Privilages and Priorities...

As you can imagine, we've been feeling a pinch of stress around our home in the past week. We've wallowed, been angry and threatened to just chuck it all. There have been many heavy sighs and hands being tossed up in disgust. And in the end, nothing has yet been resolved.

Things are progressing. Situations being dealt with, interviews scheduled and decisions made. In the background is our regular life. A life that I have been letting slide so that I could wallow around in stress and strife.

We spent a rather nice weekend here in Indy. We ate out a few too many times and may have done a little retail therapy. On the up side I'm redoing our bedroom. On the down side, I spent to much money. We did go see Monsters vs. Aliens in IMAX 3D. Wow. I have to admit I could get spoiled seeing movies on the IMAX. My brother in WV was supremely jealous. The theater had a coffee shop on the top floor. I could definitely get used to having a mocha while I watch my movie on a 6-story movie screen. We ate 4 meals in sit down restaurants over the weekend. Bought books at the bookstore instead of the library. Not responisble spending habits, I'll be the first to admit but, rather fun and definitely a nice diversion. And still cheaper than going away somewhere for the weekend.

This life we have here is a nice one and I'd like to keep it. We all would. Since what I can do to make that happen is minimal, I am turning my attentions back to the things I love. The very things I've been letting slide with the excuse of being "stressed." I have a large "To Do" list for the week. My in-laws are coming Thursday. We're all leaving friday and heading to Amish country and staying the night there and shopping all day Saturday. I'm hoping that if they get to do something they want to do they will lay off of the criticisms for the weekend.

In the mean time, I'll do all I can to make it a nice visit. The spare bedroom/classroom/office needs a bit of work before they come. I want to get my bedroom done which means clearing out the closet clutter, moving the linens around, working on the laundry room and tackling about a foot of dust. I want to do some baking before they come as well.

I need to get back to fixing nice meals for my family. I've really let things slide becuase I just haven't been motivated. I am really sad about that. I'm going to raid the freezer later today and see what I can line up for the week. No more eating out.

I'm going to get things ready to get my garden in. Luckily I have a little time. I don't really need it ready until the end of April. I'm not planning on too many cool-weather veggies. I need to figure out what flowers I want to plant and where. There are many overgrown flower beds around here and I'm thinking of tackling them. At one time this place must have looked like a sweet brick cottage. I'm not sure what to do with the overgrown roses. I don't want to hurt them so I'll have to look that up. I'll probably plant some more as well. They seem to do really well in this soil. I'm considering window boxes in the front. I think they'd be lovely against the brick.

I am lucky to be able to stay home and care for my family. I consider taking care of them and our home a privilage and it is time I turn return them to the top of my priority list.