Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

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Started a post today, but didn’t finish it.

I’m busy.  Paul has extra work and a trip looming.  The girls still go to different schools and I still neducate Christopher…sort of.
I’ve exercised a so much today and I’m so tired, but I have raised my standards, so I need to go spruce the house before passing out.
Also, I’m working on a stand up bit for the writer’s conference, my writer’s group sponsors.  I don’t feel the angst of last year, my first time doing  it, probably because I didn’t schedule another speaking gig on an entirely different subject the week before, like I did last year.  I don’t feel stressed, but I need to knuckle down so that what I have to say is tight and entertaining.  It is so fulfilling making people laugh.  Last year I was completely strung out under the stress of “doing stand up” since I am not a comedian.  Now I know that my task is to just tell funny writing stories.  That I can do, whatever you call it.
Today was a really good.  I accomplished a lot and not very much depending on what categories you you might be counting.  And if you had a bird’s eye view of me, depending on when you were looking you might have thought I was wonder woman or the laziest lady in the world.
I was in the cross hairs of grace and works and let me tell you it’s a wondrous place to be.  
I want to live there.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2008/10/380/

Would whoever took June tell me what you did with it? I don’t want it back, I just want to know where it went.

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This was taken several weeks ago.  Don’t you love all the pinks and mauves?  This is why I garden: so that little girls can pick and pick and pick to their hearts content.

Here are the little crazies who did the picking.  Ren is wearing Eden’s bikini.   The bum needed to be rolled up to keep it from falling off hers.

The pool wasn’t open at that point so we turned on the sprinkler.

Wowza!  Look at that mouth.  
Mothering, wifeing, aunting, sistering, gardening, pooling and reading (always!) have trumped blogging for a while.  With the holiday, birthdays and a workshop I’m attending, posting will probably be light for a bit, but I will when I can.  I still owe Canada pictures of the Wizzle stealing popcorn.  I remember.

Back

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Yes, we all left our hearts in Montana but we did get the rest of our bodies back to Michigan. 

Lately I have been thinking about how much a person can learn just visiting another place.  You all know I am not the sort to keep things under my hat so I will be kicking off a Lifelong Learning Series here at OTJ highlighting all that I learned this week.  
I’m quite busy: sleeping in, drinking coffee, staring at bulging suitcases, busting up fights between children and wading through dog hair takes time, you know.   I promise I’ll be back tomorrow, at the latest, ready to begin imparting the wisdom and knowledge I have most recently acquired.
The Lifelong Learning Series will begin with this question:
How do you turn a one hour flight into a nine hour odyssey?
Rest assured, I know.

What I did today

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1.  Made coffee.

2.  Drove Paul to work since our van, Two Tone (known with affection as Two Tonie) is dead.
3.  Exercised.
4.  Drank coffee and ate breakfast.
5.  Decided to push back school in order to walk the dog and the children.
6.  Discovered that Lydia’s bike has a flat tire and took down two other bikes (mine and Christopher’s old one) from the rafters only to discover that they had flat tires too.  Fortunately Christopher agreed to share his bike with her.
 
7.  Had a very nice walk…on the way out.  The day was quite brisk, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so it felt invigorating.  The big kids happily went back and forth with Christopher’s bike and Eden sailed along on her new big girl bike.  Our half way point was a stream where they all threw sticks and pebbles into the water.  Jack waded in and dragged me around.  It was on the way home where the wheels started to come off.  Eden hit a wall of exhaustion and wanted me to carry her.  She settled for holding my hand and whining all the way home while Lydia and Christopher took turns pushing her bike.
8.  Made lunch.
9.  Taught school.
10.  Drove everyone to our local botanical gardens.  It has a huge conservatory where they release butterflies every spring.  The butterflies are the most active on sunny days and it has always been overcast when I have visited in the past.  The sun was shining and the butterflies were everywhere.  We had a very nice time.
11.  Went to the store to buy a bicycle pump.  Ended up with a cart full of groceries.
12.  Picked up Paul.
13.  Made dinner.
14.  Picked up the living room.
15.  Tucked the girls into bed.
16.  Shopped around the internet for another van.
17.  Retucked Eden.
18.  Retucked Eden.
19.  Crawled in with Eden who wanted me to snuggle for a little bit.
20.  Passed out.
21.  Woke to Paul trying to pull me up.  
22.  Checked e-mail.
23.  Blogged.
I still need to brush my teeth, set the alarm and pray.
I’ll probably read too.
Just realized that the first thing I did today was read my Bible and prayed, but I am too lazy to change everything.  
Good night.

Happy Monday

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We have been sick all week.
It is grey and wet.  The rain is melting the snow and the thick crust of ice has, yet again, been exposed.
It is Monday.
And then there are other variables that would have me peering around corners at people if I could get enough distance between us to actually be in another room.
Thankfully, some friends have come over.  We are going to play Wii games and make cookies and revel in being with others.  
It is a good day, not because the weather is good or because the kids are getting along or at least quiet, not because  I feel rested or because the house is clean, not because cabin fever has miraculously disappeared, but because this day is a gift and I am thankful and glad.