Hello, my name is Eliza.  I am an addict.  I have been on Pinterest for four days and I can’t stop.  With only four days left of school and nothing on the immediate horizon except grad school research papers (and who wants to do that when you could be Mod Podging you plastic shelving units?!) I have allowed myself to finally give in to the Pinterest craze.  

We could hear the music pouring from the gym as we walked down the hallway.  But the time my second graders were lined up outside the gym waiting for the previous class to finish, they were all be-bopping along with the music.  All, that is, but my line leader.  He just stood with his arms crossed.  To the delight of his peers behind him, I gently took hold of his arms and made him wave and jive to the rhythm of the music.  

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Most of us celebrate Christmas in December. Some add an additional “Christmas in July” festivity to their calendar. But to me, Christmas, or at least the childish-anticipation-of-a-big-event part of Christmas, comes every spring. Today is my favorite day of the year. By a landslide. Today is planting day!!

Today I get to go to my little piece of heaven on earth, the nursery. I get to look at all the flowers in bloom, the sprouts of vegetables, the perennials. The color alone makes me praise God for His creation! The Mister had asked a few weeks ago how much money I needed for my spring trip and I had quickly rattled off a number. But as I have been working on my list over the past week, I realize I forgot about the window boxes, the planters by the garage, the deck plants…I had only given him the amount I spend on the garden itself. He will have sticker shock when he accompanies me to paradise today. But just like the child whose list for Santa is a bit long, I hope he says, “Yes, you can get it all”.

Every year I get giddier. I worked the first couple years on the front flower beds, and this year we have been watching all the perennials peek through, already looking beautiful! We have added things here and there and to watch the evolution of our landscape delights my soul. We both love sitting on the deck, talking about “what next”.

Today, my to do list is long. It will start with waking the neighbors too early because I promised myself I would mow the yard before heading to the nursery and I don’t want to wait one second more. Our day will end with a beverage on the deck, looking out over our home, our yard, our little mimic of Eden. I can’t say I won’t get a little teary eyed. The best part of my Christmas in Spring is that it isn’t over after just one day! Tomorrow I get to enjoy it all over again!

Happy Spring!!

No wonder it is so hard (and expensive!) to get organized these days!

I’ve told the story before, of how The Mister and I both lived in the same exact small town in Pennsylvania, only he moved there and I moved to Michigan. Sigh. Ships in the night. Anyway, it still strikes us from time to time when we get talking about Inge we miss or remember, and it turns out to be the same things!

Flash was off to PA for spring break with his dad and all The Mister and I could think about was how to get him to bring back some of the things we missed most. Dealing with a not-so-amused teenager, we quickly narrowed the list down. We had to threaten, somewhat jokingly, that we wouldn’t pick him up from the airport if he didn’t bring back our request.

Much to our delight, he humoresques us both (but not the passengers that had to smell hot papers the whole flight!) when he returned hippo me with two sub sandwiches from Wawa!

I’m not sure which we were happier to see, Flash, or lunch!

Dad and Judy went to visit a brewery in Wisconsin with kids and grandkids. Dad was thoughtful enough to bring a t-shirt back for The Mister.

Wait. My dad gave this to my husband?!?

Returning home from the store with our new television in the back, Flash unknowingly brought up a conversation point The Mister and I had already discussed; the issue of our lack of curtains in our living room. (I still contend that curtains should be decided upon after couches have been purchased, but with the priorities in our home placing a new TV higher then new couches, we still lack any window treatments.)

“I don’t think there are funds left for curtains now,” The Mister explained to Flash. “We might just have to use black trash bags for awhile,” he joked.

“We are NOT white trash!” I exclaimed.

“I think his idea would actually make us black trash, mom. Black trash bags….”

Oiy. As if weeks of my husband researching and talking about televisions wasn’t enough like my father, now I have his sense of humor piping up from the backseat, too.

The Mister has been researching televisions for weeks. I don’t know if it is because my screen has a titled image or because the sports stations are now making their score boxes so small that our old eyes can’t read them, but The Mister had reserved some wedding gift money specifically for this purpose and was finally ready to purchase something new.

Finally home, but too cold to do anything outside, The Mister decided today was the day to go get and install our new TV.  We all headed along with him, me to give my stamp of approval, Flash to ensure all technical needs were met.  After promising that I really did love it, and that I was perfectly fine with us making this purchase, I wandered off to let the boys deal with the actual purchase and acquisition of the coveted item.

Looking back at the boys standing in line together, I saw The Mister look at me and then whisper something to Flash with concern.  I saw Flash look my way, chuckle and then assure The Mister with a shake of his head and a smile.

I learned later The Mister, seeing my look from several aisles away, appealed to the teenager, “Flash, I know you’ve been in this situation before.  Tell me honestly, am I dead?”  Checking my expression for himself, Flash was able to reassure The Mister that no, he was far from dead.  

It’s true.  On both counts.  The Mister is certainly not in the doghouse for the purchase.  And the teenager would be the one to know.

The Mister was able to come home a day earlier than expected and arrived home from Green Bay around 5:00 last night. His trip was far from pleasant, with flooded roads and detours, but he arrived home safe and sound, ready for a cold one.

We were thrilled to have him home. I’m glad to have my best friend back. Flash was thrilled to see a pizza box in The Mister’s hands. Despite the rough trip back, The Mister had stopped in Chicago and picked up a Giordano’s pizza.

We enjoyed the pizza tremendously, but we enjoy having him home even more.