A Month of Letters

I recently saw this link on facebook and was intrigued!

The challenge is to write a letter every day 

(except Sunday's and one holiday when there is no mail service).

I love a good old fashioned letter and although I love the ease of online communication these days, there isn't anything that compares to getting a card, note, postcard or letter in your mailbox. I still to this day love going to the mailbox even though I know it is not likely that I will find something fun inside that box. I still hold out hope. (Kind of like when I found out the REAL Santa story and still woke up Christmas morning with the hope that Santa had come while I was sleeping).

I'm going to take this letter a day challenge with the hope of bringing some cheer to another person, to find a way to communicate with some people that I've lost touch with and to have fun writing,

like in the good old days.

I'll keep you posted!

2.13.13 update: I've fallen terribly behind, but I'm not giving up. I spent today writing some letters and I'm going to do the best I can. 

Journaling

A woman
in harmony
with her spirit
is like
a river flowing.
She goes
where she will
without pretense
and arrives
at her destination,
prepared
to be herself
and
only
herself.

Maya Angelou

 My new 5 year journal next to my grandmother's.

When my beloved grandma died my dad inherited this 5 year diary she had. She wrote in it nearly every day. She missed most of one year but the years she did write she hardly missed a day. I loved getting to know my younger grandma through her writing. The phrases she used, the friends she had and the movies she saw. I learned that she rode her bike a lot and loved to play ping pong (Grandma and Grandpa had a ping pong table and pool table when I was young). I only wished she'd written more details. My dad and step mom let me borrow the diary and I read every page. When they saw how much I treasured it they let me keep it and it's truly one of my most treasured possessions. My grandma wrote this diary in pencil so I fear that in time I won't be able to read the words as they are fading. 
Do not write in pencil in your journal!
The last couple of years of my grandma's diary is when she met and married my grandfather. They were pretty young and he went off to serve in world war II. It's crazy to think about that time they were living in. I was surprised by how insecure my grandma was about my grandpa, at times writing that she worried he wasn't thinking of her and didn't love her. The diary ends when she thinks she might be pregnant. 
I was like....WHAT? You're going to stop writing now and not tell me if you are pregnant?
But then I realized I could do the math, 
and yes indeed, 
she was pregnant with my uncle Dennis.   
I recently looked at her diary again and was surprised by something I had missed before.
At the very end of the book is a list of pet names and a location.
I am assuming these were written or said to her by my grandpa 
while he was away and she kept track of them. 
But maybe it's something different. I can only guess.
Dumpling.....New Zealand
Darling.....Australia
My sweet darling.....Scotland
Honey.....Guam
And on and on....
How adorable is that!! 
  
 When my daughter gave me my 5 year journal my for birthday I was excited to begin my own commitment of writing so that my grandchildren will someday read about my life in a fun way. I will try to remember to include details about this time, things we've done and the people in my life who influence me. The movies that are popular, technology changes (boy, won't they laugh at that some day) and the mundane daily rituals we have.  With the journal lying on my nightstand it's been easy to jot a few lines down every night. It only takes a moment. But it has inspired me to take more time to journal write. I wrote in my journal last week and realized that in 2012 I only wrote one time!
One time!
That's terrible. That is going to change.
So though I do not make new year's resolutions, I do sometimes make goals and this is my goal:
To write nightly in my 5 year journal.
To journal at least once a week. 

The best remedy for a sad mood.....

.......Spending the whole day with this sweet face!

We had pancakes together.

We pulled weeds.

We planted a fall garden.

We got dirty and had ants crawling in our hair.

We harvested cucumbers and tomatoes and peas and blackberries and pears.

So many snuggles and laughs.

And that's how you get rid of some sadness and realize how rich your life is.

I shed some tears today. And yesterday. Maybe even tomorrow.

I've been holding a lot inside lately. This is never a good idea and gets me no where on my path of progression that I crave. But a dear friend helped open the faucet for me and this is when I realized how much I need to put my big girl panties on, figure out what's hurting me at the core and be open and willing to move through this.

Life is good and I am blessed every day. Today it was my friend. She really knows me and loves me in spite of my imperfections.

I've had a lot of loss and struggle this last year. I've felt the weight of these losses for quite some time, and small losses pile on top of the big ones and I feel it all creeping up on me in a sad way. I feel a deep loneliness that I can't figure out.

Tomorrow is a new day. I will make some new commitments to myself. I will take the time for myself that I need in order to move through.

Catching Up

Major posting updates going on tonight. I finally uploaded the pictures from my camera and I still have some more to post.

Before and after shots of the basement coming soon......

Holy Toledo....well, really it was Perrysburg

Me and Emilia took a trip to visit my friend, Kelly. She lives in Perrysburg, Ohio, which is just outside Toledo, Ohio. Me and Emilia laughed that you can't say or think of Toledo without at least thinking of the phrase "Holy Toledo". 

I dare you to try!

We had quite the adventure getting there. We took the red eye flight to Detroit.

HATE the red eye.

Then rented a car and drove an hour.

Perrysburg is the cutest town.

Very Americana.

I loved it there.

But I'm sure the unseasonably mild temperatures helped my love of Ohio that week.

It was so wonderful to see my friend, Kelly!

JOY!

Emilia was such a treasure to bring along. She took Kelly's kids every day for an adventure. They went to a movie, swimming, kids museum, playing in the park, out for ice cream and clothes shopping! I know Kelly appreciated that the kids had some time out of the house to run and do some fun things. I took the kids to the library one afternoon while Emilia napped and we all went out to breakfast one day and lunch in the park on our last day. 

Kelly and I had some time together while the kids were out. One day we got some iced chai and sat by the river. We did a little shopping here and there....I loved every place we went. Even the small town hardware store that we both found many treasures. 

Kelly and Kevin have a beautiful house with a great piece of property. Kevin got the go-cart out for Emilia to take the kids out riding. He made some paths in the overgrown grass at the back of their property. Emilia and the girls had a blast riding. 

/

 On the path in the field.

Emilia's itchy back after lots of go-cart riding. 

I guess the combination of grasses, bugs and go-cart friction caused quite the rash.

Beach Retreat

This was my heavenly view for my afternoon of reading in Manzanita, OR on Friday. It was a beautiful sunny day sandwiched between two rainy days. But I loved every minute of my retreat.

My first night was spent with Savannah. We arrived late, settled in, made brownies and relaxed in the hot tub. We slept in late and spent the morning in town before she headed home. This left me with 24 hours of complete solitude and no car! I walked the beach, got a massage, had tea in town and did so much reading I had to go back into town the next morning and find a new book because I finished the one I brought. Friday afternoon Mario showed up and we went on a bike ride, visited the farmers market and had dinner in town. The next  morning we made breakfast with our amazing peppered bacon and potatoes bought at the farmer's market, (as well as our own home grown eggs). We made a stop in Seaside, then stopped in Astoria to visit some of my favorite clients/now friends. I brought their kids jaw breakers, which they promptly made into a white, chalky candy mess all over me! In spite of the rain it was a lovely day.

It was just the medicine I needed after a few stressful weeks and the last 6 months on call! I've got one more week off call. We are heading to a family wedding in Utah this weekend and I'm going to try real hard to squeeze in a trip to my favorite Korean spa next week. I also have a reservation for a kayak trip around Willamette Falls on Monday night. I hope the weather holds out until then!

The Kelli/y's

I feel like I've whined about losing some really great friends who moved away. Each one has felt significant and I've mourned the loss, knowing the relationship will never be the same. For some reason these losses have felt bigger than they should have. I feel there must be a reason for this, but I don't fully understand why.

Kelly, baby C, Kelli, Kate

I met Kelly when I interviewed her to be my new apprentice. In hindsight, it was significant that my midwifery partner at the time, Kate, could not be at the interview so I did it myself. Kate would move away shortly after that. And I would evolve into a midwife that didn't have a partner and ended up liking it that way. And Kelly would evolve into being more than an apprentice through that journey with me.

This is what I remember about my first time meeting Kelly.
  ** She was wearing a brown skirt from Old Navy that I had hanging in my closet.
  ** She talked about hating running.

This is what is so funny about those two things.
  ** On more than one occasion she arrived at my door wearing almost the exact thing I was wearing and I would quickly change my clothes before our client arrived. I stopped wearing the brown Old Navy skirt for this reason. At a home visit I put on her fleece jacket and wondered why my keys were no longer in the pocket, because it was the same color and brand as mine. And a client's husband once asked us if that was our "uniform" because we were wearing such similar clothing.
  **That traitor ended up running the Portland Marathon. And I loved hearing about every detail of it.

I'm sure it was not easy for our clients to have two midwives with the same name. But no one complained. And we became the Kelli/y's, especially to our client's children. It was such an endearing term. As time went on we became more than teacher and apprentice. We grew as midwives and friends. We went through some hard things, both personally and professionally. And one thing I always knew was that no matter how much Kelly loved living in Portland, she missed her family in Ohio more. She struggled with where to settle and what she would have to give up no matter where she landed.

It was no surprise to me when her family decided it was time to go. And no surprise when things fell in place for that to happen, as they do when things are meant to be.

This is what was a surprise to me. How much we had in common. How much I relied on her. How much I took for granted that she lived right across the river. How hard it would be to say goodbye.

As she spent her last weeks saying goodbye to friends, crying, grieving, questioning, I spent the last few weeks trying to cheer her up and support her and deny that this was going to be the hardest goodbye of all. So in the last week, each time I saw her, I just made another plan to see her again. It was easier to serve her than it was to talk about her or to her.

The last thing I did for her was to clean out her refrigerator. I told her this was my least favorite job in the world. My own refrigerator at home, smelly and dirty. I hoped she knew this was how much I loved her. Because we didn't have that kind of relationship before, where we said I love you and how much I appreciate you and you are one of my best friends. But that's how it ended up.

And then it was time. Time to give a hug and say goodbye. Knowing this would certainly NOT be the last time we saw each other. And yet knowing that things would be different. But hopeful that the change would be good.

She is going to cry when she reads this. But that's not why I wrote it. I wrote it for me. Because it was time.

R, baby L, Megan, Kelli & Kelly

 In my office with my new apprentice, Megan and the Kelli/y's.

New Year Reflections

I don't like to make New Year's resolutions. I feel like that is a big set up to fail. But I do appreciate the chance for a fresh start and a time to reflect on the past and future.

This last year I took the opportunity to use my time off call by traveling and visiting friends. We went to Utah to be with Mario's family. I always love my time with them. While there I met up with my friend, Stefani. It was great to spend a day swimming with her and her kids. On the way home from Utah we spent a weekend in Joseph, OR surrounded by many friends we consider family. What an amazing weekend that was! So great that Me, Emilia, Calli and Cleo went back for a girls weekend at the end of the summer. There was also a couple of beach trips, a mountain weekend, a spa weekend and Great Wolf Lodge. It is so important to take the time to get away when most of your time is spent on call. Being on call is something that no one can truly understand or appreciate unless they've been there.

This next year I really hope to find the time and money to take a "real" vacation.....and by real I mean no kids, sandy beaches and sun for at least one week. I don't think this will be the year for my New York trip, but that will happen!

I also made it to Nashville twice in 2010 to visit family. One visit was a Midwifery conference that I combined with a trip to my sister's. Her husband is battling cancer and I was so grateful to have that time with her and her family. As my wonderful brother in law and my own father continue to battle this disease of cancer I am filled with an awareness of the healing power of God and the precious moments we have on earth. I am trying my best to let go of petty grievances and focus on the good of people and the joy that fills my life. It is not always an easy task, but one that I am putting on the top of my list for 2011.

We also enjoyed many visits to our home from far away family. We loved having them and welcome them with open arms whenever they want to come back!

In 2010 I did something that I thought I would never do. I signed up for a boot camp and stuck with it for 12 weeks. It kicked my butt (even though I only lost a few pounds). At times I was frustrated that I didn't loose weight, but mostly I felt so good I just kept going back. My teacher has continued a workout class throughout the winter that I have been going to 2-3 times a week. 

For 2011 I hope to continue with my commitment to a healthier lifestyle. To exercise, eat local and healthy food and enjoy life. I want to get back to my meditation practice. I want to consistently get to bed earlier. I want to craft more, journal more, blog more. I want to learn something new.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Why or why not?

My Birthday Blessings

The day before my birthday I went out with a friend to a gluten free bakery. I picked out three items. Hey, it was my birthday and I wanted to indulge. I meant to save one of my treats for the next day. Instead I tasted each item. My favorite was the pumpkin doughnut, so of course I ate the whole thing. The whoopie pie was intensely rich, so I shared it with my friend. That left the cookie, which wasn't bad, but wasn't great, either. Then I had a bite of my friends cupcake. Wow! That was good. So I ordered one to save for my birthday.

I didn't expect my sweet daughter to think of making me a gluten free birthday treat. But that's what she did. While I was out with Mario for my birthday breakfast she made me gluten free brownies and cupcakes. It was incredibly thoughtful! And delicious! I think she felt bad because at my birthday dinner with my mom the week before I could only eat two items that my mom made.

The girls each got me a gift that I had wanted. The movie "Babies" from Savannah. And from Emilia a set of tea cups that she knew I liked at "World Market". They are both so thoughtful and it warms my heart to see how much joy they receive from giving.

Pre-Christmas Chaos

I'm not there yet, 
but I'm heading that way!

Grown-Up Christmas List

 

My Grown-up Christmas List

Cancer to stop growing in the people I love

Relationships to be healed

My children to be healthy and find happiness

  There would be enough money to heal the sick

and feed the poor

And I do want my husband to build me a proper chicken coop.

I'm tired of chasing dogs and chickens all day!

What is on your grown-up 

Christmas list?

I love Amy Grant, but I especially like her Christmas music. Here is one of my favorite Christmas songs:
 

Sleep Study

I had my sleep study last night. I had an appointment for 6 weeks from now, but I asked to be put on a wait list to get in earlier because I am off call right now. I didn't expect to get a call just a few hours after I made the appointment! I had to say no to that one, but then got called two days later. With not much time to prepare I didn't get the sleeping pill that was recommended. I did have a killer headache and postponed taking my medication for that until bedtime because it usually makes me very sleepy.

Well, I was incredibly tired, but DID NOT sleep. The sleep study is useless if you don't sleep. I am frustrated that I didn't take the time to get the sleeping pill, and for feeling like I probably wasted my entire sleepless night and won't get an accurate account of my sleeping issues.

I wish I didn't have this sleep anxiety that makes it difficult to sleep in unusual situations. I spent the night telling myself to GO TO SLEEP which made it even more difficult to get the task done. OK, and look at that picture of me. It was very uncomfortable to have wires attached to my entire body (even my legs had attachments), belts across my chest and stomach, and the worst of all.....things in my nose! I already have issues with my nose itching all the time. I thought those were going to drive me insane!

So today I feel the same as I do when I've been up all night at a birth! But with a lot more frustration. And wondering if I will have to repeat this test or just not get the results I was hoping to.

I will say one thing for sure, if I need to repeat the sleep study I will be taking major drugs.

Fitness Camp

I did it!

I took the leap and signed up!

Got my butt out of bed at 5:30am
on Memorial day...

And I keep going back for more!

I was so afraid to try, but now that I've done it I feel good. Everyday I come home sore and tired, but energized by my morning workout. I'm pretty much the oldest and least fit in the class, but I don't care. I'm there trying every day. I am happy with my progress. Some days I've even come home and taken the dog out for a walk. Some of our off days I have still gotten up early to walk/run or yoga.

Tootin' my own horn now...

Yeah me!!

The title is a little misleading, because the book isn't really about God. It is about meditation and spiritual practices. The book is based on the authors scientific studies of how meditation and other spiritual practices can permanently strengthen neural functioning in specific parts of the brain that aid in lowering anxiety and depression, enhancing social awareness and empathy, and improving cognitive functioning

It's a heavy scientific book, but it's content keeps me interested. I got it from the library, but I think I'm going to have to buy my own copy so I can mark it up and take my time finishing it. Plus it was due back to the library yesterday and I was unable to renew it online. I guess there is a waiting list for it.

I can't stop talking about this book! I am so intrigued by the power of our brain and how little we understand about that power. We have the power to change our brain, therefore to change our life!

I have always believed in the power of positive thinking. I had the same reaction when I read The Secret. What we think and what we believe is who we are. Focusing on this has helped me immensely in my struggle to overcome depression. As I have spent the last three weeks meditating on positive attributes I have come to appreciate myself and my world even more.

Last week was a particularly difficult week. I knew some particular things were going to be hard and I was mentally preparing myself. I chose to meditate daily (the book suggests that changes do not occur unless there is a minimum of 12 minutes of meditation daily). During this meditation I focused on LOVE. I am love and I am loved.

During the conflicts I was able to maintain my sense of self, of love and empathy and being present in the moment. I was able to communicate my feelings and to hear others feelings without judgment. It brought me closer to my husband in a way that I have not felt in a long time. It allowed him to be open and honest, too. I am so grateful for the challenge and the way I went through it, because by the end of the week I knew without any doubt that I was stronger because of it.

Finding some Peace

The last few days have been emotional.

Ok, it IS that time of the month, but that's not the only reason. There's been drama in the family. My life used to be FILLED to the brim with drama. I dumped that crap and have spent a good deal of energy healing and finding balance. When the crap comes back in I am sensitive to it's effects on me.

My midwifery community lost a friend yesterday. She was young (my age :). I went to high school with her, where we were both in the dance community, but we weren't close friends. In the midwifery community you don't have to be close friends to have a bond. The passion for the job is enough to bring you together with a deep caring. The fact that this woman died of a stroke, leaving a loving family motherless is heart wrenching to me.

I have friends in Haiti right now. Reading their stories fills me with sorrow and joy. The people of Haiti are joyful and gracious, but they are suffering beyond anything I can even imagine. I am nervous about going, yet I know I need to go and try to make a difference, to help just a little.

So after a good talk with a friend today, (who seems to always be available to me and willing to listen...thanks!) I feel much better and gained a great deal of perspective. I left the conversation filled with hope. I am working towards love to those who have offended. I am feeling strong about who I am and my family structure and our choices. I will tell myself every day that I can have love towards the people who hurt me, because I know they are hurting, too. And I KNOW this is NOT about me.

On the drive to a home visit I was enjoying the drive, enjoying the scenery and feeling good. I thought about my own midwife and how much she meant to me. I enjoyed our relationship and she holds a special place of honor in my heart and in our family. It made me appreciate my job so much! What a unique honor it is to be invited into the sacred bubble of birthing at home. Each family teaches me, touches me and I love them for the gifts they give me. And I felt joy at believing that some of them will think of me fourteen years from now and still remember that most amazing day of their baby's birth, and that I was a part of it. It's not about me! But I'm so glad I was there.

CASA

I've been feeling a little lost lately. Too much time on my hands and feeling the need to do something important. Raising my children has been my most important job. I've held that position for almost 23 years, and have about 5 years to go until "retirement". I say that in jest, because those of us who are parents know that the job never ends. But the every day responsibilities do decline. I'm not needed much around here anymore.

After months of consideration I decided to take the plunge and train to be a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in Clackamas County. The training will take me about three months (about 40 hours of training) to finish. I will be sworn in by a judge and then anxiously receive my first case. Unfortunately there are many children waiting for a CASA.

I'm almost half way through my training to be a CASA volunteer. Through this training I have learned quite a bit about the court system, DHS, and how these systems works. But I feel like I have so much more to learn. Part of our training is to attend at least four hours of court proceedings. I have not done this yet and feel like when I do I will gain a better perspective of the role that a CASA plays not only in court, but in the role of advocate for the child.

This training is intense and forces you to look at what you know, where you came from and to identify your biases. Everyone has biases. In this job you can not ignore that and have to confront what your biases are.

One of the things I have learned about is MSL. This is an acronym for Minimum Sufficient Level. This is the lowest possible standard that a child can live within and still be safe and cared for. This standard is NO WHERE NEAR how you or I live. It is sad.

But the thing that I really understand now? Children want to live with their parents. They will choose living with their parents in a car over living in a nice house with strangers, even if that nice house is warm and filled with good food and lots of toys. The goal is to remove the danger from the child. If the state can not accomplish this, then they must remove the child from the danger. This is traumatic to the child and begins a cycle of grief. The average length of time the child stays in the system before being returned home or finding a permanent living situation is 18 months! That is a long time for a child. Yet in the court system this is considered speedy.

The other thing I understand better? Most parents who have had their children removed LOVE their children as much as I love my children, and they want their children back home. They just have to overcome some insurmountable obstacles to accomplish that. The good news? This is what the state and the courts desire; to reunite families.

Challenging? I'd say so. Some days I think I'm crazy for pursuing this non paying job. But no doubt I'm learning and growing and hope to make a difference.

Mt. Hood Weekend

We went to our favorite cabin in the woods again this year. It's so nice to get away and relax. We watched movies by the fire, melted in the hot tub and ate some good food. That's about it.

Lots of little details in the bed and breakfast. The owners even took the time to make me gluten free scones that were amazing!

This was for fun...

The perfect size treat....except you're not supposed to eat two of them!

The day we left we made the mistake of taking a look at a house that was for sale down the street from the cabin we stayed in. We even called the realtor to look inside because the house was adorable, the property was beautiful, the price was amazing and it sat right on the Sandy river. This is the view from the front of the house. I fell in love and am now cursing myself for stopping there.

I've had this inner dialogue since we drove away.

1.
Manifest it with all your heart,
believe it will happen
and make it happen.

2.
There is no way we could ever manage to swing it.



It can't really work when both thoughts are competing for power.
But if you're interested in joining forces and buying a piece of property on Mt. Hood we are entertaining the idea of a partnership in order to do so.
All reasonable offers will be considered. ;)

As a woman lives, so shall she birth.

One of my new favorite blogs is The Gift of Giving Life. It is an LDS woman who writes about birth. Hmmm...I wonder why it's one of my favorites. I love finding LDS women who think and feel the same way I do. I often feel like an anomaly within my religious community, like I'm different and don't belong. So to find like minded women who can thoughtfully express some of the things that I feel is refreshing.

In her last blog post she quoted this "As a woman lives, so shall she birth". And followed that by an exercise she participated in during a yoga retreat she is on. The exercise follows:

First, we had to think of the most difficult thing we have gone through in our life, and then think of how we dealt with it.
Then we had to pair off and share.
We each talked for a couple of minutes. It was good.
There were some tears. I'm amazed at what the woman across from me had been through.
And i think we all realized that what we did then was similar to how we got through or will get through birth.

This got me thinking. It is important to look at the difficult times in our life and then look at how we dealt with it. We have all experienced hard times. And we have survived. I don't know about you, but I feel pretty powerful when I think of myself surviving some of the hard times. I am a strong woman who has done some amazing things. Birthing four children was pretty powerful. Raising them...even more so! Looking inside of ourselves and finding our strength, our courage, our successes helps us to continue on this journey and keep surviving our failures, our pain and the inevitable difficult times.

Living out of my Suitcase

I saved some money last year so I could take a vacation to Mexico with my husband.

That didn't work out.

He got a job instead.

Really, I couldn't have gone to Mexico whether he got a job or not. How could I justify traveling while he was unemployed. Maybe we'll go to Mexico next year. I did not want to waste my time off call just sitting home catching up on my DVR que. I planned several mini-vacay's and had the opportunity to visit many friends that I don't get to see very often.

I hit the road...

My first stop was to visit my dear friend, Stefani.

Doesn't she look wonderful!!!! I got to see her in action as a cheerleading coach. We got fancy pedicures with snowflakes on our big toes. We went to a movie and out to eat. And we hung out. All that in two days! It was wonderful to see her.

After Christmas I headed up to Olympia Washington to visit Alida. Alida and I became friends when she moved into our ward many years ago. I was her doula for her first birth and I love her dearly. Her family has moved all over the place since she left the NW many years ago. But now they have settled just a couple hours north and it was great to spend the afternoon with her and her delightful children.


While in Olympia I also treated myself to a visit to the Olympus Spa. It is a women's only Korean spa. I spent two hours soaking in tubs, sweating in the earth rooms and meditating. It was wonderfully relaxing.

I went straight from Olympia to Seaside, Oregon, via Portland, OR to pick up my friends. We could not have picked a better weekend to head to the coast. The weather was a sunny and warm 62 degrees. In the middle of January!!!

That sweater I'm wearing? Yeah, it was gone just a few minutes after this picture was taken. It really was warm. And have you noticed I'm wearing it in every picture in every trip? Weird!


Mario and I headed to Richland, WA again to help Stefani celebrate her 40th birthday. She truly was surprised and I think she had a wonderful time. Her husband put on a great party. Mario's the one who loves to dance, but due to a knee injury we spent most of our time sitting and visiting. But we did get out on the floor for "Celebrate" and "YMCA".

Next stop-Nashville, Tennesee

I got to spend time with Jensen and Kamarie

and Lucy and Lane

But the best part was hanging with my sister and friend!

We haven't seen each other in three years so there was lots of catching up to do. And one of the things we both love to do, especially with each other, is just to hang out and do nothing but talk. So that's what we did most of the time.

Lisa was generous enough to share with me a gift certificate she received to a beautiful spa. We spent the day being pampered. Robes and all! It was heaven.

My daughters have been feeling a little left out of my travels so we are going to try to spend some time together this weekend. The last weekend of the month is reserved for my husband. Then it will be back to work for me. But that's ok. I do love my job.

Oh, and I told my husband the other day that it probably would have been cheaper to spend a week in Mexico. Oh, well.