Alabaster Mom

You know what my problem is? Well, no, I mean - you're right, I have more than one. But in this case I'm referring specifically to my inability to pass up a good debate.  I sometimes think of my friend Kevin (he died almost four years ago and I still miss him desperately).  One time he and I were at a party and Kevin got into some verbal sparring with a fellow party-goer. I can't remember what topic they were debating, but they were both getting very animated about it. The other guy clearly thought he was getting the best of my friend and asked, "Do you capitulate?" And Kevin, without missing a beat, responded, "Capitulate? I'm not even breathing heavy!" Like Kevin, I enjoy a good debate. Earlier this week, a friend from high school posted a quote from Joel Osteen on Facebook. It was actually a nice quote: " Celebrate other people’s victories. Let their successes inspire you. If God did something so wonderful for them, He can do it for you....

My husband took our daughter to a winter festival while I was out of town last weekend. One of the activities in which she participated was ice bowling.  After she bowled, she was allowed to pick a prize out of a bin. She chose a rubber rainbow wristband.  She chose it because it's colorful, of course. As a seven-year-old girl, she is contractually obligated to love rainbows, kittens, unicorns, Taylor Swift, and glitter. I noticed that the name of a local LGBT community foundation was stamped on the wristband. We talked about how the rainbow is often used as a symbol for equality and diversity. In the past, we've talked about the fact that some boys like boys and some boys like girls. Same with girls. I've even mentioned to my daughter that when she grows up, she could marry a girl or a boy. She has been heavily steeped in Disney movies and can only picture marrying a prince, but hey, at least I floated the concept. I've seen far too many episodes of "Intervent...

I had another tough week last night, but I think I'm pulling into the home stretch of this whole dark-cloud-hanging-over-me business. Or at least I hope so. A low point last week involved taking two dogs to the vet - our female Boxer, Gretchen, and our foster Boxer, Kaiser. Gretchen was due for her annual stuff. I also needed to have the doctor take a look at a bunch of scabs on her back. When I was growing up, if one of us had an ailment (typically a skin issue) of some sort and didn't know what it was, my stad would say, "Oh, you've got the creeping epizooties."  So, armed with my vast medical knowledge, I diagnosed Gretchen with a case of the creeping epizooties.  Dr. S had her doubts about my diagnosis. She did a skin scraping (sent it out to a lab) and prescribed antibiotics and a topical spray. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it's not ringworm, as that would suck.  Gretchen did receive one definitive diagnosis, though, which is that she is f...

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. You know how I hate to disappoint my reader! I have started several blog entries but have completed none. I try not to get too "TMI" with my blog, but I've been struggling with a lot of stress and anxiety lately. I am looking into ways to manage my stress and anxiety that don't involve food and alcohol. If you've got any tips for me, please pass them along! Natural supplements? Meditation?  I've been thinking of delving into meditation a bit, as I've never felt like I really KNOW how to meditate. I think I get somewhat close during savasana at yoga class, but I struggle to clear my mind. We sometimes have silent meditation at church and I always think of a bit from comedian Jim Gaffigan, who talks about being in prayer at church but admits that he's actually thinking, "Hey, did I eat at Wendy's TWICE yesterday?" I had a really, truly, profoundly bad day on Tuesday and my daughter, sensing my str...

My daughter has a new sleeping bag with her name on it. She's been dying to go to someone's house for a sleepover. I've been hesitant to encourage it because we tried it last summer and she got nervous and came home before bedtime. However, she assured me that she was ready. So, I posted on Facebook that the kid was ready for a sleepover if anyone wanted to invite her. I'm friends with some of her friends' moms on Facebook. She quickly got an offer and accepted it just as quickly.  The plan was set for a sleepover on Saturday night. Before dropping her off for the sleepover, I took her rollerskating at the local skating rink. On the way home, we had a talk about manners.  I reminded her to be polite when she is a guest in someone's home. "What do you say when someone offers you some food that you don't want?" I asked her. "No, thank you!" she said proudly. "Great! Just make sure you don't say, 'Oh, that's disgusting...

"I met this little girlie, her hair was kinda curly" Every weekday, my daughter brings home a backpack full of stuff. It typically contains: Her lunchbox, including the napkin I always add when I pack her lunch. The napkin never shows any signs of having been used. WHERE DOES SHE WIPE HER HANDS?  Never mind, I don't want to know. Hat, gloves (on a good day, a matched set), and snow boots Whatever contraband she took to school. I feel like we need to start frisking her in the mornings - we should throw her against the minivan and pat her down. Contraband usually includes those ugly Monster High dolls, stuffed animals, Polly Pockets, hair accessories, dollar bills, and other random items. A clear envelope containing books and a reading log sheet. A purple take-home folder containing math homework and any other assignments. A blue assignment book. Each day, she writes down her homework assignments (typically, a math worksheet and 25 minutes of reading) in ...

Bad: my mom's been in the hospital for several days now. I am mucho worried about her. Tests show that there is something ominous going on with her intestines. The doctors will run more tests on Monday. I am in a bit of a holding pattern. I am hoping she will be sent home with some effective meds and all will be well. However, if surgery is needed, I need to figure out a way to get down to the great state of Oklahoma. Nothing can happen to my mom. I do not have a spare. Good: my foster puppy was adopted today. Augie's a cute little bugger and all, but this whole party-all-night thing had started to wear on us a bit. You have to be ultra-vigilant when you've got a pup around. Several times I suggested to him that he give some consideration to choosing a hobby. I thought maybe he could start with a latch-hook rug kit or maybe try cross-country skiing. I think he knew I was disappointed in his decisions as far as how he spent his time (attacking the mop, chewing electrical...

I love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. The days just seem a little less hectic. I did end up taking the Christmas tree down a bit sooner than I planned. The reason? Our foster puppy was swinging from it by his teeth. So, down it went. I'm still finding pine needles everywhere. I found one in my hair when I took a shower last night. Hightlights of the week: I took myself to a movie on Wednesday night. I went to see Les Miserables. I would have gone with my husband but his eye started to twitch when I mentioned that it is a musical. So, I went alone. Although I can't for the life of me understand why someone would cast Russell Crowe in a singing role, I loved the movie in general. Amazon had the soundtrack on MP3 for five bucks so I downloaded it and have had "Do You Hear the People Sing?" stuck in my head ever since. On Friday, P and I went to dinner and a show. The show was a work event that was rescheduled from the week before (because of a sn...