Monday, October 10, 2016

Monday Morning Musings

My coffee machine died last week, I think it might be a planned breakdown, one of those cup machines, which despite understanding the extra cost and the weakness of the coffee, I really enjoyed. I loved the speed, the ease of use - I could manage to make myself coffee almost while sleeping, but certainly while sleepily making kids breakfast and packing lunches. I am not a morning person. I enjoy them occasionally, especially while camping, but in general morning and I have a detente. In answer to my sudden lack of coffee making and unwillingness to go buy a new one, I dug out the old espresso machine I took from my parents - they might have given it to me or I might have borrowed it and failed to return it - and made my college coffee. Which is a quad shot with a cup of steamed milk. If I am honest, it tastes so much better than my replicator coffee, but grind the beans, fill the cup thing, install the cup thing, re-install it because I put it on crooked, wipe up all the grounds I spilled, fill the machine, realize I forgot to close the steam tube thingy when really hot water hits my hands while I am digging around in the lunch container draw. This coffee is hard on the half asleep but coffee needing mom, it is loud enough to wake up the sleepy Badger - who hates mornings with a passion that makes my detente look warm and cozy - and way more economical. And tasty. Sigh. All good things are work.

Now... I am alone in the house, Jim on a business trip, thankfully a short one, and the kids are at school. It is quiet here the only sounds are the keys I am typing and the spin cycle on the wash. I am drinking my coffee, I have been up for 3 hours and am halfway through it. I have a yummy Macintosh apple scented candle, made by a sweet lady who own a shop here in town, burning. My dishes are 3/4 of the way done, I doubt I mentioned that the dishwasher is down. It started leaking slowly, then more quickly. It functions, but we can't get it to stop spitting water onto the tile counter, I hate the tile counter. It was installed poorly, it is two shades of dirty looking pink, and it cuts every shirt I own. It was the first thing I wanted to change when we bought the house, but new counters are expensive and other projects keep getting priority. The water spitting dishwasher has nearly made the counter a bigger priority, and while I am now hand washing all the dishes I have a vague but certain fear that one day the sink will just fall to my feet. Hopefully later.

This Weekend... We celebrated Butterfly's (she asked me to change her nickname to Bunny, so moving forward...) Birthday by having 5 girls from school join us for a  sleepover. One girl had a commitment in the morning so she only stayed until ten pm. My SIL and nieces also came over on Saturday. I think they all eventually had fun, but drama. I don't want to do this again. Dear Beautiful girls you can't all be the center of attention all the time, you have to take turns. They are nice girls, but this was too stressful and Bunny was in tears repeatedly. Their parents came by 10 am, and my kids and I did a fast turn around on frosting another cake and un-wrecking the house before the family came over at noon. We had a great day and way less stress.

Some Plans for the Week... Wash wool. re-organize my dye porch. Work on organizing my room, so that when I make the kids do theirs I don't feel like such a hypocrite and so I don't trip. Giraffe's Mom is come up today with some timbers she rescued to edge my garden in and I suspect we will neaten it up a bit. Make banana bread. We are having a picnic tea party this afternoon, between school and violin lessons, I expect this to be a regular thing, but to kick us off we invited a girl who is in violin and another friend and the moms. Both girls are friend with Badger and Bunny. Mouse has robotics so Giraffe and her mom are picking him up and we are all meeting up after for 4H. Their activities are non-stop until after 8 tonight.

If I Get Some Time to Myself... I want to walk, for exercise and fresh air.

I am Grateful For... Bunny, who is such a sweet young lady, she wants everyone to be friends. She is cute -sy and fluffy on the outside and brilliantly logical and rational at her core. I loved that she nearly stopped opening her presents yesterday to read the book her godfather & family gave her.

Some Prayerful Intentions for the Week... I pray that I hold down the fort and get all the necessary things done while my husband is away. I pray that racism, bigotry, and misogyny are ended in the hearts of all mankind. I pray that no one ever has to hide in anyone's attic.