You live, you learn

I've had some friends give me some good advice about dealing with the various stresses and whatnot in my life at the moment.
One recurring theme was to spend more time with people, like, not just my kids and my honey but OTHER people.

Sooooo
in the last week:
I've gone out for sushi with one of my pals. We went out to a place with little plates flying around on a belt. It was entertainment, food, and great company.
I had a friend come over at 9 PM (till about 1 AM) to eat brownies, drink wine and chitchat.
I've gone over to a friend's house for lunch and laughed with her till my cheeks ached.
The Things and I met a pal and her kids in town, between our respective errands to have cookies and a drink at a local cafe, which was fabulous.
My sushi friend came by for snacks and cocoa Friday night to counter-balance all the testosterone in the house from Thing One's friends (the party went well, and was fun for all).
Then on Sunday Mr. Logo and I stopped by our friends' house to drop of some things and ended up staying to visit for a while.

There are times when going and doing, being a social butterfly, feels like an energy drainer but right now, all those things really seemed to be charging my batteries.
My friends are awesome.
They listen, and they try to help,
and when they know there is nothing they can do to make it all better,
they give me hugs and send cards.

In Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert shares a convo with her sister. They were discussing her sister's neighbor who had been struck with multiple reality-shattering tragedies.
E. Gilbert said, "That family needs grace."
Her sister said, "That family needs casseroles!"
The author goes on to say that she wasn't sure if her sister realized that the year of dinners she arranged for her neighbors were in point of fact, grace.

According to dictionary.net grace is:
1. The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.

I am surrounded by gracious people, most of whom don't look or act anything like the stereotypical preconception that the word gracious conjures up, and they might even object to the characterization, but they inspire me to cultivate that trait in myself.

I may never grow up but I do aspire to some of the better traits of maturity.

This is a post.

Because the last one was over a week ago,
so it seemed like time for a new one.

Thing One turns 13 this weekend.
I am having a small herd of teen boys over.
All sympathies, prayers, and monetary comforts welcomed :p
Have a good weekend!

March 20th is the vernal equinox.

Wecome Spring, sort of...

Unfortunately, declination seems to have only a fast and loose relationship with the growth of flowers and the frequency of sunshine.

I remember a discussion a few years ago with Thing One regarding the whys and wherefores of spring (the calendar day, vernal equinox) not actually lining up with spring (the growth of flowers). I explained the relation to earth's orbit, etc. and he said,
"So, the people who decide when it is spring are actually looking up with telescopes and stuff? No wonder! Maybe they should just have a garden."

Perhaps he is just a neolithic farmer at heart, which would probably be better than a cave man, but you'd think it would translate to more help with the yard work, so maybe not.

The Little Black Cloud

Stuff I totally hate:

getting out of bed,

uncomfortable clothes,

authors who think they are way funnier or way smarter than they should,

tea that is just not quite warm enough anymore,

entropy,

cancer.

I <3 Despair

This is Dispair, and they have awesome logos. :D

50 Word Genius

In 1960 Dr. Seuss collected on a bet.
He had written an entire book using only 50 words.

This work of genius was called:

Green Eggs and Ham

He wrote many other wonderful books, and we love most of them.

Happy 105th birthday, Dr. Seuss, this oobleck's for you!