies" from my cactus plant and put them in little pots. Some of the babies are only an inch across and are in teeny tiny clay pots; some are about three inches across and are in a little bit bigger clay pots. They are all on an iron etagere and are now my "nursery." Makes me smile.

I enjoyed a cup of chai on Sunday afternoon - something I hadn't had all summer long. It was delish - so much so that I took a thermos of it to work with me today. It even stayed warm until lunch time. I was smiling again.

I found the 1940's version of "The Phantom of the Opera" starring Claude Raines in with my old VHS tapes. Got comfy on the loveseat while hubby was gone and popped it into the VCR. (Getting ready for this coming weekend!)

Made another tag. Also did some journal pages, but will post them another time.

I actually finished a book. I have started several over the last few months, but didn't ever finish any of them. Either it was too complicated, or too boring, or I'd just let too much time lapse between starting it and picking it up again and needed to start over. Now - what to read next?

Have a wonderful rest of the week friends!

to the little things that make you smile,

My Teenage Heart

I am at that age when it’s getting easier for me to accept my quirks, my peculiarities, my idiosyncrasies. They are, of course, what gives me my individuality, what makes me “Me.” I used to wish that I could change somehow, but no more.

I know that, for instance, when I get a piece of bad news, news of some sort of crisis, or news that angers me, my immediate response is to panic and overreact. Everything else stops. My heart races, I start to breathe too quickly and too shallowly, and sometimes my ears even ring a little (okay maybe the ear ringing part is an exaggeration, but you get the idea). And it’s okay!! Because I know this about myself, and it only takes me a few seconds to realize that I’m, in fact, overreacting and start to calm myself down.

And I know that I get too attached to people, I put too much stock in people - people that I know fairly well and have a relationship with. Like people that I work with. I assume that I am as important to them as they are to me (that’s hard to admit/write). And then I’m horribly, painfully, sometimes irreversibly let down when that proves to not be true. And although knowing this about myself doesn’t make the disappointment any easier, I am at least aware of it.

But here’s something I’ve only figured out in the last half year or so, and I’m really not sure I should even confess it: I have a teenage heart. That is, when it comes to matters of the heart. My heart still thinks and beats and swoons and aches like a teenage girl. I turn up the radio when I hear David Archuleta singing “Crush.” I love some of the “teen” movies, like “She’s All That,” or “A Walk To Remember.” I loved the “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer. (I cried like a two year old who’s lost her blankie when Edward moved away in the beginning of book two.) And I’ve stared longingly at the “Bella and Edward Forever” t-shirts at WalMart, wanting so badly to buy one, but knowing that I’d only be able to wear it to bed, and my husband just wouldn’t understand.

Now, I don’t have crushes on any teen stars. I’m not dressing like a teen, or even wanting to really. I no longer buy sparkly lip gloss or glittery nail polish, and I’m even beginning to shy away from pearlescent eye shadows (mattes look so much better over wrinkles!). I don’t “like, you know, like” have to talk to my friends on the phone five times a day or text them all day from work. I read plenty of “grown up” books and watch plenty of “grown up” movies (yes, some are romances). So really – what’s the harm in crushing on a little teen romance from time to time?

I watch these movies at night after my husband goes to bed, or on Sundays when he goes fishing. And I will probably continue to do so. And maybe I can still get the “Bella and Edward” t-shirt. I’ll just turn it inside out and my husband will never know!