Rainy Days and Mondays...

One More...

Just for fun... guess who...

My Baby Girl

I've been having too much fun with the new printer... scanning is a blast - see...







Wasn't she adorable? Too bad she's getting all grown up now!

Brave New World

I bought a new computer - I know, I've completely lost my mind - it wasn't all that expensive in the grand realm of computers and such - but for me it was a HUGE deal... so here it is... it has exactly what my son, the geek, said I needed. Of course, it's not as "fly" as his but we all can't be computer science degree geeks like he is...

and we also bought a new printer - wireless - considering we all now have a laptop in this house it just made more sense - and besides, I got a deal on the printer because I bought it with the computer.

So now - we are, in this household, moved into this decade... this brave new world of technology! It's an exciting thing... if not a little expensive. Oh well... only money - and you can't take it with ya, now can you?

The Plan

Ok, I didn't really have a plan... I winged it - and yes, I know that's not like me at all, but it's what happened. We headed out to the big city and saw a movie - My Sister's Keeper. It was a good movie, probably missing a few key points from the book though, and by the end of it daughter and I were boo-hooing. After the movie we headed over to the book store to look for a book I'd like to read. The store was out of that particular book, because, apparently, it's a major motion picture to be released in August. Then we decided to grab a bite to eat and we treated ourselves to dessert and while oooing and ahhhing over the dessert we decided it would be fun to go see ANOTHER movie and so we did... just on a whim... and we saw The Proposal - a sappy little romantic comedy that actually was enjoyable.

So we didn't have a plan, we just did what we felt like doing, we were impetuous! Daughter enjoyed herself and said she now could cross something off her list she'd always wanted to do - see two movies in one day. Who knew? In that respect, the day was a successful one. As a momma, as a parent, that's really all I need to do, huh... provide a few successful days every now and again.

She and I are close - and every day that goes by I realize more and more how close we are. She is so attune to my moods - which isn't such a good thing. I have to assure her that I'm ok, that really I'm just having a down day, or I'm frustrated, and that I'll soon be right as rain. Bless her heart.

So... I'm watching Field of Dreams - a really wonderful movie. I highly recommend it if you've not seen it. There is a magic to it, an exercise of faith, that carries it along and inspires. I could use a little inspiration today, a black cloud has settled over me recently and it's good to have a reminder of hope - even if it's only a movie....

Independence

It's the Fourth - Happy Independence Day y'all! I've been trying to decide what to do today - we live in such a small town, I don't think there are any "big" celebrations going on... no where to just pop down to for a firework display. My folks used to do it up big but that's sorta fallen by the wayside. Son and gf are going to a cook out at her family's house so that just leaves the girl and me... I feel like sitting around the house all day and doing nothing is sort of a cop out - so I'm trying to formulate a plan (yes I need a plan, damn it) to get daughter and me out of the house and into life....

The big city up the road has a big family activity going on - not sure we want to do the whole rides and games thing - but they do have a big fireworks display in the evening so I'm thinking that might fun... so we'll see. There is a movie she wants to see so perhaps we will go up and see the movie first. We just need to get out of the house and do something - something... This is where being single, for me, is hard. Holidays are family days, and well, I struggle to make daughter and me the family... it's easier just not to do and that's not all that fair - missing out on life just because the image of what you think something should be might not be the reality of what you have. The reality is that daughter and I are the family - the two of us... and she's missing out and I'm missing out if we don't take advantage of all there is to experience.

There is still a part of me that is holding out I think. I've got to just let that go - but it's almost like sometimes, for all the progress I've made - for all the little acts of independence I've exercised, I'm still leaving some activities in that old "it's a tradition family event" box and that's all bunk... family is what it is - and sometimes, for me, family is simply daughter and me - the two of us... and so she and I have to enjoy life - our way - and to hell with any notion I might have that says otherwise.

So, once again, Belle needs a shower, maybe a little makeup and some comfortable shorts and sensible shoes and we'll be off - Happy Holiday!