Still alive and kicking!

It's been a while. I felt bad and frustrated for missing in action for so long, so early in the game but I had to let go to get busy elsewhere. I figured I would miss a week or 2 but 33 days!? Gaaah! Not good. Somewhere in mid April to May, I had a sick little girl on antibiotics, an older one getting engaged (that's very distracting you know), major house cleaning, family visiting, a big Easter dinner for 13, my baby girl's 4th birthday party the day after, more family visiting, a 2nd birthday celebration the next day, band practice at our house, a gig with my husband's band across the river by the end of that week, my middle girl's 7th birthday party the next week, family visiting again, an other gig, band practice, pottery class... "breeeathe"... Then all of a sudden, it all went sort of quiet! Instead of skipping back here, I slowly deflated like a balloon.

A few times I really wanted to post about something but my brain was numb and turning to mush. Cool topics and fun opportunities went by but it required too much effort. What can you do when it's competing with kids, dinner, pottery classes (the hobby that keeps me sane), going out or getting some down time with my guy! :) The last stick in the mud that kept me away though is realizing that we ran out of time for procrastinating with taxes. Ugh! Speaking of numb brain turning to mush... This is where I'm at! :P

TAXES! Yuk. It was ugly for a while. PMS decided to join in the fun too! I was grumpy and we ordered a lot. All the paper gathering, the sorting, the trashing, more sorting, loads and loads of papers, like a big giant salad went from mind boggling stress to just manageable. Then there was the categorizing and finer sorting of those piles, followed by adding numbers. The adding can be simple (if you live in a bubble), but tricky if you get distracted. Especially when your kid decides to ask you an important question just when you think you added that last odd number but all of a sudden you're not so sure and you lose count only to realize that you typed in the wrong number anyway x 3!! Then the iPad you thought was really handy for this decides that the battery is out of juice! Yeah. Drink please!!!

The drink. I mentioned this concoction before (ice, coffee liquor, milk and a generous addition of J.D.),  it's working! :) A beautiful bouquet of dandelions from the little one also warmed my heart. I know it's a weed but how can you not smile at this sun spot on my table!! :D Also, I'm not allergic. My neighbour is. She received as many from her little girl. I almost took them all (out of pity), but that was a lot of dandelions! The pic was taken yesterday. It's like groundhog day with taxes here so it doesn't really matter which day of the week... A foggy evil that sucks time. Hell must be one giant, bureaucratic, paper pushing, number calling, tax office without clocks. The good news, the flowers are still pretty today. I just had to weed a few out. They made me smile. That's good!

Aside from the flowers, yesterday stood out because Marc went out by late afternoon and took the girls with him after school! SWEET!! They were doing a few errands for my birthday (which is tomorrow). I'm in no rush to get older but oh well. I'll be 44! No point denying it and I do enjoy getting spoiled. It was blissful peace. I even played a few records to chill (husband took my iPod with him), can't complain right? I sat by the patio door. Sweet rain started coming down on what was a warm spring day with that unmistakable smell in the air. You know, when the ground and dusty warm surfaces get wet and refreshed with cool showers? There is a word for that. Petrichor! My smart guy reminds me every time. I always forget. ;) The rain got louder. I was going to play more music but a variety of birds were chirping with delight outside, the drops were making their own rhythm at the front and back of the house. All windows and doors were open. Where ever I looked, it wash lush with green leaves from the trees. Finally! That cottage vibe we often feel as the weather gets warmer was here!

I'll admit, we let ourselves go and the property needs some TLC. The grass is patchy, there's lots of yard waste to pick up from our last wood order and cutting for the winter and we need to weed stuff out. Mowing the lawn would be nice too but I really like the way it's filled with clovers and leafy plants that look so luscious and green, I'm craving a salad! :) Everywhere we look, something needs repair but I'm not letting this get to me. Who ever wants to judge can go ahead. Maybe it's my mid forties talking. Life is short. We have young kids, we're busy, we get tired faster, life is good and we take the time to smell the coffee (I prefer coffee over flowers) :) Speaking of flowers, we had red tulips that were real beauties with a few white ones. Now they're gone back to sleep till next year. Lily of the valley is poking out here and there and we have a beautiful, fragrant, lilac tree that makes me smile and Marc sneeze.

Today, I enjoyed an other peaceful hour with more sporadic rain, chirpy birds, wild backyard watching and coffee while the troop was out again. Time to wrap it up and crunch the last numbers from receipts that are staring at me. See you when I'm 44!! :)