Pity Party

I'm in a stinking, rotten mood. Why? I have no idea. The sun is shining, it's beautiful, the humidity is down, the birds are singing...and all I want to do is chuck a rock at the damn bird singing on the fence post in the yard.

I woke up this morning and it was like the storm clouds from last night's severe weather took up residence right over my head. I went to the fabric store this morning (and really, who couldn't be happy in a fabric store??) and felt ornery and mean the whole time. I got the lining for #3's dress, along with a cute belt buckle and an invisible zipper--which is 2 inches shorter than needed and will require a slight pattern modification, but whatever. I couldn't find the binding I needed, but that doesn't come until the end, so it's okay. Then I looked at fabric for window treatments--only to be reminded that the living room isn't painted and I need new furniture, so it doesn't make much sense to create beautiful window treatments.

Then I went to Home Depot and nosed around for a while. Normally, I walk out of Home Depot happy as can be. Today though, I got even more upset because it occurred to me that this is the fourth summer we've been living in this house and the landscaping and grass is still a mess. Of course, the only resolution for that is for my husband to make a miraculous transformation into the type of uptight, goal-oriented person I am. That would not be a good idea, I know, but I would like for my daughter to run around in the yard without fear that she's going to step into a hole and break her ankle--or worse. The deck and fence both need to be stained and sealed. The tilling still isn't done. There's NO VEGETABLE GARDEN (again) this year. At least the tulips bloomed and looked pretty. Until the storms and strong wind literally snapped their beautiful blooming heads off and scattered them in the neighbor's yard.

Bah. I thought about taking a nap, but that just reminds me that I need to wash the sheets...and clothes...and everything else. I think things will look better tomorrow. It better, or I'm going to spontaneously combust.

Bless Me, For I Have Sinned

I saw this secret on Post Secret this past weekend:

My first thought is that the cashier has a good heart, even if what s/he is doing is wrong. Then, I realized that I'm a sinner. No, really. I did something wrong yesterday and I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway.

I was shopping at a local store (NOT Target!) and the store was packed. There weren't enough cashiers and the lines were atrocious. I had two larger items in my cart that wouldn't fit on the conveyor belt, so I put them in the cart with the UPC codes facing out so the cashier could scan them with the hand-held scanner. As I got to the front of the line, I lifted the one item up so it would be an easier reach. As she started scanning my items, she was called over by another cashier who was having a problem. I was still holding the item (okay, it was a $20 fan) when the cashier came back. She looked at it and continued to scan my items from the belt. She was called back to the other cashier for another problem, so I set the fan back in the cart and began piling my bags in--around the fan, not on top of it. She came back, looked at my cart again and continued to scan my items. She gave me my total and I paid. My first thought was that she knew the scan numbers and entered them, or knew the prices and entered it as a line item.

I proceeded to walk toward the exit, feeling a little uneasy as I scanned my receipt. I wasn't finding the items on the receipt, though I did realize she charged me twice for the same shirt. In the end, I decided to let it go and just went home. I checked my receipt again at home and nope...she never did enter the two things from the cart.

And that's why I'm a sinner. I didn't do anything about it. I said a prayer last night, but I'd feel better if ya'll would pray for my dirty soul, too.

Warning! Planets Retrograde!

Just thought I'd share this from an astrology email I received today:

On Monday, May 26, Mercury, the planet of communication turns retrograde in changeable Gemini, sending communications and travel plans into confusion. Adding to this cosmic chaos, Neptune, the planet of truth and lies, also turns retrograde on the very same day! Your logical and rational mind will turn into a mush of confusion, forgetfulness and will most likely be totally spaced out. Travel might be disrupted and be subject to monumental delays. Flights might get cancelled, luggage lost, connections missed. You have the inside scoop, so be prepared!

Neptune rules dreams and ideals. This is a great time to use meditation to reach your spiritual center. Neptune is also the planet of exposure and uncovers lies, fraud and deception. During this retrograde, which lasts until November 1, all kinds of secrets might be uncovered and put into the spotlight. The truth will be out!

In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating of information and all means of communication and transportation. Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, but the effects of each period differ, according to the sign in which it happens. The focus for this retrograde period, which will end June on 19, is on communications since Gemini is directly ruled by Mercury.

Hmmmm. Liars Beware?

Father and Son Bonding

Son: Your hair smells like bratwurst.

Father: Does that make you hungry?

Son: No.

Is There Anything Uglier...?

...than dealing with people who don't know what they want? I want to shout: Stop acting like a baby and trying to make everyone around you miserable.

Laughing with the Saints

St. Anthony has a sense of humor. He made my credit card disappear last night just seconds before booking the family vacation. The screens were all set on the computer, the credit card was on the table, and then: BAM! No credit card. We spent an hour looking to no avail.

He was gracious enough to return it this morning so I could go shopping. He left it under the refigerator. And I don't even know how I decided to look under there.

Happy Smiling!

Birthday Bliss

I'm sending out super-big-giant-wonderful-wishes for a very Happy Birthday to the cutest birthday buddies ever--my sweet little girl and my dear sister!

P.S. Margaret, I just read your status-symbol post from earlier and I couldn't agree more. Us MacStewarts have good heads on our shoulders and so do our kids. We all know what's important...and most definitely what's NOT.

Status Symbol Update

And a little Peace at Pentecost.

I'm going to put two posts together because they seem connected, at least to me.

Pentecost is the culmination of the Easter season. It's the celebration of the Holy Spirit. When the disciples were locked inside of the house, fearful of what was happening outside, the first words spoken to them were: "Peace be with you." My pastor speculated that if Jesus were to come back today, those would be, once again, His first words to His followers. The priest then speculated that the next words would be: "Slow down. Stop trying to fit 31 hours in a 24 hour day." It was obvious by the level of laughter in response to those words that many people had read the recent article on how people today squeeze in 31 hours of activity a day by big-time multi-tasking. Although it was acknowledged, since it was Mother's Day, that mom may even get in 36 hours a day.

His point was that we are doing too much and worrying too much about senseless things. My mind immediately turned to my status symbol specuation last week.

For me, "things" to not give people status in this world. Carrying a Coach purse, or wearing a pair of Ferragamo shoes, or driving a car with a fancy symbol on the hood, and getting around by helicopter doesn't mean a thing to me. It may be because several of those "things" are in my possession and I see them as nothing more than a means to an end. My pink Coach handbag carries my wallet and first aid kit just the same as the $15 non-branded bag (which received compliments wherever I went this winter). And in my mind they are equal. They are bags to carry my stuff. Same thing with the car--it gets me from point A to B. It seems my attitude toward these objects is in direct conflict with quite a few people out there.

Here is my example: I was driving home from the baby shoe store and I had all three of the children in the car with me. At an intersection where drivers must turn either right or left--there's a lane for each--I was preparing to turn right. There are two huge signs that remind drivers that turning vehicles MUST yield to pedestrians. Halfway into the crosswalk was a mother and her about-three-year-old daughter. The fact that I waited infuriated the driver of the vehicle behind me. The angry honking began. Her car with the three letter name meant nothing to me. I motioned to the mother to keep crossing despite the noise from the driver behind me. Once the mother and child were at the curb, I turned and the woman behind me sped up to turn right using the left lane. I looked over at her. The look of entitlement and irritation on her face was indescribable. I wanted to know what made her think that way. Was it the price she paid for her car? I know, since we have one. Could that possibly make her think that made her more important than the two humans crossing the street?

Is there any way to communicate that dignity, decorum and decency are the things a person must carry in order to hold any elevated status in my mind? And that cute shoes are cute shoes no matter if the cost was $7 or $700? I don't know.

So, peace be with you. No matter what kind of car you drive. And even if you walk.

Happy Mother's Day!

Last Mother's Day was a little crazy. I was hoping for something a little less...involved...this year. Not quite.

My Mother's Day will be spent caring for my little sweetheart, who has a 102 degree fever. You can imagine how difficult it will be (tee-hee) for me to sit on the couch all day, watching The Wizard of Oz with a sweet little girl curled up in my lap while daddy brings us ice-cream.

Happy Mother's Day!

Empty

I'm feeling sort of empty today. That may be because it's after 9pm and all I've had to eat since lunch is a handful of Cheetos. So my belly is empty...but my energy reservoir is empty, too. Why? Let me show you...

This is my refrigerator. As you can see, the fridge and freezer are empty except for a lone bottle of water, my ice trays and a few ice packs. Why?

I got home from work today and there was an odd odor in the house. Okay, honestly, it smelled like a large, dirty animal died. I thought my husband forgot to take out the trash, but nope, that wasn't it.

It turns out that my darling daughter turned the temperature setting in the fridge to "off." And twelve hours later, the fridge was funk-tee-fied. It had completely warmed up, and even though the temperature controls for the freezer are separate and actually in the freezer, it just couldn't keep up. If it had been a cloudy day, my food may have had a chance. But it was a sunny day, so the sun was beating in through the window, thus beating onto the door of my stainless steel fridge.

Gag.

It was completely gross. I was more upset by the fact that I had done mega-grocery shopping last week and had to throw out every single food item that was upstairs in the fridge. Thankfully, the downstairs freezer has some backup food, so we should be okay. I did have to run out to the grocery store to get the basics. Except now, I've spent my whole grocery budget for the month. Eeeeek.

And on top of everything else, my sewing maching went kaput. It won't work. And I have a pair of pants that I needed to hem tomorrow. And I'm supposed to be making a dress for my sister. It's been a bad day. Humbug.

Status Symbols

Tell me, sisters dear, do you think there are any status symbols out there any more? If so, what? Is it a type of car or clothing or job? I'll explain more after I get your responses. I had a little experience, and I think the person was a little miffed that I did not "see" her as being more entitled than the others around us.