Hello, August!

August, that summer month that seems like endless heat .... for me, when August rolls around I am always wishing for September 15th. By then our temps get lower and its a relief not to run our AC units all night long.

Each day in August, I try to opt for small projects, a little DIY, and maybe painting a few rocks.  Something to feed my creative soul. 

Lately, making good choices with my time between my own needs and her needs, it can be a delicate balance.  With high temps, I try to be home before the afternoon heat becomes unbearable.  Drivers are cranky, no need for me to be out in traffic!!

I found eight pieces of mesquite in the garage, probably intended for some project or other, and decided to paint them up. No idea what I'll do with them, but I like the creative process!

As We Age

While things may seem to change, I can't help but wonder if what truly changes is our perspective.  Things dont look the same to me as they did 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago! 

On this 66th birthday, I look back at a lot of things.  Dealing with my mom has me looking at things in a different way.

Mom was raised on a farm, with 4 siblings, but married and moved away from MN to Cali.  We visited MN about every 4 years, taking 3 weeks or so to do it.  We visited relatives and they all dropped their lives for the week or so while we did " family things".  

But as I look back, was it something the siblngs did for the baby sister?  Because they knew it was what ahe wanted? Expected?  

Which brings me around to being raised by a mom with such definitive expectations.  Even now, she wants to make a big deal out of my birthday,  and I barely acknowledge it.  Its the same with holidays ... I dont need an enforced holiday to celebrate occasions.  

When you're divorced with kids, if a holiday is on a visitation day, you just wait it out til they're home, then you celebrate.  Many times I've had Thanksgiving on a Saturday, Christmas on New Years.  I don't know what drives mom to enforce holidays on the exact day, and maybe I don't really need to know.  I just find it so ... odd.

So as I look back on another year gone by, I reflect on life's changes, and am thankful for being me, with all my quirks, that I'm still able to keep an eye out for life's little magic moments. 

Find some magic today!