Showing posts with label TJMaxx. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TJMaxx. Show all posts

05 May 2009

SUMMARIZING

Sunday-Monday-Tuesday...

We go to C.O.R.E. on Sunday morning and enjoy a guest speaker, Hugh Halter, from Addulam in Denver--

Adullam is a network of missional communities throughout Denver that live for the “what if”. We’re not a church, but church is a part of what Adullam is. Adullam doesn't care if you come or not, but we'd love to influence you to live for the Gospel with us.

Love taking communion weekly. The worship is always good and the Omaha Arts Center is a wonderful location for church services---lots of light and good art surrounds. So many young families with small children--is this place a magnet, or is there something in the water? We've been here enough time that we are beginning to not only recognize people, but even feel the start of some fledgling relationships.

In the afternoon we dig in the dirt with JA and build a flower bed against the back of the house using landscape bricks we find near the air conditioner, excess dirt that has washed-out onto the sidewalk, and hosta from our very own front yard. It is so great to make something from nothing--the end result is so neat clean and promising. CA fills one of flower boxes with fresh topsoil and day lilies also from our front yard. We rake and sweep; water the plants; and of course strum the rake/shovel/broom guitars and banjos with JA.

JE and MA go out to a meeting taking LE along. When we finish in the yard we let JA watch a video, then into the tub for a quick bath. We had planned on pizza, but JA needs to eat NOW and Grandpa isn't yet back from the grocery store. JE comes home just before 7:00pm with LE and soon a very tired, but happy JA is safely and snuggly in his crib. We get more time with LE--such a sweet, sweet baby.

Monday morning we are first up and almost out the door when the others come down the stairs--just after 6:00am. Hugs and kisses--not too sad because we will be in central Illinois for next weekend's family picnic.

CA and I drive toward home enjoying SIRIUS radio--he drives and I nap, then I drive and he naps. We get home just after 2:00pm and he heads out to soccer and I am comfortably wrapped up in my blanket with a book in the leather recliner by 2:30pm. I spend the afternoon and evening sleeping, reading, unpacking, and generally enjoying being home.

Tuesday I am committed to finishing all the shopping and errands for the family get-together next weekend and the trip to Europe that begins in less than a week. JL and I spend some time on the phone finalizing plans for the family picnic--digressing quite a bit, but actually accomplishing what we need to.

I head to WalMart with my lists--DM & MK's and my own. After a car wash, I plan to continue to Crystal Lake to Kohl's to finish the clothes shopping for the M kids. But, I am exhausted from the shopping and decision making. When I get to the car wash things are dicey. There is a McHenry County Sheriff's car sitting in one of the lanes, and only one solitary Anglo guy working on the first of four cars waiting for service. No Mexicans in sight... Don't know whether this is an actual illegal immigrant bust or what, but it is obvious that I will be here a very long time... I decide to head home to off-load the groceries, etc. and get my car washed in Crystal Lake later in the afternoon. This means no Portillo's hot dog today, but my default choice is tuna with dill on some fresh Brownberry Oven Oaknut bread. YUM!

While getting the car washed in CL, I refine my lists and decide to skip Kohl's and look for that size 7 dress at Marshall's and TJMaxx. No dress at Marshall's but I find a Nike white t-shirt for the size 10 boy and drive on to TJM. I wander a bit aimlessly as there is no flat-out winner in the dress category. I do find a 3-piece swimsuit for LG, and finally settle on a fun and summery aqua/lime green sundress for the size 7 M little girl. I hope to find some cute flip-flops to complement the dress. I AM DONE SHOPPING! Although, I have discovered that I forgot to buy the red plastic dinner and dessert plates at WalMart... [Turns out that one of our nieces is asking what to bring, and so we reassign that purchase to her.]

CA has a late night, so I watch the newest Real Housewives of NY--the last of the season except for the two reunion shows. Such fun trashy t.v.

15 September 2008

HAPPINESS

If it's good enough for Kobe Bryant's wife, it is good enough for me!

Happiness is the fruit of the desire and ability to sacrifice what we want now for what we want eventually.
7 Habits of Highly Successful People
Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Deferred satisfaction? A counter-cultural idea. I want it now! I want it all! I need; I want; I have to have. New, improved, cutting-edge... Market manipulation. Consumer beware--they've got your number.

Mine, too. Just stock it in TJMaxx or Marshalls, or especially Home Goods and I am on it! I need it. It is the perfect gift, accessory, implement, decoration... Last week I organized my gift closet. Well, not an entire closet, but part of one walk-in closet. I have stuff. Lots of stuff. Good stuff.

The problem was that I had gifts in the basement, the buffet, and in that closet. I didn't know what I had. I went shopping at home. I've got great stuff.

I have great projects. There is that purple tutu that I am making so that I can dance with my 3 year-old granddaughter. Usually she has me tie a scarf around my waist while she wears a dress or tutu, and then we dance. We spin and hop and wave our arms around. Sometimes we collapse on the floor. When I see her in November and she asks me to dance, I will whip out my purple tutu and dazzle her. She loves girly-girl things.

I have never been a girly-girl before, but I will be now. I have two granddaughters. And, I will be a tomboy for my little squishy guy. We can slide and kick and run and swing. There are mudpies and sand castles in our future.

I digress... Then there are the lovely sage green pillow covers that I am making for my daughter-in-law--in two textures and sizes. I have written 2/3rds of a book [with photos] on our trip with the three-year old to Paris, when she was just 2. I can hardly wait to finish the story and get it published at Ritzpix.

I buy lovely framed pictures on clearance at TJMaxx and Marshalls, remove the dicey picture and frame cards and photos and still life arrangements clipped from magazines. I don't even want anymore stuff on my walls, yet I persist.

I have two blogs and will amp up for a third that will be short stories that I have written and will write. I cook. I bake. For us and for friends who are sick, grieving, entertaining...

I have a cookbook with about 200 recipes and counting. I made personalized cookbooks for my daughter and daughter-in-law a few years ago, and keep updating them with more entries. I gave a wedding gift of a selection of my recipes--they have divorced and the bride got custody.

I keep flexible with yoga and I love HGTV. We just joined NetFlix and subscribed to the premium cable channels.

Is this happiness? Yes, it is. But it would all be so, so shallow if my hope and joy were not centered in Christ. There really is a God-shaped hole in each of our souls that can only be filled by walking with the Lord. I know that to be true.

As within, so without.