Little Ruthie

The power of your thoughts

Okay, so remember a few posts ago how I'd been thinking about my sorority sisters?  Well the thoughts must have been pretty strong because last week, while lunching in my usual spot, I chatted with one woman in our organization and gosh almighty she is in my sorority.  Then yesterday, again in that same spot, I one of our friends came out to join us and somehow started talking about college and turns out that she too was in the same sorority.  This is just wierd.  And what's even wierder is that none of us are usually pegged as sorority types.  (Okay, so a couple of people at work, once they overheard our conversation, said they could see me in one.  I don't know if that's an insult or not.) 

So I must be channeling that Greek vibe. 

But not a one of us can remember the damn secret handshake.

I won!

On a whim I posted on Jane Porter's site and had a shot at winning a hot pink tote, a beach towel, a copy of Jane's book Odd Mom Out, and other Jane stuff like a waterbottle.  And I actually won!  This is exciting, people.  I NEVER win anything.  Okay, I did actually win a raffle at last year's Colorado Romance Writers conference.  BUT other than that, nada.  So I anxiously await my prize.  Jane said she'd mail it this weekend.  The woman's on a deadline but somehow she is finding time to do this.

Jane has a career I admire.  She writes for Harlequin Presents as well as single title mommy lit/modern lit.  Different audiences but she does a very skillful job of marketing herself to maximum potential.  She's been successful in being accessible to readers but she still has some star power.  I really like her website too.  It's professional and really works.

So next week, that'll be me you see on my lawn in my pink striped beach towel, reading Odd Mom Out.  A fitting title for a woman who will be in the Exurbs of Denver on her lawn in a swimsuit on a pink striped beach towel.

My half day work week and pledge sisters

The boy has Fifth's disease.  It's this rash thing that is contagious.  He itches and is red, but that's about it.  Unfortunately he has to be kept at home until it blows over.  So this week we've been tag teaming to watch him and relying on the good will of my sisters.  When the boy gets sick, I get the most frustrated about my work.  Even though I have a ton of sick time, which I am allowed to use for this purpose, there's this unwritten rule in the air that says everyone is inconvenienced by my absence and couldn't I just come in anyway. But I just told them that this was how it was going to be and didn't bother to really ask.  I mean, why should one ask for their sick time that they've earned, to watch their child??

We have a community book shelf at work where people pick up and leave books.  I picked up The Outer Banks by Anne River Siddons.  Never read one of her books, but enjoyed it very much.  The story revolves around four sorority sisters in the 1960s South.  Fast forward for a reunion.  Not a very orignal premise, but well done. 

I was in a sorority in college which is hard to imagine, I know.  For the most part I never looked back.  Never had a strong need to be active in the alumnae associations and the like.  If you've ever been in a sorority, you know that by your senior year, you're so over it that they're lucky if they can get you to show up to a chapter meeting.  But the book made me think about some of my pledge sisters.  And then, by strange coincidence, my sorority alumnae quarterly arrived in the mail today.  Side Note:  The CIA should really get sororities to track down fugitives and the like.  I'm telling you, no matter how hard I've tried, these people find me and this magazine shows up on my doorstep. 

I don't think I necessarily associated my friendships - three to be exact - with our sorority.  We were just friends and I don't remember a large part of our friendship including the sorority.  But I guess the fact that we met because we were in the same pledge class makes the whole sorority sister thing valid.  Because I probably would not have had those friendships if I hadn't pledged.

I don't keep in touch with any of them.  Like I said, I never really looked back.  But I do have some very fond memories of Kellie, Jan, and Christi.  So I went on to the website and looked under alumnae addresses and all three were listed.  What did I tell you about sorority tracking??  Maybe I'll write to say thank you for being my friend.  I don't think we have much in common anymore, but everyone likes to know that their friendships were valued.

Happy 4th, on the 5th

I've been out - sorry for no posts.  You see, I still have dial-up at home. I know, I know, I'll get high speed one day, maybe sooner than later now that  I can't post from my work computer because we have internet police now.  It's best that I don't post at work anyway. I know all of you who know Dooce are probably holding your breath thinking, "don't do it!"  I do want to keep my job (for now), so this is better.  ANYWAY, posting on dial up is such.a.drag.  Takes forever, so I get discouraged.

Yesterday we had a lovely Independence Day celebration.  My husband prefers that we call it Independence Day instead of 4th of July, so the boy can begin to understand what we're actually celebrating.  Makes sense to me - I mean, The Fourth of July hardly tells you what the day's about. We stayed home, just the three of us, cooked out and watched fireworks from our porch, along with the sparklers we had.  One of the boy's neighbor playmates was also out at night to watch the fireworks, so the two of them had a whopping time being up late after dark and having mini explosives in their hands.

Today is a family function.  The husband is working, but the boy and I will go to family's for a birthday party.  I know it will be fun when we get there, but I'm just soooooo tired of family gatherings.  The month of May kicked my ass.  We had a ton of graduations and birthdays so I felt like I was with them all the time. 

Tomorrow the brother-in-law-contractor will come over to explain to us what we need to do to prep for the patio we're putting in.  We are the laborers and he will oversee the project and my neighbor (also a contractor) will pour the concrete.  I can't wait to get it done.  It will make the back yard so much nicer.  Currently we just have two steps to sit on - that's it.  No place to sit and relax.  We've been doing a lot of work trying to get the outside to a point where we like it and I told the husband I was going to be really irritated if at the end of this work, he gets a call and says we have to move for work.  grrr...

Off to get ready for the day.  Enjoy your weekend.

Spellcheck would be good

Okay, so a few errors in that last entry.  The fact that it was the middle of the night and I was typing in the dark might have had something to do with it.  Or maybe I just can't spell. 

The days are now regularly in the upper 80s.  I don't want to complain because I know that in a mere three months there will be snow on the ground.  In the early morning you can feel the heat.

I just finished a Pilates session.  I really think if people do workout DVDs at least one in-person session with someone can make the difference.  I do the tapes but if I hadn't gone to classes I wouldn't know how it's really supposed to feel.  And I'm not a slouch when it comes to body movement - took dance when I was young and have a basic awareness of muscle movement. Subtle things that can make the difference in feeling like you've done a workout.  I know a few people who think Pilates doesn't really do anything for you but I wonder if they just haven't done it correctly, or if they've even done it at all.

Last night I cooked Swiss chard for the boy and me and it was soooo good.  Our farm is now open and we bought some chard, plus spinach, broccoli and snap peas.  I'd never cooked Swiss chard but found a really easy recipe where I sauteed it with garlic and red pepper flakes.  What could go wrong when you have some garlic, I ask you?  Of course, now I'm rather superior because I got my boy to eat Swiss chard.  I'm sure he must be gifted, huh?-:)

Just call us the landscapers

This summer is filled with yard projects.  This weekend we completed the project in the alley where we dug up the grass and had to remove the rock.  We then put down the weed mat and then placed an edging to separate the rock from the mulch/shrub area.  Then we had to put the rock back, plant the shrubs, lay the mulch.  After that it was mowing.  We have some dry spots that didn't come back this season so we're working on them.  It was a ton of work but so worth it.  We have a couple of projects for the summer and this was the first one.  Next we'll be tackling pouring a concrete patio.  There isn't any place in the back yard to just sit besides the steps.  While I'd prefer something more attractive than concrete, the pavers are not in our budget.  We're doing the prep work ourselves and our neighbor, who is a contractor is pouring the concrete.  A pergola is also on the list, although it may have to wait until next season due to budget.  But I think we can make it all look nice.  Also, we're planting a shade tree in the back yard.  While I'm not wild about yard work, it feels good to move about and get the exercise.  However, my shoulders are burned because I wore a tank top . Ouch.

All this work got me to thinking about a little poll I saw on MSNBC.  Apparently Gweneth Paltrow works out three hours a day and the poll asked folks if they thought that was excessive.  About 80 percent said it was.  At first glance I think, yeah, she is a movie star and she has nothing better to do.  But as I'm outsidedoing physical activity, I'm thinking that if we lived pre WWII, three hours a day would be nothing.  That's walking to work going to the market hanging the laundry.  I find it funny that Americans think that one hour a day should suffice in health/weight gain areas.  No wonder we're so fat as a nation.  Now I dont' advicate three hours at the gym, but doing stuff like mow the lawn, walk to work if you can, or climb stairs - those are all real life activities that could help people and add up to three hours a day.  Maybe I should start a "spa" where folks can come work on my yard and pay me for a work out????

Don leaves for DC for a business trip tomorrow, so it'll be just me and the boy until Thursday.  Wish us luck.

I'm still here

I took some time off of work to do some writing and to do some yard work.  Both endeavors were successful.

Feeling good about my MS, and seeing a light at the end of this very long tunnel.  I think (fingers crossed) that I will actually have a completed MS by the end of July.  Can you believe it?

We are doing some work on the yard, making some changes.   I mean, seriously, who needs grass on the patch of ground in the alley?  I have no idea why they did that.  We've pulled it up and are doing some rock in the area as well as putting in some plants to grow as a hedge.

The last weekend really made me thankful for my neighborhood.  On Friday night, we all went to the main park in the neighborhood and watched a movie outdoors.  It was so much fun and the kids all loved it.  Then on Saturday when the husband goes to do the work on the back area, our neighbor comes out to help him.  By this time all of the little ones are out on their bikes, putting on swimsuits and running through the sprinklers.  I cooked hotdogs for the block and we all had a good day.  Not many places are like that, so I'm thankful.

Back at work today and trying to get caught up but wanted to say hello.  All is well in our world.  We've just been offline enjoying it.