Musician's Widow

Last week was ridiculously successful. This week? Not so much.

Oh I have lots of things I got done that were really important. REALLY important. But in the grand scheme of calling it a “successful week,” I just wouldn’t. Heck, this is only my second blog post in a week. That should tell you a LOT. I’ve done good to barely keep my Project 365 alive!

Next week will be better. It has to be better. This weekend will be a big reboot and reset for me. Heck, next week will find me in a different state! So, please be patient with me for a few more days.

Life is crazy. And I just got mixed up in its insanity this week.

Occasionally, I have days that make me go, “What?” Today, so far, has been one of those days.  So in a rare moment of story telling, I’ve decided to regale everyone with my Friday. I even come baring pictures!

First off, I think maybe I’ve broken my insomnia. Maybe. Last night was the first night in over a week that I slept at night. Not naps through the day. I slept at night, and I woke up feeling FABULOUS. So YAY to that!

I woke up to find I’d typed the wrong date on a flyer the night before. It’s what I get for designing while sleep deprived. But on the up side, it was easy to fix. Here is the final product:

So anyone in Nashville with spare coats, please bring them out! We start gathering the coats next week!

Anyway, up “early” for me, I was a little discombobulated with where to start! I have plenty to be doing with packing, etc. But, I was to get boxes from a friend after 4 pm, and I really didn’t want to run errands, come home, then go back out again. I’m a big fan of killing a whole bunch of birds with one stone. (Or for an Angry Birds analogy, a bunch of pigs with one bird.) So, I puttered around the house. Made a to do list, finally. Started to break down the guest bedroom so we can use it as a storage room for boxes as they are filled. Etc. Grabbed a shower.

Finally, it was time to head out. First stop was the post office. Which is NEVER a pleasant experience. Taking stamp machines out of post offices was, in my opinion, the biggest disservice ever to customers. Four of us in line waited almost 20 minutes to buy stamps as those ahead of us shipped packages — some of which had to be set up to go through Customs. But, at least the lady who waited on me was pleasant and cracked me up several times in the 30 seconds it took for my transaction. And my Christmas cards finally hit the mail today. YAY!

Then, it was off to throw some gas in the truck. I just wanted to put $20 in to give myself a little extra cushion. On my way, I got a phone call for a little design work, which is another a yay!

I pulled up to the Kroger gas pumps, and found them lined up three deep all the way across. Hey, you gotta get the best price you can get! I wasn’t in any hurry, so I pulled up behind an SUV on the end. Another truck pulled in behind me. A car, I noticed, was coming towards us, but there was no where any of us could go. Can you say gridlock?

Anyway, as I finished my phone call, the lady in the car that had been coming at me, laid on her horn. I looked over to see her flailing her arms at me to move because she couldn’t get out. I looked around and thought, “Now, where does she expect me to GO!?” If I pulled forward, I’d rear end the SUV. If I backed up, I’d back into the truck behind me. Plus, its not like my truck turns on a dime, (I really think everyone should drive a pick up truck at some point… car drivers tend to have NO CLUE that trucks don’t turn as tight as cars) so making any spectacular turns and shimmies was impossible. Should I get out, and try to push my truck sideways? I was baffled on what, exactly, she wanted me to do.

The SUV in front of me noticed the flailing honking woman, and she could roll forward about 2 feet. So she did… then I did… then the truck behind me backed up and let flailing honking woman get out. I, of course, proceeded to Twitter my annoyance with the woman while I waited my turn.

I finally filled up, and pulled away from the pumps to let the guy behind me fill up. I found a place to park and put my debit card away. Oh and to continue Twittering my annoyance.

Mid-Twitter-rant, I got a picture message from my sister-in-law. She doesn’t text much, so when she does, I know it has to be good. I opened it and, and boy was it good! Downright awesome. Good Bull if you will.

She sent me this:

My nephew with former Texas A&M head coach RC Slocum!!! I literally squealed out loud, and, of course, proceeded to share it on Twitter and Facebook. Because I like to over share. And because it made me so ridiculously happy! I still keep looking at the picture and grinning from ear to ear. LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture. LOVE.

I finished my over sharing, and I headed to Starbucks. I had a postcard from Starbucks for a free drink for my birthday, and it was about to expire. So I went and grabbed myself a free Peppermint Mocha. I saw this mug as I waited, and if I had a little extra cash to spare, I’d have totally snagged it:

I have way too many coffee mugs anyway, but is that not the coolest mug!? And it was huge!

Anyway, as I left Starbucks, I saw him. Santa on a Harley. Yes, you read that right. Santa. On. A. Harley. So you know what I did, right? I followed him. I literally stalked Santa. For about five minutes, I followed him until I got to where I could snap a photo.

How can you not get a smile from Santa on a Harley? Especially when, as I followed him, I watched little kids jump up and down and point and wave and squeal. SANTA!

Flailing honking woman forgotten… this was what the season was about. Garnering joy from watching others.

My attitude was adjusted for the rest of the day.

I headed to get boxes from my friend, and I found myself going out of my way to be courteous to others. I made sure a man and his son could cross the street safely by stopping and letting them cross in front of me. I let others merge ahead of me. So I lost maybe five minutes in my day… it made me feel good and happy to do so! It’s CHRISTMAS for goodness sakes! We should be a little more patient and helpful. We should smile more and care more.

I got home safely, with a different spring in my step. Now, I finish writing this to go start packing the office up. It’s been a strange day, but it gave me stories to tell. It ultimately made me smile and reminded me that while this can be a stressful time of year, it can also be one that makes you laugh.

Due to a serious lack of inspiration, I thought I’d share a short list of things I am looking forward to watching on TV. Especially because in the grand scheme of things… I really don’t watch much TV.

Today
Texas A&M vs Baylor — Battle of the Brazos

Sunday
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition — The episode where they build the school here in Nashville! Can’t wait after having driven down the interstate and I saw it being built. SO COOL!

Backstory: Rascal Flatts — I am 99% sure this is the special that SHOULD feature a few of my photos taken of the Fiddle & Steel. *happy dances in excitement*

Wednesday
Throwdown with Bobby Flay — Bobby vs. Pioneer Women. I’ve only just recently discovered PW, and I’m already in love with it. So I seriously can’t wait to see this one.

Other shows I am addicted to: (yes I said I don’t watch much TV… must you be such a stickler for details?)

Ghost Hunters — Just because its FUN

Paranormal State — Just because its FUN

Undercover Boss — Seriously, if you haven’t watched this show, you are missing out big time. Gives me so much hope!

Chopped — Because sometimes I pretend I can cook like a real chef.

What Not to Wear — Everyone woman should watch this show. Don’t roll your eyes. They make great points, make big changes for people, and I’ve learned a lot about fashion from them.

Hoarders & Intervention — Guilty pleasures that make me more aware of all sorts of things.

Pawn Stars & American Pickers — It’s like Antiques Roadshow on steroids. Or Crack. It depends on the episode.

Past all of these shows… anything is fair game. News. Family Guy. Anything. Just don’t ask me to get addicted to a show that makes me watch EVERY week to keep up with the story line. I just don’t have that kind of time or patience.

What’s on your TV-list?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a house a home.

Having your name on the owner’s papers does not make a house a home.

Nor does having your name on the lease.

Receiving mail at a house does not make it a home.

Nor does staying there for a few days.

A home is much more. It’s a place you feel safe. It’s a place that makes you feel warm inside. It’s a place that makes you feel content and happy.

A home is where you make memories. Most happy, some sad. It’s where you laugh. It’s where you feel comfortable enough to cry. It’s the only place you want to be when you don’t feel well.

A home is where you welcome friends and family. Where you break bread around the table, or perhaps in front of the tv. Where you put up your Christmas tree and wait for that holiday with anticipation.

When you welcome someone into your home, you’re extending a level of intimate trust. That service guy, your best friend, your neighbor, your family… all of those people are afforded a glimpse into your home and your psyche. You decorate your home and arrange your furniture based on your likes and needs. It’s a part of who you are.

Houses I once called home through the years will forever tug at my heart a bit, thanks to the memories that were made there. I even sometimes dream about those houses, especially the one I lived in most of my life. But at this point, they’re someone else’s home and for me they’re just a house in which I once lived. The memories they once held now are held deep in my heart and memory, not within those walls.

The place I call home today holds my todays and tomorrows. It holds happy memories. Some day it’ll become like those other houses, and I’ll have another home to create and love. But until that time, I’ll care for my home and find comfort in it. To anyone else out there, its just another brick house they drive my on their way to work or to the store. But for me, when I pull into the drive way, I don’t see a house… I see my home.

Weekly Winners is a fun little thing bloggers do to showcase some of their favorite photos from the previous week. It is brought to you, me and everyone by the lovely Lotus, aka Sarcastic Mom. Visit her site and find all the participants. See some amazing photos brought to you by bloggers around the world. Leave a little love when you do — its like food for the soul!

Traveled a lot this last week. As such, I never commented on any WW posts last weekend, nor did I reply to comments in my own. I AM SO SORRY for that!!! :( Bad blogger. A mish-mash of stuff this week.

Banked curve.

Welcome to the Arkansas State Fair.

Show time!

Found in a Masonic Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

Also in the Masonic Cemetery. I didn't get it in his picture, but in an almost sad irony, there is a playground across the street.

Found in a Masonic Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. (RetroCam)

It lies. There's not one near me. So I have to get it any time I go to Texas.

Into the night... (FxCam)

♥ ♥ ♥

Photos taken using a Rokinon DZ1000 or my Droid Incredible.
View all of my photos available on my Flickr stream.

I’m sitting here watching one of the latest episodes of the show Hoarders. The show shines a light on an issue that I think more people deal with than any of us realize. I would have never have called myself a hoarder, exactly, but I think I could have been considered something of a “packrat” at times.

Five years ago this weekend, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and caused extensive damage in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I worked at a newspaper at that time, so I went back into my archive of articles written while I worked there. Ironically, the way our schedule landed, my column for two days after Katrina hit was entitled, “Cleaning out the clutter.”

An excerpt from that column:

I’m a packrat, and I admit it. I have a lot of STUFF in boxes all over the place, and I’ve recently began a massive project of going through all the boxes with the hopes of throwing things out.

I’m not doing too bad, as bag count has now hit around seven in this on-going project. Five of those bags were thrown out this last weekend.

Is there really any reason to still have a dress code for the school district I attended from 1987? What about a coupon for a free pizza that expired in 1998?

I have no idea how all of this stuff has accumulated over the last 25 years, but it has. My need to save everything under the sun is quickly going out the door along with a receipt for CDs purchased back in 1995.

[Read the full article here]

I think my biggest problem is my need to save receipts and statements. I’ll end up saving them for years and then doing  a mass shred/clean-up like the one I wrote about in that column. The problem is that I don’t save them in files. I have a great filing system set up! I just don’t USE it properly. It all goes in a box that then ends up in a bigger box that then gets shoved in a closet or under a desk.

I do have a method to my madness… generally. My husband tolerates it, but I know he’d rather see more paper clutter get out of the house all together. I’m trying to consciously change here and there to make my collection of receipts, etc. diminish.

I have a lot of books collected. I still have most of my college text books that some days I think I should have tossed. But I’ve recently discovered a need for some of those books. I’ve wanted to go back and re-study things I learned in college, and I am glad to still have those around.

I don’t buy CDs much any more. I do if it benefits a friend, but otherwise I’ve moved away from that. I’m still proud, though, of my nice CD collection. They’re all pretty old by now. Several of them I am sure are scratched. But they are fun to have to show how my musical tastes have changed over the years.

Past that, I have a few boxes of random items that I don’t need, but I’ve just never been able to bring myself to throw away. It’s these random items that makes me feel compassion towards the people on the show Hoarders. Sometimes, you can’t explain it… you just want to save something.

I don’t think I could ever be a full fledged Hoarder. If anything, over the last few years I’ve grown to love keeping things neat. I like to clean out my closet every few months. I have found a peace over my home exists when things are kept in good shape.  I can’t imagine living in a state of constant clutter, in a state of constantly being dirty. I need to vacuum. I need to sweep and mop.

I am a paper-clutter-pack-rat. And I admit that. But I vow its never going to go anywhere past that.