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Another summer bites the dust

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Monday our kids start school.  Officially bringing the summer of 2016 to an end.  With it starts a new season in our household.  With our oldest graduating this past year and starting the electrical academy at the end of the month that leaves us a Junior in high school.  A FRESHMAN in another high school.  And our ‘last year of middle school’ 8th grader bringing up the rear!!

There have already been changes.  For instance, going to uniforms in public school this year—can I get a YAHOO and an AMEN!??!!?!?!?  Seriously, good stuff.  So, school shopping was really quite easy breezy, thank you Old Navy online.  Aside from a few hours with my youngest just grabbing a few school supplies, shoes and essentials, I really was minimally involved.  Except for providing cash.  Of course.  One day, our Junior even took his sisters to the mall.  And home.  Again.  No involvement by the Hubs and I.  Weird.  And wonderful.  I just don’t really love shopping.  I shop for purpose and I like to get in and get out.  Perhaps I’m kook, but that’s ok.  I had my mall days and I think I overdosed on them, so now…it’s all function for me, which is not so fun for our little mall-loving teenagers.

Orientation and schedule pick up.  Again.  ZERO involvement.  Only because our Junior does his own deal.  I mean he better start practicising now or he’s in trouble in a couple of years.  Our middle schooler caught a ride to morning schedule pick up with her friend since she had cheer in the evening.  And ditto to our Freshman:  went with her friend and caught a ride home with our neighbor.  Bliss. Meanwhile, I dropped in to Target to grab a new water jug and black t-shirt for our cheerleader.  Alone.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about being part of our kiddos’ school life and extracurriculars to a point.  Volunteering when convenient and supportive always to their endeavors.   But they are getting older and it is a blessing to see them spread their little wings.  Bittersweet, but a good bittersweet.  Truly.  The ebb and the flow of life.  Today, it’s a good place, but soon enough I’ll see all the pics of my friends college kiddos off to school and I’ll be on the other side of that ebb and flow.  Right now I’ll enjoy this side.  Next week will begin everyone’s new schedule and that always takes me about two weeks to wrap my head around and get my own schedule re-routed.

This weekend hopefully we will be able to make family dinner happen and chat about what lies ahead for the school year.  Lunches will be packed.  Laundry folded and put away.  Backpacks organized and neat.  Bedtime on time.  Waking up shiny and happy.  I mean….you gotta take advantage of the early days of school before the novelty wears off and they are dreaming of summer again!!

#WIWS The funky, flowy version

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I don’t even know where to link up to #WIWS anymore.  Or is it even a thing?  Clearly I am not a fashion blogger.  That’s ok though, because really I just wanted to share these AWESOME pants that I finally wore today—their Mass debut.

Rating:  A+ for super light and flowy material, very flowy and funky design

After Mass the Hubs and I went paddleboarding for a while, so I’m giving you a partial shot of #WIWS at the beach…which was a complete fail since I meant to get the ocean in the shot, but bright light and sun you are no friend to seeing what I just took a picture of until I find shade and/or darkness.  So, that’s it.  Oh, well.  The waves were a little rough, but it was an hour well spent with my sweetheart and that combo is never a bad one.

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yup, lost those glasses on the way in. dang!

Hope your Sunday was peaceful, restful and that you had a little Jesus time in one form or another!

Blessings!

Facebook + Politics = Inferno

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At which point I remove Facebook from my phone.  Again.  And am taking the time to completely re-evaluate my friend’s list and purpose of my Facebook usage.  However, one should never act in the heat of the moment and in these next few months……pause might be a better reaction.  Rather than just slice and chop right now.  Maybe. Just maybe.

Here’s my political take, from a non-political and non-confrontational person.

I am a registered Republican and in the past that party has most closely represented my beliefs.  Most closely.  Not perfectly, but in comparison, the people in that party, voted more often like I did than Democrats.  I say this because, although a registered Republican I don’t believe that EVERY Republican deserves my vote.  I have voted Democrat in elections.  Whomever is closest to representing ME gets my vote.  Period.  End.  So, for me, there isn’t a huge die-hard party vote.  And quite frankly, I think that’s how it should be.  (My blog, my opinion)  You vote for who represents YOU, party shouldn’t matter.

Right now, I am not alone in daily having to pick my jaw up from the floor at the absolutely insanity of our choices for PRESIDENT. OF. THE. UNITED. STATES.

ARE.  YOU.  EFFING.   KIDDING. ME????

Anyway, back to Facebook.  Because I feel SO strongly against our Democrat and Republican nominee choices,  and again, I am not political……I believe that people will choose one or another because that’s what we do and when your choices are poop and crap, you pick one.  The people that drive me INSANE are the ones who actually STAND BEHIND one party and rail against the other, publicly and obnoxiously.  Like their person is the good one?!?!?  Is there a good one???  News flash:  no.  Which makes me wonder how in good and serious conscious can ANYONE even pretend their person is good and worthy of being President.   It is flabbergasting to me.

So, what does one do at this point if you are sorely lacking a cave or sustainable compound in the White Mountains?   For me, I just have to step back.  WAY.  BACK.  I need to re-evaluate who I have on my friend’s list and what I use Facebook for.   While I am friends with a wide variety of people, I am finding SO many “friends” with such toxic posts that I am realizing that I don’t really like them and so, well….that probably doesn’t make a good friendship.  Right?

At the same time, I have to truly sit down and look at ALL the choices and trust me, I am looking hard at the Libertarian choice for the first time in my life.  Which is so much work.  WTH is the Libertarian party?  I obviously slept through that American government class.  (Transparency here, folks….I gave full disclosure at the beginning as to my non-politicalness) So is that a vote wasted?  Well, not if enough people feel like I do.  At the end of the day, if I can live with my choice and vote my conscience and not the mob mentality, I’m ok with that.  At least I’ll know I voted MY values and beliefs and didn’t blindly follow the psychopathic circus.  And if I do….well I dang sure won’t be bragging about it.

I am Tracy and I approve this message.

Peace!

That’s a wrap!

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Sunset tonight brings our vacation to an end.  We finished up with the monumental task of buying a new (to us) vehicle–about as much fun as a visit to the dentist.  Once we get a few things adjusted and it sits in our driveway it will be a little more fun, for now though it is a bittersweet moment for this sentimental sap.

We’ve had our “Green machine” since our oldest daughter was a baby.  14 years, 240,00 miles, countless park visits, potty training, beach days, sports practices and games, concerts, friend visits, family visits, school bus, taxi, girls weekends 2 new drivers, and longevity and dependability during the toughest season of our marriage.  She was and is a faithful girl.  She might currently be a little rough on the aesthetics (Florida sun and failure to wax regularly are a real thing) and drinks a little oil, but she is solid and beast!

Fortunately, to soften the blow, she will go to our oldest son as an alternative transportation for work and days when his motorcyle isn’t the best choice.  Which means the morning vehicle shuffle is about to get all kinds of interesting up in here and a car key hanger is going up ASAP in the kitchen for easy access.  In the grand scheme of life, these are minor inconveniences and not even worthy to grouse about.  Three cheers for our Yukon, well done, good and faithful servant and greetings to our Enclave.

May this next season be as fruitful and faithful as this one.

GREEN MACHINE

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

     There is an appointed time for everything,
    and a time for every affair under the heavens.
 A time to give birth, and a time to die;
    a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
 A time to kill, and a time to heal;
    a time to tear down, and a time to build.
 A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
    a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
 A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
    a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
 A time to seek, and a time to lose;
    a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
 A time to rend, and a time to sew;
    a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
 A time to love, and a time to hate;
    a time of war, and a time of peace.

Home, sweet, SWEET, home!

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The last time I took a 2 week vacation, I was 24.  I took the week off from my (NEW) job before our wedding and the week after for our honeymoon.  Every other vacation has been the standard week and for the last decade our vacations have consisted of traveling to see friends—which is GREAT, do NOT get me wrong, but it’s quite different from a “vacation”.  So, if that gives you a little insight to what a big deal our vacation was…..you might have an inkling of our excitement these past 2 weeks.  Truly just bordering on the surreal, “pinch me” kind of moments.

Alas though, all good things must come to an end. Memories were made and as our daughter said, “I like vacation.  Vacation is awesome!”  I absolutely agree with her!

Thursday night, the Hubs and the girls and I–with the dog, all enjoyed a little hike along the river trail near the cabin and a leisurely swim in the river enjoying the evening with no agenda aside from packing.

Friday morning AFTER an eventful night (for me–everyone else was sleeping) of seeing a baby bear climb down from a tree in our backyard and haul a** back into the forest after being chased into the tree by a neighborhood dog, we began the trek back to my mom’s house.

First stop was the grave of one of the co-founders of AA.  It was a brief visit for the Hubs and though we didn’t really talk much about it, it was emotional.  For me, this man played a tremendous part in essentially saving my husband’s life by giving him the tools to manage his life, to manage his addiction, to help others navigate alcoholism, to have a second chance at the life God meant for us to have…..it was powerful.  I didn’t even get out of the car.  Hubs was quietly wrangling his emotions.  This moment, at the end of an amazing and long-dreamed for vacation, was a huge moment.  So much gratitude.  From both of us.

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The next two days were spent with my mama, her hubby and my aunt (who was passing through on the way to see my cousin) were precious one-on-one times, rest and strolling around town.  Deer watching.  Firefly spotting.  No reason to rush.  Good stuff.

Initially, we planned on hitting DC for the day on the way home, but after realizing that our pup might not have as much access as we thought to the outdoor monuments, summer parking in DC, and 4000degree weather…we decided to make DC it’s own trip later this year or next.  THAT decision meant powering through and making the 16 hour trip in one shot, giving us 2 days of vacation at home before going back to work.

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Sweet puppy!

Since we knew it was going to be a long day, it makes total sense for the morning to start out with a puking and pooping puppy, it was a rough beginning and a long a** day  with our final time of 17.5 hours home—thank you crappy N. Carolina for your humongous lunch time clusterF!  In the end though, we made it home, slept in our beds last night, got the grocery shopping done, laundry started and house mostly cleaned.  Aaaaand hit the YMCA.  It was a good Plan B.  Because transition back to real life is a toughie.

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Now, it’s off to bed and enjoy ONE MORE DAY OF VACATION tomorrow!!!

Peace!!