Listen here, you

 Go Put On Pants is playing video games, as usual, but held a discussion with me about his affection for Shel Silverstein‘s The Giving Tree. 

“It’s so sad, though, that ending.”

“Yes. She gives and gives and gives until there’s nothing left.”

“Why would they end it like that?”

“Life is like that sometimes.”

With a twinkle in his eye he turns back to his game. “Such a sweet tree. Wish I had a mom like that.”

'Midweek fun

 I stole this from a friend's Facebook wall and have indeed tried this. It's for real and it is adorable. Give it a try and spread the word. I really hope they are keeping track of how many calls they get. We could really use the sunshine! You're welcome!

Things are getting hairy

 I keep going around and around about blogging about this. I know there's so much more important stuff going on in the world and I really do believe that hair is overrated, but in case this helps someone else feeling frustrated with theirs I'm going to go for it. 

I'm thankful that my hair came back after cancer. I am. And I was hoping that it wouldn't come back white. Or with a weird texture. And while I got all those wishes, I guess I forgot to clarify that I wanted a decent thickness. It's always been fine, but now it is also thin like old lady hair, (sorry to any old ladies who may be reading) and I'm aggravated. Again, I know it's overrated and I know our culture puts so much emphasis on hair and accessories and products and tools and styles, but mine is just... terrible. There, I said it.   

Those pictures are the same time- so I can't tell if you can see my scalp that much always or only if the lighting is especially bright. I'm hoping it's the second one. I have tons of hair around my head but it's incredibly thin up top- think a monk crossed with the Beatles! 

The flip side is that because it's so fine I can get almost all of it into one tiny barrette and the kids laugh at my inch long ponytail. I keep debating if I should chop it back off, but I'm afraid if I were to do a pixie cut that it'll be A) short and B) sparse and that my scalp will be that much more obvious! 

I asked my stylist what she thought about low maintenance cuts or styles that might help disguise my scalp and she, in all sincerity, suggested a wiglet or a topper. After a really good laugh on my part as I thought, "that's lower maintenance than I was expecting, all right," I decided I'm not ready to go that route. As they say in "Into the Woods," "we're not that miserable." Not that there's anything wrong with needing or using those tools, they're just not what I'm looking for. I never used a wig when I was bald because I couldn't be bothered, but I have since discovered that they're not for when you're bald so to speak, they're for when your hair is being ridiculous and you can't stand it anymore!

I know there's discussion elsewhere in print and online about cancer survivors and hair and how touchy all that is and how compliments are meant well... I truly believe hair afterwards is more for the people around the survivor than for the survivor themselves. At least, it is in my case. I'd be perfectly happy to have a buzzed head for the rest of forever, and those of you who've had that style know exactly why: it's so easy. There is no styling, no product to use, no bedhead, no hairs stuck in your lip/chapstick on windy days, no hairs in your eyes, no bangs to grow out. It is so freeing. But our culture seems to see healthy hair as a huge indicator of overall health, so if a survivor's hair is coming back, yay- you must be doing well!

And I am. My hair's not.

And life will go on. And I may yet tear it all out. Or buzz it back off. In the brilliant words of my friend Leslie, "having a bad hair day? Put on a hat!"

So friends, if you're struggling too, I hear you. We can rock our bandannas together. You have my permission to cut it or grow it however it makes you happy. And don't even get me started on the legal battles about schools versus students with dreadlocks because I'll never stop. That's another whole can of worms. Here's an idea. How about we all encourage each other the best ways we know how and stop worrying about other people's hair or clothes or who they love or which restroom they use or who they vote for. And on, and on, and on. How about we remember that we are all members of the human race together? How about we go out into the world and be kind?

One small problem

So I've talked before about some of my family working at Shenango China in New Castle, PA back in the day. It's always fun to find some when we're out and about at a restaurant. We used their ware at the dining hall in college. Dada found some at a local estate sale that he just had to rescue. However, since dishware runs in our family (the two of us own three entire sets jointly and there is another complete set willed to our firstborn from Nana- we have tons of dishes!), the problem has become "where in the heck do we put these!?" Every cupboard is full and the ones up high hold stuff we don't use as often but what can we put up there to make room down here and oh my stars will you please just stop buying dishes? Someone besides us needs to adopt them. Shameless plug for high quality Shenango China, but my love, we do not need to own all of it!

For more information if you're interested, click here or here  (Mom and Lainie, the second one will just hurt your heart, so don't go there.) 

 

No, we do not need an intervention

For the life of me, I can't figure out why people build walls instead of load bearing bookshelves. Seriously, we need walls of shelves. Why isn't this a thing!?

The meds bottles atop this shelf are either empty and waiting to be used or are holding seeds for the garden or flower pots. I figured it's easier to repurpose them than to get those dang labels off. They make terrific seed sorters/holders! Way better than the adorable envelopes that they come in, which the dogs chew through when they find them. 😬

Our outgrown "book nook"

Yes, that's my Cabbage Patch Kid, Alicia Lara, and a homemade Raggedy Ann from the gifted Ruth Scott. 

We don't have too many books, we seriously just need more shelves...

 

Books and friends

 I don't know how many of you use the Goodreads app and just haven't friended me, but it is a nice way to keep track of what you're reading, what your friends are reading, what you'd like to read some day in the future, and what you're done with. Plus, you can set up challenges for yourself. For 2022 I figured I'd make it through 55 books. I am already 5 books behind. I may have to start catching up with Chicken Soup with Rice ...

Anyway, here are Geoffrey and a snake whose name I don't recall being read to by yet another tiny Tino...

...whilst Grogu, Cookie, and Peanuts peruse Where's Waldo.

Eugene, Laverne, and Vincent from Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame" are enjoying one of Damon's humungous books of fun facts. I used to regularly arrange stuffed lovies when I made beds on sheet day, but since they help with that now I don't get to goof off as much. I'm hoping everyone chuckles tonight at bedtime. 

What are you reading? What are your friends reading? I've bogged down in all my stuff and need a good kick in the pants. Lemme know when you find something good!

Simple pleasures

 

In their case, "simple" is apt. Between the two of them, they might possess three brain cells, but we're not even sure about that. Still, they are affectionate. Even if they're noisy, muddy, shedding, slobbery, and generally underfoot. *siiiiiiigh*

It tickles me that our kids participate in naming our vehicles. My parents always had named cars, so I named my first one and went from there. We've been fortunate to have Pepe the Pilot for 16 years now. He is not allowed to ever, ever die. 

Green, growing things, especially in sunshine, are among my very favorite things in the whole world. I love seeing sun on leaves! These guys hold down one of our nightstands. 

These are some of the many rocks and seashells I've collected over the years. I know it isn't classy to keep them in empty Jif jars, but they make excellent door stops. This is part of our beach themed room, so come on over and play with our shells and rocks yourself!

And blue glass. Something about cobalt glass is just so pretty. Good thing I married a glass guy, haha!

Happy birthday, Grandma Barb!

Today's Grandma Barb's birthday, so we have to have cake, of course, and it has to be chocolate. =) We miss you and love you! Happy birthday to you!

 

Variety is the spice of life

 Ohio proves that, every spring. Again and again…

A distinct possibility

 After praying over the Ukraine tonight, Liam asks, “what kind of name is Vladimir anyway? Sounds like it should be a vampire. Or maybe that’s the Count. Vladimiiiir Chocuuuuula…”

Apparently life IS a bowl of cherries…

 One of the People that I live with prefers to lounge around the house in underpants. I’ve always heard there are people who like to do that but have never lived with one until now. I shall call this child Go Put On Pants. 

I did some grocery shopping today along with running other errands, and on a whim picked up a jar of maraschino cherries. I don’t eat them, but certain others of These People do, so I placed them on a shelf in the pantry and chuckled to myself, thinking I’d get to surprise someone and add some cherries to their ice cream. 

Several hours later, I attempt to open the fridge and immediately recoil because there is something sticky all along the handle. Our fridge is black so there was no telltale color to give away what the culprit may have been. I protest, “EWWW!” and grab the wash cloth that is three feet from the fridge, wipe it down, and move on.

Fast forward to tonight when Go Put On Pants starts ladling ice cream into a bowl. I head into the pantry… and there is no jar of cherries. Where is the jar of cherries? I feel like the butcher’s wife in “Into the Woods”; “five gold pieces? Where are the five gold pieces?”

I check the shelves above and below, I check behind things (I am a mom, and I know how this works), and I stand there, stymied. I bought those today. Today! Where did they go?! Dada pokes his head in to ask what I’m doing and I explain that I can’t find the jar of cherries that I put RIGHT THERE. 

“You bought them today?”

“Yes! I bought them TODAY!”

I step out of the pantry and holler, “Go Put On Pants, did you get into the cherries?!”

“I only had twoooooo!”

“Where are they?!”

“I put them in the fridge!”

Mysteries solved. I am outmaneuvered yet again!