Little Things...

It's cold and gray and we just made it through another snowstorm. I figured this was a good time for a positive post about some of the beautiful things in my life. 

My boys are old enough to shovel by themselves! The driveway and sidewalks were cleared before I even took a shower this morning. That is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Unfortunately, schools were closed today. But! Nathan recently learned how to play Monopoly, and he really wanted to teach Aaron, who had never played. They spent almost three hours playing Monopoly this morning. They had fun, with no fights, and no whining at the end; and I was able to get some work done. Amazing.

The book I'm reading right now is great. I keep staying up too late, but I love getting sucked into a good one. It's super weird and interesting and different, and that's perfect for right now. I also love that I can continue to read by flashlight when the power goes out. 

And another bonus - the power is back on! How easily we take it for granted. Heat, hot water, a cold fridge, phones, TV, etc. Maybe it's good to have the reminder every now and then of just how good we have it. 

Little Things...

Colored lights on the tree. My comfortable bed. A warm fireplace. Hot chocolate. Playing new games as a family. Roasted veggies. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Marking items off the to-do list. Good new music. Those fleeting moments when the boys play nicely and get along. Soft slippers. Egg nog with a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg sprinkled on top. 

Little Things...

When things don't go as planned or hoped, it becomes even more important to be able to focus on the positives. I was supposed to fly to Charleston this weekend, to spend a few days with my mom and sisters, celebrating my mom's 70th birthday. Instead, the city is being evacuated due to a big nasty hurricane, so we are all staying home. It bums me out, but let's focus on some good stuff so I don't get too sad.

• We were able to reschedule our trip, so our Charleston trip will still happen - just a month later than planned. 
• Nathan is playing in a soccer tournament this weekend. Because I'll be home, I'll get to watch him play - I'm pretty excited about that. 
• It's fall in New England! Gorgeous trees are everywhere. 
• New TV shows are starting - This Is Us certainly grabbed me, and I am also excited to see Kiefer Southerland again. Everybody's talking about Westworld - I think I'm going to have to convince Kevin to get HBO.
• Aaron and Nathan made dinner last night - eggs, english muffins, and fruit salad. 
• I love finishing a good book and starting a new one. 
• Our new sitter is helping out around the house, so I come home to a clean kitchen every day. 
• Next year won't be as full of travel as this one was, but we just booked our February ski week - fingers crossed for good weather and snow. 
• The boys are working on their Christmas lists, and I keep trying to remind them that it's not even Halloween yet! 
• On Monday night, I had worked from home, and the weather was gorgeous, so I suggested a bike ride before dinner. So lovely.
• Dawes' latest album, We're All Gonna Die.  Really different from their usual stuff, but I dig it.

Little Things...

Loving my time in the dugout with these boys

Baseball - These seven-year-old Giants, Aaron's AAA Braves, and our Boston Red Sox:  I love watching my boys play. The smell of lilacs in the yard. Our first 90-degree day. Homemade popsicles. Seeing Aaron up on stage, being recognized as a standard bearer for his school. The complete lineup for Newport. Sleeping with the windows open. Sleep. A clean kitchen sink. Flowers on the table. Talking and laughing with friends. Piano recitals. Dinner from the grill. Patience. My new bike! 

The Bright Side...

The biggest benefit of maintaining this blog is that it forces me to practice optimism. It is my gratitude journal. I may whine a bit every now and then, but it's usually in the act of allowing myself to let it out so I can move on. I am a natural pessimist, so I have to work really hard to maintain my optimism. Life is so much better that way. This week was tough, but I'm putting in the work and focusing on the positives.

On Monday morning, we woke up to a snowstorm. In the above picture, you can see our daffodils buried in snow. It was cold, the roads were bad, and our power went out for a while on Sunday. It came back, but our cable/internet/phone service did not. When I look at that picture - and out our front windows - I'm trying to focus on the blooming flowers rather than the snow.

On Monday afternoon, I got a call informing me that our sitter was in a car accident. I had to walk out of a meeting that I was facilitating to leave work immediately to pick up the boys from school. I reminded myself to focus on the facts that nobody was hurt, the boys weren't in the car, and my current job is not too far away. I got the boys and called into my next meeting from home. I'm grateful to be able to do that.

Did I mention the lack of cable/internet service? And the need to work from home? As well as the desire to watch a certain basketball game Monday night? It was an extremely frustrating day, but in the end, I was able to use my phone hotspot to connect to WiFi and get some work done. Oh, and I watched the basketball game, too.

Speaking of the basketball game - we lost, which was the cherry on top of a really crappy day. But I woke up Tuesday morning feeling nothing but gratitude at the opportunity to watch a great group of guys win a bunch of games and play an amazing championship game, losing to another great group of guys. It was satisfying.

The weather has now turned to rain, and although I hate cold rain and spring in New England, it seems like an improvement. The first week of soccer has been canceled due to the fields being covered in snow, but it will start next week. And the week after that, we are headed to Florida, to spend time in the warm sunshine at DisneyWorld.

Until then, I will do my best to keep focused on the good stuff.

Little Things...

The look of surprise when I mentioned my age to a couple co-workers. Lineup announcements for the Newport Folk Festival. Discovering new artists. College basketball games. Playing "robot rummy" with the boys. (It's like regular rummy, but with robot cards!) Downton Abbey - Only one episode left!:-( On-sale avocados. Five-minute meditation. Emails from friends. Reports from Spring Training. 

Little Things...

photo via waiting on martha

A good book that makes me stay up too late. Coffee with cream. Clean sheets. Discovering new music. Dinner with friends. Watching six and seven-year-olds play basketball. An empty dishwasher and clean countertops. The X-Files! New haircuts on little boys. Daylight at 5PM. Avocados. A comfortable scarf. Sitting by the fireplace. Eucalyptus. Sleepy hugs. Emails from friends. Making plans. A few moments of silence.

Little Things...

Crossword puzzles with my mom. Homemade art masterpieces. Spicy bloody marys. Conversations in front of a warm fireplace. The smell of frost in the morning. Extra whipped cream on pumpkin pie. Library books. Passing strangers with smiles. Feeding pumpkins to pigs. Rewarding kindness. Hugs. Movie nights. Pinot noir. Sore abs. Chance encounters. Laughs that devolve into snorts. A full house. Brisk walks. Cousins. A working washing-machine. Piano recitals. Sleeping in. Scrabble.

Little Things...

Little boys playing baseball on a warm summer evening. Aaron's playing in our backyard! Finally!

Bright and sunny mornings, which make it so much easier to get up and make time for a morning workout.

Yoga. I've been alternating between interval training and yoga. It feels like a good balance, and I adore mixing in more bouts of yoga during the week. It's such a beautiful way to start the day.

Travel plans. (Next week - Newport! And a new addition to the travel calendar - San Francisco in September!)

Walking barefoot in the grass.

Playing catch.

The new Jason Isbell album. 

Eating lunch outside with colleagues. I am by far the oldest, but we manage to find common ground.

Kale salad. Caprese salad. Cranberry couscous. Grilled vegetables. Raspberries! 

Harry Potter. The boys and I are listening to The Sorcerer's Stone audiobook, and it's wonderful.

Fresh air coming in through open windows.

Taking Stock

Savoring:  Every moment of Fall.  Little boys jumping in leaf piles made my heart smile this weekend.
Eating:  Vegetarian Chili. I used this recipe, given to me by a friend. I made it just a tad too spicy - note for next time - but it was so good and perfect for a chilly Fall day.
Drinking:  Pumpkin ales.  It's that time of year.
Deciding:  It's the end of ice cream season.  Lest you think I deny myself, it's the start of pie and cookies season. 
Watching:  Nashville and Parenthood when Kevin's out of town (as he was last week).  Friday Night Lights together. We've both seen the entire series, but while we have Netflix...  There's nothing like a little dose of Tim Riggins.
Wanting:  Shoes that are stylish, look good with suits and work trousers, and comfortable enough to walk in all day.  SO hard to find that. 
Listening:  To my iTunes library on shuffle. Finding old favorites and bringing back memories.
Needing: To start planning for the holidays. Halloween is next week! Time really starts to fly after that.
Smelling:  The "Autumn Leaves" Yankee candle burning in the dining room.  And real autumn leaves outside. 
Feeling:  Optimistic. It's coming more naturally to me these days.
Reading:  Defending Jacob. I'm about a third of the way through and totally sucked in.
Making: Lists. Trying to get back into a routine of managing my to-do lists and staying on top of everything.
Needing:  A cool-but-not-cold weather trench (or other lightweight) coat.  I've tried dozens at this point but haven't found the perfect one.  Pretty soon it's going to be cold enough for my winter coat, so whatever.  But I'll keep looking.
Wishing: My family lived closer. I've never mentioned that before here, right? ;-)
Missing: My sisters. See above.
Wearing:  This sweater.  I was worried it would look bulky or old on me, but I absolutely love it.
Enjoying:  Homemade granola.  Turns out I can still find the time to make it happen.

Little Things...

I got a new pair of sneakers, and they are purple.  I am a little shocked every time I look down.  

We finally adjusted these shelves to be able to accommodate more records.  We added a box full of albums given to us by Kevin's uncle.  Our collection is really coming along!  

It's lilac season.  The yard smells amazing, and the purple and white blooms are so pretty.

An Ode to Spring

Colorful tulips that provide a burst of color in front of the house.

The tiny green leaves that are finally starting to appear on the tips of tree branches.

The slow lengthening of days.

Putting away the winter coats, hats, scarves, boots, sweaters.

Pulling out the storage boxes of shorts and t-shirts.

The smell of strawberries on my fingers.

That first day the boys get to wear shorts.

Spending a weekend day working in the yard.  Raking, planting, watering.

The peaceful sound of rain.  

Opening the windows to let in fresh air.

The smell of grass and mud.  The smell of green.  

The happy sounds of boys playing baseball.

People making fun of my white legs and I don't care.

Feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin.

Watching the seedlings sprout and grow in our windowsill, reaching for the sun.

We are stuck in the cold, gray, wet part of Spring here in New England.  I had to remind myself that the warmer days are on their way.  They're taking their sweet time in getting here, but they're coming.  In the meantime, there is a lot to appreciate.

Little Things...

Sunny and blue skies after a snowy day.  Everything is clean and white and quiet.

The new app everybody is blogging about - Waterlogue.  It's pretty fun.

Doing a solid headstand in yoga.

Aaron keeps asking to help make dinner.  All week he has chopped, stirred, poured, rinsed, cleaned...  I need to find a recipe I'd be comfortable with him trying by himself.

Newport is starting to make their lineup announcements.  It's like Christmas every few days, and I love the anticipation.

Another snowstorm in the forecast.  I know this isn't a beautiful thing to a lot of people, but I love it.

Legos.  Love both watching my boys follow directions and look with pride at a completed project as well as watching them put together creations of their own.

Sera Cahoone.

Forgetting what day it is.

Thankful...

It's almost time for my favorite holiday.  A day to say thank you and to be grateful.  What a beautiful day.  We will spend it at home, with Kevin's family.  I just picked up the turkey and some veggies from the farm, and I'm officially in preparation mode.  I went to Costco yesterday, and they had these big beautiful pomegranates, so there's our centerpiece.  (Pomegranates are so beautiful, and the boys love them.)  I spent an hour and a half in line at the cheese shop this morning, and I'm sure I got too much as usual.  But oh my goodness the joy and awesomeness in that place!  I haven't hosted the big meal in a while, but I'm excited about it.

My lists often look similar, but that's okay.  It's always good to give thanks.  Here's what I'm thankful for this year:

1.  My boys.  The three of them.  Always.
2.  My family.  They live too far away, and I miss them all the time; but I love them and am so happy I have them.
3.  Friends.  The ones I've known all my life, and the ones I just met.  You can never have too many.
4.  A warm house.  I love our house.  It's old and is a never-ending project, but it's home.
5.  Music.  Learning how to make a little of it myself only strengthens my love of people who create songs.
6.  Food.  Like that big block of Stilton cheese in my fridge.  And pie.  Roasted acorn squash.  Carmelized walnuts.  French toast.  Yummmmmm…..
7.  Books.  There's a seemingly infinite supply.  Lives to experience.  Facts to learn.  Emotions to feel.  I love them.
8.  My slippers, my fleece, my pajama pants, fun socks….clothes that keep me warm and cozy in the wintertime.
9.  A little splash of maple liqueur in my egg nog.
10.  Vacations, travel, and looking forward.

Little Things...

I'm growing tired of house projects.  They feel so good when complete, but the before and during parts can be so miserable.  We are done with the big stuff, but of course a house is never "done".  We need a new front door and need a couple new interior doors.  With an old house, we've opted to use real solid wood, salvaged doors.  We also want to undo some of the fixes that were made to the house over the years to restore it to its original look and feel.  It can be really difficult to find people who can work on old houses, so this project has been hanging over my head for months and I just want it to be done.  I'm frustrated.

In the meantime, though, I'm enjoying the gorgeous Fall weather and the anticipation of the holiday season.  It starts with Halloween, and I'm actually going with homemade costumes this year.  Wish me luck.  I'm psyched the boys wanted to do the same thing.  Once Halloween is behind us, then the real planning begins.  Meal planning, collecting gift ideas, party invitations...  Now those are fun projects.

I have also been reminded that I've been slacking on documenting my gratitude here lately.  Perhaps I need to get back into a weekly rhythm.  A few things for which I am very grateful...

* Seasons.  One of the many reason I love living where I do.  We get four seasons, in all their glory.  I'm especially grateful for that this time of year, during the best season of all.  The season of pumpkins, mums, squash chowder, apple pie, leaf piles, blue skies, crisp air, and the World Series.

* Bookstores.  The family participated in a reading contest - reading bingo - through the library over the summer.  We won the grand prize!  Included in a big gift bag was a gift certificate to a bookstore I had never been to before.  I went by myself last week, and I spent almost two hours perusing the aisles. I forgot how much fun that is.  I used to do that all the time, finding a comfy chair in a corner to read for a while.  I didn't stay to read, but I did walk out with a new and fun stack of books.

* Discovering a song I can play on the guitar.  I am not a very good guitar player, but I do love it.  And I especially love when I find songs that I can play and sing.  A couple days ago, Brandi Carlile came on in the car, singing "Keep Your Heart Young".  It sounded simple enough, so I tried it out when I got home.  I'm having fun singing it and getting the callouses on my fingers thick again.

I'm also very grateful for weekends and the fun that they often bring.  Tomorrow includes a baby shower for my sister-in-law.  I'm excited to see her growing belly and to see everyone's collective joy as we celebrate her.

Happy weekend!

I'm an Optimist!

Day 8 Blogtember Challenge topic:  Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

When I started this blog - in 2008! - I had no idea why I was doing it.  I hadn't even really read many blogs.  But I saw my friend Sara's blog, and I thought it might be fun to start capturing some moments and thoughts in this way.  I struggled at first to find my voice, and as I read more and more blogs, I got caught in the thought that I should be writing to find an audience.  After a while, I figured out that I should be doing it for me.  This post was one of the first where I started using the blog to focus on the positives.

Since then, my blog's primary purpose has been to turn me into an optimist, and I'm amazed to say that it has worked!  I had always been a glass-half-empty kind of girl, and I certainly didn't appreciate everything that I had as much as I should have.  I started capturing Three Little Things on a regular basis, which then evolved into my Little Things posts.  After a while, I noticed that I was doing this in my head all the time.  I was looking around.  I was noticing beautiful things more.  I was having moments of gratitude all day long.  It now comes naturally to me.  I assume the best in people, and I expect the best to happen to me.  I see beauty everywhere.

This change has truly made all the difference in the world.  It's the easiest thing to do, and yet many people don't do it.  Expressing gratitude on a regular basis can change your entire outlook on life.  It has done this for me.

Here are a few of the things that I am grateful for today:

1.  My happy, healthy boys.  Of course they are always #1 on any list of things for which I'm grateful.  The boys are loving school, and they have bruises up and down their shins like any active boys their age should.

2.  My back.  I've been getting back into a normal exercise routine, and it feels so good.  The first thing I do in the morning is stretch my back.  It feels especially satisfying the day after a good workout.

3.  Basil.  Summer is winding down, and I have loved enjoying basil on almost everything for the past few months.  I know the cooler days are coming, though, so I'm going to harvest the rest of my basil and make basil-walnut pesto.  I will put it in the freezer and enjoy it all winter.

4.  My voice.  I sing all day long.  In the car, in the kitchen, in the shower...I'm pretty much always singing.  I can't imagine not being able to do it.

5.  My husband.  Kevin and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage on Saturday.  I'm so happy to have someone to walk beside me through life, especially someone as awesome as him.

What are you grateful for today?

Ten Things That Make Me Really Happy

Day 14 from The Challenge.  Now this is a fun topic.  So hard to choose, and I'm sure I'll include things that I've already talked about a ton on this blog.  Sorry in advance, but it is what it is.  Let's see...

1.  The lilacs in my yard.  The smell hits me as soon as I open the door, and they are so beautiful.  My favorite part of May.

2.  Spending time with family.  And best friends.  That's really the best there is.

3.  Getting lost in a good book.

4.  Watching sunsets.  Lake Ontario is my favorite place to watch them, but really, anywhere or anytime you get an opportunity to sit still and watch the sun go down is pretty awesome.

5.  Waking up feeling rested.  (I woke up at 5:30 this morning.  Ready to go.  Weird.)

6.  Enjoying a really good meal.  With good friends.

jam session with my little man

7.  Music.  Listening, playing, singing...it's all good.  Feeds my soul.  Experiencing music live is the best.

8.  Spending time alone.  Quiet time makes me happy and enables me to handle the not-so-quiet times.

9.  Hugs from my boys.  Honestly...there's just nothing better.

10.  The beach.  Taking a walk by myself, sitting and listening to the waves, playing with the boys, eating a lobster roll.  It's hard to have a bad time at the beach.

Little Things...

*The tulips have arrived!  The front of our house is so brightly colored now, and it makes me happy every time I see them.  (I know I post pictures of my tulips every Spring, but they are worth celebrating each year!)  Next will come pictures of azaleas, rhododendrons, and then the lilacs.  Ooooh, lilacs.  We are reaching the happy part of Spring.  

*More and more happy and inspiring stories are coming out of last week's tragedies.  I loved this one - Mass General Hospital ER bought pizza for the hospital near West, Texas.  They were so pleased that they returned the favor and sent BBQ back to MGH.  I also continue to be inspired by the victims.  This woman - Adrianne Haslet-Davis - is a dancer, and she lost her foot in the explosion.  She sounds so positive and determined to keep living.  

*The cover of Boston Magazine's latest issue.   Made me smile.

*Aaron started baseball this week.  He's excited, and last night he told me he might be a baseball player when he grows up.  It's fun to jump into this new phase.  On a somewhat related note, the Red Sox are in first place.  I know it's April, but still.

*Our friend gave us a box of records he had sitting in his garage.  I love inheriting these old records.  Our little collection is growing fast.  I put on Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy while I did some cleaning.  Nice.  

*I exercised every day this week, including a challenging 90-minute yoga class on Wednesday.  I feel good.  When I start wearing shorts, the whiteness of my legs will still be a shock, but I think I will otherwise feel ready for it.  

*Aaron and I are reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  It's our first non-picture chapter book in a while, because Nathan tends to make this type of reading difficult.  We're about halfway through, and Aaron is loving it.  I am, too.  

Little Things...

* The piano is tuned and ready to play.  We got it for free from a nice lady who contacted us via craigslist, and I could not be happier.  Aaron is excited to learn, and I am excited to practice too!  I purchased a new lesson book for each of us, and I am tempted to sit down every time I walk by it.

* Happy toes!  I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday pedicure.  I hate that it's too cold to wear sandals, but that's okay - my showers are more colorful now.

* Aaron's card is the best.

* While taking a shower, I looked out the window at the river.  I saw a glorious swan gracefully gliding across the water.  Beautiful.  Majestic.

* The tulips are just peeking out, waiting for the rest of the snow to melt away so they can provide us with a much-needed burst of color.  I can't wait!

Little Things...

This is what it looks like around here.  Although Spring has now officially begun, there are few signs of it showing.  There are some, but you have to look for them.  At the moment, they are buried under another foot of snow.  We are still in the browns and grays and whites of Winter.  In an effort to look beyond my drab surroundings, I thought I'd make myself a little happy list.  Here goes...

1.  I walked downstairs this morning, and Aaron came running from the kitchen into my arms to give me a good morning hug.
2.  We attended a school auction last weekend, and I bid on and won a pass to a local yoga studio.  I've gone twice so far this week, and oh my does it feel good.
3.  I have a pan of our favorite brownies on my stove.  (It's a good thing I've been exercising.)
4.  Great new music has been released recently - Josh Ritter, Caitlin Rose, and Tift Merritt/Simone Dinnerstein are in heavy rotation.
5.  The taxes are done, payments made, refunds received - all before the end of March!  That's a record I'm sure.
6.  I've tried several new recipes the last couple weeks, and I've had some successes.  I love watching the boys eat healthy food, and I love adding some variety to our menu.
7.  Our new living room lamp is big and orange and beautiful.  It makes me happy every time I walk through the room.
8.  I just finished Steve Martin's autobiography.  Beautiful.
9.  I just started Barbara Kingsolver's latest, and I'm loving it so far too.
10.  My birthday is next week.  Getting older is fascinating.
11.  I booked myself for a pedicure on my birthday.  Can't wait for those happy toes!
12.  Mad Men is coming back soon!
13.  Every day after preschool, Nathan has been asking me to read superhero stories to him.  He snuggles right up next to me as we read.
14.  We had another donations pickup last week, and the house feels lighter.
15.  I made plans for us to go visit friends next month.  I love the anticipation - I can't wait to see them!
16.  Our neighbors asked us if we wanted to go to a concert with them next week.  Live music, a night out, and hanging with friends?  Yes please.
17.  I found the chords to a song I've long wanted to play on the guitar.  They aren't quite right, so I'm tinkering and figuring out what works.  I sing and play, and I love the process.
18.  March Madness!  The college basketball tournament starts today.
19.  The birthday party tour continues this weekend.  We will be splitting up so the boys can both attend parties.  Nathan is already planning his own party in July - can you guess the theme?
20.  Quiet mornings.  They don't last long, and I'm often scurrying around trying to get things done, but I love every second of them.