Insanity reigns

I don't like reading blogs where people whine and complain. It's not enticing. So if you don't want to read this, don't. I'm basically writing this to get it down so that I can look back and see that I made it through a crazy time.

I'm not sure why my life has to be so busy. I've even cut out a number of things so that I can focus on the most important. Yet, I'm still swamped. Right now we have construction on the house. We need to pick out carpet. That means we need to move all the stuff off the carpet. Since the carpet will be out, we will paint the living room and get rid of the pink, yes it's pink, paint. That involves unloading the huge antique secretary by the front door and moving it, draining the fish tanks and moving them and moving the piano. All of this needs to happen in the next few days. I work Friday. I work Monday, including Monday evening. I go to camp Tuesday through Saturday. I still need to take care of my mom, and my husband, and my family, and my calling and my visiting teaching (probably won't get done ...) and sleep. At work the semester is winding down. That means a semester end party to coordinate, new editors to hire, grades that will be due, working out details for next semester and other heavy duty things. I think I need to use a lifeline.

My sissy

That's what I call her - my sissy - my one and only sister Jan. We have some good times, me and my sissy. We laugh our heads off, sometimes about the dumbest things. We dress up crazy and eat other people's french fries, (we need to do that again soon) and we have some pretty fun memories from our teen-age years. Mamamamamamamama. (She'll know what that means.) The best thing we do for each other these days is vent and listen. We have some heavy duty things going on right now and we are there for each other, every minute of the day, several times a day, if need be. We get a little weary about stuff but we lift each other up and sort things out and problem solve and put out fires. I'm pretty sure we'd be depressed and frustrated without each other.

I love my sissy - she's been through a lot of crap in life and she's come out on top. I'm pretty amazed at her stamina and she has some incredible lessons to teach others. So for this Sunday, when I want to give thanks for something good in my life, today, it's my sissy. Love ya sissy.

Being a grandma, sort of

I don't have any of my own little grandbabies yet and this isn't a plea for any, just a statement on how fun it is to be a grandma to my little Parker grandkids. Abby, the most vocal of the bunch, calls me "Grandma Kaye," sometimes a couple dozen times in one night - "Grandma Kaye, can I dig in the garden? Grandma Kaye, can I have some ice cream? Grandma Kaye, where's the cat? Grandma Kaye, I want a beetle." I love it. And little Logan isn't too far behind. He's working on the birthday song and putting sentences together. Little Jane and Parker are in the rolling around and crawling stage for now. It's so fun to have these little people in my life and I'm glad I get to fill in for Jera who is the real grandma, or Marmie, as her little folks call her. Just some sweet joys in life.

Oh, and nearly 3-year-old Abby will not be stopped if she has a mind to go visit the compost and garden. The other night she disappeared and Maegan went looking for her. Abby emerged from the compost area, held up her hand to Maegan (indicating "stop") and said "No! No! Let me dig!" So there. She can crunch all the eggshells she wants, even if Riley isn't here to coach her.

Two weeks down

Riley has been gone nearly two weeks and returns two weeks from tomorrow. He just called from Uyench, Mongolia, near the China border in western Mongolia. He said he ate turkey pate and saltine crackers for breakfast this morning and that all is well. What an adventurous life he leads! I'm never tempted to go on these month-long excursions to Mongolia. I did love the month we spent as a family in Tahiti but hey, here's the difference: Mongolia: wind-swept landscape, rocks, dirt, camels, mutton. (Riley would describe it more beautiful than that ...) Tahiti: deep blue lagoons, palm trees, sand, stingrays, banana po'e. Hmmmm. He'd say he loves one as much as the other. But then he's the adventurous one. Hurry home.

I love fireworks!

I love fireworks -- the bigger the better! Every year a bunch of friends gather at our house to walk a half block to see the fireworks at the stadium. This year the get-together just didn't materialize for whatever reason. (People had other plans, our patio is covered with construction materials, etc.) Then on Friday, I got word that I could get some free tickets to Stadium of Fire. I've always avoided this event for a couple of reasons - it's really pricey and battling the crowds to get home is a nightmare. Plus, I remember back in the early 80s when Provo had fireworks in Kiwanis Park and everyone got to see them without paying. So I've always been a little miffed at the SOF people.

But free is good and I thought going once wouldn't hurt so I took Jason and Brandy, Kristi, Ben and Logan Parker and we had a great time! We even sat by neighbors and friends. From the flyover of the jets and helicopters to the dancers and fire performers on the field, to the two musical acts I'd never heard in my life - SheDAISY and Jonas Brothers, to the giant flag held up by two cranes to the fantastic fireworks - it was a memorable, enjoyable event. I got lots of pics of fireworks and when Andrea and Amy come home they can show me how to add photos to my blog. (I could figure it out ...)

Riley's wanderings and the construction he left behind

Riley left for Mongolia the other day. This is his fourth trip. Each trip has lasted from 3-5 weeks. It will be 29 days this time. I'm used to it a bit more now but it still isn't fun to have him gone. I love Riley. I like it when he's around. Yet, while he's gone, I try to do a bunch of things to fill the time. One summer I tore out carpet, painted and stained bedrooms walls, laid tile, replaced outdoor patio carpet and more. Last year I revamped a bathroom with the help of my friend Daniel. I always tell people I wait until Riley is gone to do these kinds of projects because then I get to make the decisions myself. The truth is, he'd let me anyway - he's that kind of husband. Not that he doesn't have an opinion - he does. And I usually listen to it. Then I do what makes sense to me anyway. And he supports it.

This time we have major construction at our house and he will miss the whole thing. We had our sunroom torn off because it had started leaking so badly. I was sick of bowls in the room to catch the rain. They ripped it off the day he left so he hasn't seen the plywood wall in the living or walked out to see a big nothing where the sunroom was. You can walk all the way across the floor at the back of the house without going through doors - pretty airy. By the time he returns they will be almost finished with the room. When they take the plywood down it will be like Extreme Makeover - "Jordan - move that wood!" And then we will see a lovely new room with a big picture window, skylights and energy efficient glass. That's one project Riley gave approval to before he left. But the surprise will be for both of us.