Tales of the Ordinary Days

Day 22 | 30 Days of Writing Zeke enjoying his chewy stick at Uncle Matt's house Day 2 in Kingman, Arizona. My brother, Matt, has now said on at least a couple of occasions, "Today was a perfect day." And that it was. We hung out all day with Zeke as the center of our attention. From football watching to dog walks, light conversations were ongoing with a set agenda non-existent. My husband, the Purdue grad, was very happy with the main game outcome today. Zeke didn't take sides, although he does now have his first two team bandanas to wear proudly on game days. These gifts from Uncle Matt include a blue NAU and a golden Iowa number. Matt worked on his bike in the garage for bits of the afternoon while Mom and I sat at the table with computer and iPads. Football games were on at least three TV/device screens throughout the day. Zeke rotated from garage to the living room to the backyard, depending on the human of interest and doggy desire of the moment. ...

Day 21 | 30 Days of Writing The parents We made it to Kingman, AZ. It's been way too long. I love both the laid back pace and the great company. Now not only do I get to spend time with my parents, but my newly Arizona transplanted brother, Matt, as well. About a month ago when we were planning this trip, my father-in-law, Larry, was waffling on joining us. His reasons were valid, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I really wanted our road trip to happen and to have Larry be a part of it. After a lengthy discussion, listening through his list of pros and cons, I finally came clean with him. "You've never met my parents. It would really mean a lot to me for you and my parents to meet. This may be the only chance." My parents are perfectly happy in their new house and are done with the hassles of TSA and airports. We now go to them rather than them to us. Fair enough. I owe them big for all the times they bailed me out when the boys were growing up ...

Day 9 | 30 Days of Writing In my Day 7 blog  September 15, 2018 Blog Post , I promised the play-by-play of our beloved 2009 Road Trip. I have been planning for years to write about this favorite adventure and had asked my mom a few years back to send me her memories as well. Nine years later, here are the tidbits of both my mom and my recollections. I don't remember every detail, but the one thing I do remember is that we laughed, a lot. Day One - 7/5/2009 - Las Vegas, NV Mom : <she provided no comment on this day, so assume had nothing of note to contribute> Me : I flew into the Las Vegas airport and we stayed with brother Mark and his family who were living in Henderson, NV at the time. After a good night's sleep, we started our adventure the next morning. [Sidebar: I really have no recollection of getting picked up at the airport or getting up the next morning, but assumed it did happen.] Day Two - 7/6/2009 - Northward through Nevada and Eastern Oregon to ...

Day 8 | 30 Days of Writing Day One of the Summer Road Trip of 2009 (our launch lunch in LV before Mom, Dad and I headed north - note atlas in the background) A week from today, we will be taking off for a two-week road trip. With our dog, Zeke, and my father-in-law, Larry, in tow, we will start a two-week adventure. I couldn't be more excited. My last true road trips, taking in the beauty of the US for an extended period, was in the summers of 2009 and 2010. And they were glorious. The circumstances were completely different, but I am hopeful that the outcome will be the same; enjoying the company of the ones I love while taking in the precious moments in life that collectively make the best memories. 2009 was a rough year for me. Technically divorced in all ways except the paperwork wasn't completed. There was a parenting plan dictated by the same courts in charge of the pending paperwork that including a month in the summer that the boys stayed with their dad rath...

Caption of photo: Miss Daisy Driving (Zach and my recent Vegas/Arizona road trip to visit my parents) A friend recently posted a quote that has stuck with me. "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey Too often, I have let my schedule run my life. Not always, but more in my past than I'd like to admit. And I am not in the minority with this offense. It is more common for people to let their days run them, rather than them running their days. Priorities. This last month has been a win for me in the priority management category. There were many great times with my husband, kids, parents, friends. This feat did require planes and a lot of careful planning, but a success. Zach has turned the page to 24, Ben safely past the age of 21, and Grant a golden 17. Although my three sons live in three cities, we found a way to uniquely celebrate each April birthday. My husband finished his teaching st...

Mom firing up her vintage Singer for some repair work on Garrett's jeans Day 74 was full of sunshine in beautiful Arizona. Mom, Dad, Garrett, and I kicked back and enjoyed exercise, activities, and lots of great conversations. Mom and I started with an early Silver Sneakers class at her gym. Kip led us in a strength-training class with a group of about a dozen. With some hyped-up oldies music, we got our strength on. Dad got in his many walks for the day and Garrett and I both found time to enjoy a run in the Arizona sunshine. Health is very important to my parents. They have their daily activities that keep their bodies fit and eating habits exemplify clean living. I often remark that my mom has always been ahead of the pack in understanding the good and the bad on the health spectrum. She defined 'clean eating' while we were all consuming mounds of processed, fat-free foods in the 90's. In the 70's my mom was 'uncool' at the pool, wearing a flop...

Windshield view from Vegas to Kingman "Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated." A friend shared this quote in mid-December and it has resonated with me ever since. Just coming off a life change in leaving a job very abruptly, my feelings were many and mixed. The remaining December was a bit of a blur for me. As the CPU in my brain went into overdrive, over-analyzing the details of my departure, this simple quote kept coming back to me. I lost sight of this quote as my 90 days off became an adventure over the last month or so. But after spending a day observing and listening to my parents and husband, the importance of these words couldn't have come across to me any stronger. So simple, but so true. Is a relationship ever fulfilling when you feel tolerated and not celebrated? The answer is never. I run into this far too often with people staying in the same organizations or in the same relationships for far too long. And it really is all about...

Thanksgiving 2009 My parents were married on Thanksgiving Day 1964. Although their anniversary rarely lands on the Thursday of Thanksgiving, it's an anniversary to remember. It was always odd to me that they chose this busy day to get married. My mom's story is that it was Grandma who thought this would be an ideal day for a wedding. A day that most family and friends would already be home so to save a trip. Aunt Joan tells a different story. "Having a wedding on Thanksgiving was a bad idea. People wanted to be at home." Regardless, I am sure it was beautiful and those who attended had a great time. As we talked about more recent Thanksgivings of past, I was reminded of another anniversary. Mom and Dad met Garrett for the first time four years ago on Thanksgiving Day. Although this may sound like a non-eventful anniversary; as do most things in my life, it came with twists. Similar to this Thanksgiving which has brought me to my family in Dallas, our 2009 T...

Date night conversation Thursday night was date night. On this particular evening, Garrett and I chose sushi with a little wine for me and beer for him. As always, date night was our time to talk about anything and everything with no interruptions. No kids. No guests to entertain and no agenda. An open forum to enjoy each other's company. We have solved many of life's problems out to dinner alone or on a long road trip. The topics vary and we never lack for conversation. Just as it should be. Although we talked about many things on our most recent date, the topic that stuck with me was centered on happiness. What makes us happy? How do we gauge our own happiness? A recent article I read on the subject brought some good thoughts to our discussion. I asked Garrett to tell me, at that moment his happiness factor. And then on a scale from one to ten, I asked him to estimate mine. The conversation that followed revolved around what impacted this factor. An honest conversat...