Love My Glasses

These are my new Warby Parker glasses.  I love how black glasses they look.  I also love that Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses for every pair purchased.

I got the Coltons in Revolver Black Crystal

 Every time I take my glasses off I worry about the little girl with no money for glasses.  She has such bad eyesight that if she could go to school, she wouldn't be able to see anything. 

So thanks Warby Parker for giving sight to someone in need.  It's one thing to be blind.  It's another to just need corrective lenses.

Today is Wednesday and I Love Wednesday

We sent J packing Monday!  To Hawaii!  And work is paying for it?  Lucky dog!
We'll grudgingly hold down the fort for the next week while we freeze.  And work on getting us moved up north.

Today I got the best piece of junk mail ever.  It says "read before discarding".  I love it!  How can you not? 
And speaking of junk mail.  Why does Honda send me envelopes that look like junk mail.  I put aside an envelope for a month before I deigned to open it.  Luckily I didn't trash it because it notified me of a recall on my car.  Nothing big, but yikes!  Can you get some more formal envelopes that say "read before discarding"  or "this is real mail.  not junk." 

I guess I'll know next time. 

In other news, Gwyn hides in the closet and watches Barney.  Granted, that's where the comfy pile is.  But Barney?  Yuck.  She knows that I forget that I gave her my ipod and that there's a better chance for her to get more viewing time in if she's out of sight.  Yikes. 

I'm super stoked because I made all the hard phone calls today for moving.  The ones that involve people and buying a house.  Those are the kind of calls I can put off for forever.  So pat on the back for me for behaving like a grown up, calling strangers, and letting them know how little I know about buying a house and how much help I'll need to do it.  Yay me!

ps.  I made carnitas today in the crackpot.  Yum.  Want some?

Permission Granted

 

A little note from Gwyn this evening:

"I know it is time for bed.  I do not want to go to bed.  Just now.  Can I watch some more instead of stories.  Signed Gwyn.  To Parent."

My kids are awesome.  I am really enjoying them right now.  They are very self sufficient which is great.  And the hormones haven't kicked in yet, which is awesome, too.  Momhood is sweet.

Silver to Gold

photo from here.

Sometimes second place comes in first after all.  Jesse just signed the contract and we're off to Appleton, Wisconsin this summer.  And we will stay there!  It's a tenure track position at Lawrence University.  So Yay for Jesse and all the hard work he's done these past 9 years!  It sometimes felt impossible, but here we are.  In the midwest.  In cheese country.  Go Packers!

No News is...

just that.  No news. 

Having Jesse gone for last week was a little traumatic.  Then this week with the earthquake in Japan, I got over myself pretty quick.  Thank you Facebook for keeping me in touch with all of my Tokyo friends.  They're all ok.  But under a lot of stress with all the aftershocks.  Most are taking off to parts unshaken.  My heart goes out to all those who are suffering.

We still don't know what will happen next year for us.  Lots of nibbles, no bites.  And after having yet another cryfest about poor me, I think I'm done.  I think I'm really lucky to have two great kids.  They're not healthy, but a cough and sore throat seem minor.  I have a great husband who agrees with me that doing something grand for our anniversary this year seems more like a headache than a celebration.  We've planned a lunch date.  Somewhere nice (come on Groupon, help me out with this one).   I cleaned up my pantry today and I have plenty of food and toilet paper (1971 Honolulu dock strike, not that I was there but my dad was).  And the house is clean because someone came to look at it so I finally took a load to the recycling center, put empty jars down cellar, and cleaned my room.  I have a lot of big and small things to be grateful for.  So that's the news.  We are well.  We are safe.  We are happy.  We are lucky.  How are you?

Spring?

Life is getting exciting here in the midwest!  The sap is flowing, mystery bulbs are poking their heads out in the yard, and I changed my hair color from dark brown, to medium brown.  Ah!  Spring is in the air!

We sent Jesse on a spring break trip to see his brother in California.  Solo parenting has me falling on the couch at 8:30.  But pats on the back to me since we did have family night and we have been reading scriptures.  My entire goal this week:  Keep it together.  Anything accomplished is extra. 

And I'll finish with a fascinating conversation with Miriam on the walk to school last week.
"What does the Holy Ghost look like?"
I said that He is a spirit so doesn't have a body like ours.
"Well, you have to think about what his body looks like to think about what his spirit must look like.  I think the Holy Ghost is a girl."
"Hm.  I haven't heard that theory before."
"Why is the prophet always a boy."
"Well, historically there were women who were prophets."
"My teacher said that Miriam was a prophetess.  Have there ever been any women apostles?  I think that women and men should be equal.  Well, maybe five less than equal."
"Or five more."
"Yeah."


PS, if you didn't know, we're Mormon.

Some Bad, Mostly Good.

The bad news....the job in Wisconsin didn't work out.

The good news....two phone interviews for this week.  And Jesse has put out quite a few more applications.  He's been working hard.  And there are sure to be more one year positions showing up in the next month or so.  Something is bound to work out. 

More good news.  We've been boiling our sap down and making the best maple syrup ever!  I've gotten one of my friends in on the boiling fun, so no sap is going to waste.  And I'm not overwhelmed on the days its flowing like crazy.  So far, I've made almost 5 pints.  I'm getting close to my goal of making one gallon of syrup. 

The downside to all this syrup production is that we haven't made pancakes to enjoy it with!  Silly us!