I Had Too Much to Dream

"Oh, I have gobs and gobs of ideas, but... well, you dream things like that, and that's what these are, you know—

my day dreams."

~The fabulous Ella Fitzgerald

 

I suppose there is a difference between dreams and daydreams.

Dreams happen when you're asleep.

Daydreams happen when you're awake, but lost in thought.

Daydreams seem less real for the most part,

the return to reality being rather volitional.

But sometimes the lines get blurred,

and you can't tell what's real and what's not.

 

You "wake up" asking yourself?

Is that real?

Did that happen?

Or is it all just a crazy dream?

 

And dreams often ARE crazy.

Often disjointed and silly-like,

we try to make sense of the scenes,

like trying to work a puzzle piece that doesn't fit.

And then we ask ourselves:

So then why?  Where did I get this piece if it doesn't fit this puzzle?

 

I dreamed I was on the roof...

my neighbor saw me there, and he was yelling at me to come down,

it's dangerous, I shouldn't be there,

I'll fall and break.

Break....?

And I was yelling, trying to get him to understand that I couldn't come down,

I was waiting, meeting someone there.

He was confused.

And so was I.

It upset him.

And it was upsetting me that he was upset.

 

And then the scene switched...

I'm walking along a path,

and I can see the water in the distance,

and the sunset...

and I'm sooooo happy....

Then I'm passing through an archway into a little courtyard area

And there is a table there, with two glasses of wine...

 I looked up and there is this awesome little lakehouse

with tons and tons of windows...
just the like in my daydreams -- I love big gigantic windows --

and it's the most beautiful but little "shack" of a house,

and it's overlooking a lake...

and I sit down at this table.

I'm waiting, wanting to have a sip of the wine...

Waiting....

for what?

And then my neighbor is back outside again,

telling me to please come down off the roof...

and now it's night, and the moon is glowing brightly...

and he tells me it's too late to be on the roof.

It's just too late.

And I look around at the night sky and I"m confused.

And then I heard the alarm

and I woke up.



Gratitude and Milestones

There is no rhyme or reason to today's post.  I simply want to reflect randomly on this past week, all the things that I'm grateful for.

Beginning with one week ago today, my middle son graduated from Washington & Jefferson College.  It was a beautiful, warm spring day.  A perfect day.  The ceremony was beautiful.  The graduates marched from downtown in one big processession, bag pipes playing.  What an honor and joy to witness this Class of 2013 in their robes, smiling faces, family-like, marching together with pride toward this momentous day.  Onlookers seated in the tents where the ceremony would take place witnessed the march through closed-captioning on big screens set up inside the tents near the stage.  So cool.  (I HAD to snap a picture of the screen, of course!)  Hearing the music getting louder as they approached, and then standing on my tiptoes to see the bouncing of the black graduation caps round the corner, marching ever closer.  What a thrill to see this! 

 

 

We gathered afterward on the lawn of Old Main, allowing him to have one last opportunity to meet with his friends and classmates.  W&J provided yummy refreshments and snacks under tents scattered on the front lawn campus, and we found a huge oak tree to gather under for a bit of respite in the shade.  His girlfriend made a trip to her car and brought a cooler of champagne, wine, beer and ice water to celebrate.  It was a beautiful and happy touch to the festivities.  They looked so adorable together.  She is delightful!

 

 

 

 

After moving the remainder of his things from his dorm, a swarm of students and parents, siblings, and friends assisting in "the exodus," our family had dinner together at a local restaurant before heading home.  Gavin arrived home this past Monday, adding to the mounds and piles of "stuff" we'd unloaded from his dorm.  How DID all of this stuff fit in his small dorm room?

 

Monday night Gavin, his father and I sat around the fire on the patio, listening to country music piped into the outdoor speakers my husband recently installed on our patio...and though I detest country music, I didn't mind it that night, thrilled to have crossed this milestone with him, having him with us to share, reflect on the last four years, and on his future ahead. 

 

He and I talked about diet and exericse and working out several times this week, making it to the gym together a couple of times.  I love talking with him about fitness and exericse, and it was cool to see how stoked he was about dropping the weight since Christmas and slimming down.  He had pigged out with his track team on Friday on their way back to W&J while at an away meet, and he was dying to resume very low carb and get back to his lowest weight and resume his fitness agenda.  I'm jealous -- he dropped 20 lbs from Monday to Friday of this week.  Yes, 20.  Yes, mostly water weight from the carb coma he'd been in from the pigout, but STILL!  He's now at his lowest he's been in four years -- 235.  He wants to get down to 230 and hold it there.

 

Having him around this week was extra motivation for me with my own game plan.  I ate clean and on plan all week, making it to the gym three times.  I tried an ab circuit I'd discovered on a YouTube search, and two days later my abs are STILL screaming.  It's all good.  It always HURTS SO GOOD.  Hoping to drop a few more pounds before I leave for Marco on the 14th.  CAN'T WAIT.

 

(An early morning glimpse of mist over the pond)

(Captured on my run Thursday morning)

 

And the biggest highlight of the week:  He had interviewed with two prospective employers earlier in the week.  He was to know the results by Friday.  I'm at my office on Friday morning, working on transcripts, and I get a text from him.

 

G:  Have you seen my new background?

ME:  What?  FB?

G:  Yes.

ME:  No.  Haven't been on FB all day.

G:  Check it out.

ME:  Okay.

(A ruse)

 



And then I see it...first, his background had been changed to a shot of Pittsburg -- where he'll be living/working -- and then his post, announcing to the world that HE GOT THE JOB!  And will be making even more than he had expected!  I SQUEALED OUT LOUD IN MY OFFICE.  SUH-WEET!  An answer to prayer for all of us!  What a way to end a great week with this wonderful news! 

Hoping he would receive good news, I went ahead and marinated steaks before leaving work so that we could celebrate with grilled steaks and hang out together Friday evening.  Perfect!  My boss encouraged me to leave work early to celebrate with him.  When I got home, we talked excitedly about the good news and his plans.  And then later we all had grilled steaks, roasted broccoli, and a yummy salad, wine and beer out by the fire -- a cool evening, perfect for a cozy fire and festive atmosphere.

And the moon.  The Supermoon.  As I looked at that moon, I felt a melancholy, a longing.  A squeezing of my heart.  Voices...distant whispers...memories that tore at my heart...thankful for the love I feel inside...

Life is good.  I am proud, and blessed, and so happy for my son. 

Thank you, God, for Your lovingkindness to our family.

FNL Supermoon

Full moon tonight.
SUPERMOON

I know where the music is playing.

Let's go out and feel the night.

 

 

 



That's What She Said

I was shopping at a discount outlet today on my lunch hour, picking up odds and ends -- candles, note cards, cleaning products, etc.  You never know what you're gonna find at this place, as the inventory changes weekly, so it's fun to browse.  You can usually find really wild bargains there, though sometimes it requires a little "digging."  I'm a digger.  I don't mind digging.  I'm experienced and I'm equipped.  I seem to have a rather keen "bargainometer," masterfully sniffing through the crap and landing the gold.  My sisters always wanna take me along when they do their heavy-duty shopping.

So here I am in this store, browsing, and around the corner strolls two obese women.  Very large women.  But I didn't see them at first, I heard them.  And it was then that I instinctively looked up.  Shocking at first, and then just comical. 
This one-liner unquestionably made it to the  "That's What She Said" list. 

If I could have snapped a photo of them discreetly, I would have. 

Life can be funny sometimes.  And at just the RIGHT time.

 

TRUTEIN - By TruNutrition Sciences

I've tried a lot of whey protein brands on the market.

Too many to count.

This brand is by far the best-tasting,

most cost-effective,

and nutritionally-loaded whey protein I've ever tasted.

 

And on average, it costs a mere .85 to .90 cents per serving!

 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy my post-workout whey protein

is a serving of mini muffins.

(5 muffins equals .97 of one scoop)

I've wasted so much money on other brands of whey,

trying to perfect the richness, texture, and moistness

of my mini muffin recipe.

Other brands leave them flat, dry, lacking.

With Trutein, they come out fluffy, moist and incredibly yummy!

 

There is no need to look anywhere else for my whey protein needs.

Trutein is the best!

(Rated 9.7 out of 10 on Bodybuilding.com)

Mini muffins made with Cinnabun

 

CINNABUN MINI MUFFINS
(yield 24 minis)

 

5 scoops Trutein Cinnabun whey protein

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

4 oz canned pumpkin

1 Tbs ground flax (optional)

water*

 

Mix all ingredients, adding enough water until

the consistency is somewhere between brownie and cake batter.

Spray mini muffin tins with Pam.

Fill muffin tins with batter and bake at 350

for 11 mins.

Cool two minutes in pan before removing.

Store in ziplocs in frig

(or devour immediately)

Deep (Like the Ocean)

I seem to be magnetically drawn to images of the ocean,
and especially during the last few weeks.
It's been almost a year...
I'm having major separation anxiety attacks.
 

The ocean has so many moods,

so many voices,

so many secrets,

so many stories to tell...

Don't we all.

What’ll I do

When you are far away

And I’m so

blue

what’ll I do

 

(Play that beautiful horn, my man!)

My Week in Photos

Taking the day off today.

We're leaving this afternoon for PA

for Gavin's graduation tomorrow.

 

On my list of to-do's:

Cardio; some shoulder work

Errands/shopping

Manicure

 

It's been a busy week,

and I'm looking forward to this time with my family...

and with Gavin.

A proud milestone moment

Four years gone by ... JUST.LIKE.THAT.

 

Time does not stand still.

 

My week in photos...

 

Mother's Day morning

I love seeing this birch tree outside the bathroom window

... rain on the window pane...

calming

 

Our rhododendron in bloom

 

Surprse Mom!  We are honoroed to celebrate YOU!

(RIGHT!)

 

 

Oh.My.  They DO love me!

Beautiful card and sentiments...perfect...

(And a mani/pedi gift certificate!)

 

 My husband took me to see The Great Gatsby on Mother's Day

(please? please? I REALLY want to see it....)

...as painful as it was for him...

and never once complained

 

 

I love the smell of fresh lilac

They're brought in fresh almost daily...

both in my home

and in my office

 

An early morning shot of the peonies

before going for my run

 

 

 

Two umbrella ferns work perfectly in these pots

for the front entrance!

 

Capturinig early morning serenity on the golf course

while on my run

 

There's something about wisteria... 

a symbol of beauty and pride of the south

nostalgic

and happy

I purchased this one last year while in NC

Look how HAPPY it is at its new home!

Grow, sweet baby...

Grow, climb, love, rejoice

CELEBRATE

this beautiful season!

 

We do not see nature with our eyes,

but with our understandings

and our

hearts

~ William Hazlitt