I survived

Well, today was WT day. When I made the appoinment to have my wisdom teeth removed, it seemed so far away. Now it has come and gone and I survived. All my internal thoughts really have been a bit dramatic. It wasn't that bad, and recovery so far has been smooth (knock on wood). A shout out to Dad, who carted me there and listened to my droning on and on about anxiety (I left the xanax at home for fear that it wouldn't mix well with anesthesia; next best medicine is talking a lot). I did at one point think, "I could just leave now..." But I didn't. They knew how nervous I was and so they plopped me in the chair, put the nighty night gas mask on and when I woke up they were moving me to the recovery room. A shout out to Mom, who spent the day wit me. She made me lunch, watched an episode of the Gilmore Girls with me, and read quietly while I napped. And, finally, a shout out to Mike who wanted to be with me but had a work obligation come up...but I know that he will take good care of me tonight, making soup and also watching an episode of the Gilmore Girls with me (just kidding, hon).

My Gardening Weekend

I am so jazzed. Saturday begins my gardening weekend. This is always a ritual. We get to Paulino's about 10 mins prior to opening so we can get a good parking spot. The crowd is light at the beginning but at checkout it is a zoo! There are always parking wars as we pull away.

I get to buy my container garden plants and some perennials. My perennial garden needs help...Even though I am hesitant to dig some of the plants up, per my garden club buddies I need to do some rearranging. One woman said that in a hot, sunny spot a garden with a ton of color is nice. She said to plant things in 3's or 5's, totally not something I did two years ago. So, I think I need to suck it up and dig a few things out to make room for a better design.

I love my containers. There is nothing more satisfying then seeing container gardens grow.

Where does time go?

Remember as a child the feeling of utter freedom? I remember that feeling...summers felt endless, days were filled with playing outside, using my imagination, going to the playground, riding my bike in the neighborhood, playing with friends, having sleepovers...When you get older this feeling of freedom slowly wanes. In high school, it is marked by the end of classes, but I started working at the age of 16 so I started to have obligations where I couldn't be 100% free. Same with college...taking my last final before summer break brought the feeling of freedom but I would take on more hours at work to make more money. Now, the feeling of freedom comes in spurts, in between cleaning the house, working in the yard, grocery shopping, going to work, and taking care of other obligations. I grasp for that feeling of freedom on Saturday morning meandering walks, Sunday afternoon drives, dinner with friends, sitting with my family on the back patio. My goal this summer is to find more of these pockets of freedom-where obligations are non existent and doing whatever I want to is welcome-sitting outside reading a magazine; walking to no where in particular; taking a nap on a hot day with the ceiling fan and air conditioning going full blast. At least I had that feeling of freedom as a child so I can identify with that feeling when it happens as an adult.

Ches

While mom and I were away Mike took the boys to Chatfield. Something happened to Ches, which both of us didn't discover until Sunday afternoon. On his side there was a big hole where layers of skin were gone...he must have been poked by a stick or got scratched on a rock. He itched it all night so we took him to the vet yesterday. She shaved and cleaned the area, stapled the wound closed, and let us go on our way, not without the humiliating cone that Chester has to wear for two weeks. Poor guy. He was bumbling all around the house yesterday, bumping into walls and furniture. I took it off this morning so we could take a walk and his resistance was touching when I went to put it back on today..."No, mom, don't make me wear this thing again today..." This is dedicated to my Ches in hopes of healing quickly.

Blissful weekend

Mom and I had a delightful weekend in Estes Park. We drove up Saturday morning and spent the day downtown shopping. It was so relaxing, going in and out of shops, and we had lunch in town as well. We checked into our lodge around 3pm, had a cup of tea, and went to church. We ate dinner at The Wild Rose and headed back to the lodge where we relaxed, watched some TV and read. Sunday morning we got up and I treated mom to a Mother's Day breakfast. We checked out and drove into Rocky Mountain National Park. We drove to Sprague Lake and got out to enjoy the view. We came back into town, had some lunch and headed back to Denver. It was so nice to have some girl time and great to get away from it all even for a short 24 hours. Thanks, Mom, for a wonderful time!

A weekend away

Tomorrow Mom and I will whisk ourselves away to Estes Park, where we will spend the weekend in honor of Mother's Day as well as to spend some time together. I can't recall the last time I was on a trip with Mom. I am excited about our girls weekend. When I go to plan it out, moment by moment, I am reminded that this is actually time for us to relax. So, we will play it by ear. A little shopping, dining and maybe a hike or something. Whatever. It will be fun to hang out and be in the mountains-my first trip up there of the year! I will post pictures upon our return.

Last night was a very stimulating book club. Katie hosted and in honor of Cinco de Mayo we had a delicious Mexican feast. The book choice-Song Yet Sung-got some attention but despite its status as a fantastic read we instead focused on politics. Some of us are dems, others republicans so we discussed our choices for president. We debated immigration and other social policies. The great thing about this group is we are all open, and while the debate may get a little heated, we laughed at the end as to how politics get people so revved up. I am so lucky to be in this book club, full of smart, energetic and passionate women. Here's to a lifetime of book club Thursdays!

Belated wishes

I meant to write this on Sunday but found myself too busy to sit down in front of the computer...

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Meg!!

Now it is Happy Belated Birthday...

Ode to my good friend: I have known you since we competed in speech-remember I told you "good job" (little did I know on that day I would have a friend for life). We have both grown and matured (well, I would hope so since high school) and where some friends may grow apart, I think we have grown closer. I don't have a sister, but when I think of having one, I think that you come pretty darn close. I can tell you anything without fear of judgement-I can cry and you understand-I can laugh for hours because of something you said. I am glad you had a special celebration because your celebration needs to match just how special you are.