Cath, etc.

As of Today

 

...I've lost ten pounds in my quest to lose the muffin top.

...I'm basking in the joy of a lovely lunch with my mom at our favorite spot, The Oaks up Ogden Canyon.

...I've read 118 pages of this engaging book.

...I've thought about the fact that I'm getting older, waking up with a start and the dreadful knowledge that it's really much later than I think.

...I've been taken aback by my almost 14-year-old pup, his deafness now so profound that he no longer stirs when we approach him while he's sleeping. A behavior that is the newest symptom in his aging decline and one which is very difficult to bear.

...I made a chocolate chip zucchini cake, the second delicious one of the season.

...we enjoyed an evening with Nicole as she discussed health care reform and her hand-me-down Roomba with equal passion. A delight we will not soon forget.

...we went to a fantastic party in which we met some amazing people, drank the best mojitos we have ever had, and watched the moon rise over the mountain while the lights of the city twinkled brightly below. Thanks Dale and Joy!

...I met Marty, a Paper Crafts fan, at the fantastic party. She recognized me from my column (such a thrill for me!) and we became fast friends.

...I've watched the geese make their sunset flights over the cottonwood tree, their downy underbellies glowing with the golden rays, their wings swishing overhead as they glide west.

What have you been up to as of today?

I Am

 

...7.5 pounds lighter today thanks to this new plan and working out hard for 6 out of 7 days this week. After five days of wonky etchedoutedness I decided to switch to 1/2 a pill and feel much, much more like myself again. Yet I'm still not hungry. At all. This is a very strange feeling. But I'll take it.

...happy to report that I've switched to decaf because of having to give up caffeine for said new plan. I discovered that it is the ritual of coffee that I love: hearing it brew, smelling its rich aroma, choosing a favorite mug, measuring out the cream, pouring the hot, steamy goodness into my cup, and doing the same for my husband. To sit and sip, knees touching, pondering the day--it is not to be done without.

...clinging to summer, wringing out each dew-dropped moment, not quite yet willing  to acknoweldge that fall is coming as mornings grow chilly and pumpkins ripen on the vine. And though school bells will ring and the geese have returned to their fields, I am savoring the sweetness of peach, the quench of watermelon, the crunch of corn,  the aroma of basil, and admonishing the daily invitation to live on the porch, walk in the glory that is morning, and harvest the earthy scent of late summer.

 ...giddy with joy that my co-worker and friend, Brandy, and her handsome husband, Dave, are expecting their first child.

...ecstatic beyond measure that my dear friend Jennafer has been promoted to editor-in-chief of Creating Keepsakes magazine, a position for which she is not only extremely qualified and perhaps more to the point, ready; but one in which she will make a huge contribution.

...settling in to the rhythm established by the new owners of our magazine, New Track Media. There is more hope on the horizon than there's been on that front for many a moon--something that I have not been able to talk about here or anywhere. Suffice it to say, I am sleeping better than I've slept in ages. Life is good here. Very good.

...grateful for the cool rain we had this morning, the promise of a good book to read, and the blessings that come from a life fully lived with good friends, a fun job, a loving family, and a husband who lifts me higher than the sky is wide. 

Photos of this balloon as it floated near our home one Saturday: my husband, Mark

15 Things

...I found in Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony this evening:

1. Tears of joy in the listening

2. Memories of myself sprawled on the floor, volume high, candles lit, letting the music wash over me, healing me, in the months post separation

3. from my band director husband with whom I had shared so much music, literally and figuratively

4. remembering Sundays at home on Burch Creek Drive where it was nothing but classical music on the stereo, my band director dad's passion for music spilling into the family. Stravinsky, Strauss, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Webern, Shostakovich, Chopin, they all were members of our family

5. realizing that I haven't been able to listen to Strauss's Don Quixote since his death. Wondering if it's time to give it a try

6. yearning to be connected to music again having not played my clarinet longer than I haven't played the piano

7. remembering the promise I made my band director Grandpa Max on his death bed that I would play the clarinet that he passed down to me

8. feeling unworthy of his gift, knowing that music would find its way back into my life sometime, somehow, but not as of yet, and wondering if it's time to allow it re-entry

9. while at the same time feeling overwhelmed with the commitments I already have but knowing deep down in my heart of hearts that music is a part of my soul how much longer can I keep ignoring its powerful call?

10. thinking how much it would rejuvenate me to embrace it again,

11. and as Mark  joins me on the couch with two glasses of Clos du Bois merlot, the fire in front of us, the music all around us

12. my all-or-nothing self realizes that even just the listening of it is a powerful tether,

13. though it wouldn't hurt to play a little Debussy on the piano every now and then

14. and as the evening progresses, as we add Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and Variations on a Theme of Paganini to the program, refilling the glasses of wine,

15. I drink it all in like a thirsty deserter who has stumbled upon a bountiful oasis, phrase by phrase, swallow by swallow, and breath by everlasting breath.

Every Third Wednesday

 Top row, left to right: Jeanne, Nan, Staci, and Judy. Bottom row, left to right: Karen, Jennafer, Mary Ann, and Yours Truly. Missing from photo: Marilyn

...for seven years now, I've hosted a Classics Book Club in my home.

We read classic books from all eras, cultures, and authors. We gather, we discuss (much more than just books), we eat delicious desserts, we drink good wine (well, some of us do), and we laugh.

In December, we share a potluck meal together, we do a blind book exchange, and we discuss the books we'd like to read the following year. We don't read a book for December, but tackle an epic between the November discussion and our January meeting. Right now we're reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie which we'll discuss on the 21st of this month.

Each year we choose a new list of books. I'm super excited about this year's list:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill

 Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry

Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

Animal,  Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

March by Geraldine Brooks

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, first third

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, second third

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, last third

There are many things that I love about this book club, not the least of which is the great group of women who attend faithfully month after month. They are some of my dearest friends. But this book club gets me reading, keeps me connected to beautiful writing, inspires me through all that there is to learn through literature, and allows me to share it with people who care about good books as much as I do.

If you've ever considered joining a book club, or starting one, I highly recommend it. It's easy to put off reading as we try to keep up with work, our kids, the house, the pets, the yard, and with all the entertainment choices offered on TV and the Internet.

But for me, reading a good book is like drinking an elixir that sends me to another place in space and time, and yet it grounds me in a deeper part of myself that is crucial to my well-being. To discuss it with trusted friends helps me see the story from other perspectives besides my own which usually elevates it beyond my own experience--which is exactly where the magic happens.

Besides, maybe all we really need is a deadline. If you've got to have it read by a certain date and everyone is meeting at your house so it's impossible for you to bail--well now, that's some serious motivation.

For a look at the list of books we've read in the last seven years, click here.

Happy reading--and happy book clubbing, as the case may be!

15 Things: The Year in Review

 

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1. I travelled to Anaheim in January, Tennessee in March, New York City in May, New Hampshire in May and October, St. Anthony in June, Chicago in July, Sun Valley in August, and St. George in September.
2. Mark's mom had a hip replacement in March and broke her elbie-bone in November.
3. Mark's brother, Mike, picked up his life in Florida and relocated to Tennessee.
4. I started this blog on April 23 and have written 179 posts.
5. Nicole graduated from college, moved in with us in August, and moved out yesterday.
6. Megan, Stacy, Neko,and Kimberly left Paper Crafts; Susan, Jennifer, and Matt came on board.
7. My ex-husband survived a stroke while travelling in Brazil and Nicole gave up 3 weeks of her life to help her little sisters in Tennessee.
8. Beccah quit school, moved in with her boyfriend, and is going to school again next semester.
9. My brother, Larry, got divorced.
10. Baraq Obama was elected President of the United States.
11. Mark's Aunt Chuckie died and my cousin, Camille, died.
12. I started the Moxie Fab World blog.
13. I lost a total of 24 pounds.
14. I went from being able to ride 15 minutes  on the elliptical on the lowest resistance setting to being able to ride 80 plus minutes at the highest level of resistance.
15. I read 8 short stories and 13 books.

I am

• Grateful for the good
• Respectful of the bad
• Happy to be alive and well
• Eager to ring in the new year!

May 2009 bring us all health, happiness, love, and laughter!

Happy New Year blogfriends!

I Am Trying to Live a Sustainable Life

   

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A week ago today, Mark and I finished an eight-week class on sustainability that was hosted by our darling daughter, Nicole, through her work for the Utah Society for Environmental Education.

Through the readings and the discussions, I learned a lot about myself and what it really means to live a sustainable life.

On the cover of our discussion booklet there is a quote:

The character of a society is the cumulative result of the countless small actions, day in and day out, of millions of people. ~ Duane Elgin

While this statement can be appropriately applied to all kinds of situations, it works especially nicely for sustainability. For to commit to a sustainable life, one has to believe in the Power of One.

For it is through the cumulative Power of One that we can nurture this home that gives us life.

What can I say about this very large topic in one little blog post? What can little-old-me say about this most giant of issues that lies at the heart of our very survival?

I suppose that in the spirit of the Power of One I can say...

• that I didn't put up as many Christmas lights outside this year as last year.
• that we bought a free-range turkey from a local farmer for Thanksgiving--the best I have ever tasted in my life.
• that I now buy organic fruits, vegetables, and dairy products almost exclusively.
• that I now always wash our clothes in cold water and I try to only run the washer every other week.
• that I've started to buy soaps and detergents that are eco-friendly.
• that I now buy coffee that is certified free-trade, organic, and shade-grown.
• that I will buy no more gift wrap, using reusable gift containers instead.
• that I've reduced my consumption of meat significantly.
• that I'm doing my best to buy what I need, not just what I want. I am richer for it, in more ways than one, but this is, by far, the most difficult challenge--especially at Christmastime.

Next on my list:

• Composting.
• Swapping out my incandescent light bulbs for flourescents.
• Replacing paper napkins with cloth.
• Recycling glass.
• Buying recycled toilet paper. (That's toilet paper made from recycled paper. Hello.)
• Writing more about my journey towards living a greener life.

I can also say that I know that this is a voyage that will last the rest of my life. As I give up one thing and replace it with another, greener, way, I will adjust and be ready for the next. Just like my desire to be younger next year, I'd like to be greener next year as well. I've already made vast improvements from the last.

How 'bout you? How do you feel about sustainability? Is it important to you to live a green life? Why or why not? What things do you do, if any, to be kind to Mother Earth? What are the obstacles you've encountered along the way? Are there things that were easier to give up than others? What are the benefits? I'd love to hear your take on this, no matter what shade of green you are today.

15 Things

1. Dutifully called the Third District Court after 5 on Friday to determine if I would have to report for jury duty tomorrow. That's a negative, but I'll be sure and avoid contempt of court charges by calling again tomorrow to see if Tuesday's a go. I received my Jury Summons with dread, as work is impossibly crazy right now. Is there ever a convenient time to perform our civic duty? Truth be told, I actually think it would be an interesting experience, but I'm not wishing for it. I'll keep you posted.
2. Ordered Chinese and watched two episodes of  CSI on On Demand followed by Christmas Vacation.
3. Hiked a 6.5-mile loop in Corner Canyon in high-40's beautiful winter blue-sky weather, grateful for every step of such a late-season opportunity.
4. Hot-tubbed afterward to sooth my weary bones.
5. Was thrilled that the toenail I smashed in June finally fell off when I clipped it to reveal a disfigured, but healthy, little nubbin underneath.
6. Went on a Christmas shopping  date with my handsome husband in which we
7. drove by La Caille to see their stunning decorations
8. on the way to a more reasonably priced restaurant in which we shared a romantic meal and a creme brulee.
9. Sent out e-mails for the Crazy Cousins Christmas Caroling Convention sticking to my desire to simplify the season by not making handmade invitations.
10. Watched The Long Kiss Goodnight (great movie!) while we
11. joyfully listened to the raucous laughter downstairs as Nicole, Beccah, and some good friends watched Elf  and played Yahtzee.
12. Woke up and got ready for our 23rd annual Ornament Shopping Trip that began when Nicole was first born and has continued every year ever since. This includes
13. singing Christmas carols in the car,
14. eating breakfast out,
15. and shopping for a new ornament for the tree.

A wonderfully relaxing weekend celebrating the season with my family.

It doesn't get much better than this.

So Much to Do, So Little...

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...you so know the drill.

Goin' on a long trip soon and there's too much on my list. Can you relate? I thought that you could.

• Do the laundry. Can I tell you how much I hate to do laundry? There's no Kim Kesti in this old girl. Kim actually admits to enjoying it. Good thing, she's got eight kids to keep up with!

• Vote. I voted today and it felt GREAT just need to get through one more week of campaigning and speeches and drama and we can get back to life without an impending election. I vote for that!
• Select projects for the next special issue. It was tough, but we narrowed it all down and had zero holes to fill! Zero! Wahoo!
• Send out acceptances for said projects. They'll be in your in-boxes tomorrow, ladies!
• Provide link to new project for Brandy and Jennifer to get their feedback shh, it's a secret I can't tell you what it is but it's going to be sooooo cool! It will happen pretty soon after I get back from my trip, so stay tuned!
• Pack copy of Paper Crafts Gourmet to take to Maria. She's got a recipe in it and I can't wait to show it to her.
• Pay bills. Gotta get the money where it needs to go before we leave.
• Speaking of money, get to the bank to deposit checks and get cash for the trip. Hardly ever use the cash but you just never know.
• Call my mom. Catch up and go over details for staying here while we're gone. Thanks, Mom!
• Call Beccah to say good-bye because she isn't able to go with us I'm so sad that she can't join us but so proud of her decision to stay home so she can work and pay her bills.
• Set aside costume item for Brandy for Friday's work Halloween party that I'm going to miss I'm so upset that I'm going to miss all the fun but I'm exchanging that for trick-or-treating with my nieces and nephew in New England on Blood St. Seriously, they trick-or-treat on Blood St. I know! How cool is that! 
• Change the sheets and towels. Throw the towels in the washer this time because last time they sat wet the whole time we were gone and they mildewed. Nast.
• Clean the bathroom. It seems like I'm always cleaning the bathroom.
• Swiffer and vacuum. I could do this every day. Love the way it makes me feel.
• Make sure the meds for Scout are handy. I actually thought about what it would be like if Scout died while we were gone. Not like he's even remotely close to it or anything but he's aging and that makes you think about him differently as in what would we do if he died while we were gone?
• Print out flight itineraries and call Maria to make sure we're all on the same page about flight times but really how could we not be we're all living for this reunion with one another and have been for weeks and weeks.
• Workout tomorrow morning on the elliptical one last good workout before the vacation.
• Decide which sweater to wear tomorrow. I just got my order from J.Jill today! OK, that's maybe not something that should go on my list, but it's a tough decision, friends, because they're all so cute! Love to get cute new clothes in the mail!
• Pack. High on my list of Least Favorite Things to Do in the Whole World--right next to laundry.
• Blog ahead. Let's keep the connection strong, blogfriends!

15 Things (3)

 On my list today:

1. Sip a cup of hot coffee with just a titch of cream, savoring the morning and embracing the new day ahead waking more and more with each delectable swallow.

2. Make sure the garbage gets taken out because the trucks come early keeping Scout calm because he freaks out when he hears the wheels of the garbage cans on the pavement outside whether its ours or our neighbors I mean he really freaks out running back and forth looking out the windows, yelping, barking, and crying because he's not out there herding those garbage cans because he's not allowed because if you think he freaks out inside the house you should see him chase those cans outside the house. Yikes.

3. Take a shower find something to wear that sort of fits I'm not super skinny yet but there are some clothes that just won't work anymore and I'm supposed to be excited to buy some "interim" jeans this weekend but the thought of having to eventually replace a lot (most?) of my clothes kinda bothers me which is weird because most people would really look forward to that part but I am a little daunted by the possibilty but we're not there yet so don't worry about it now.

4. E-mail Kody and Kelly to work out the plan for tomorrow night we've got a wedding reception at 6 for one of Beccah's friends wow so young but wow so good for Tina to be getting married, but then we're free to see our good, good friends it doesn't really matter what we do just so we get to see one another that will be the most important thing.

5. Get to work in time to do the final preparations for the May/June submissions judging before my one-on-one with Jennifer in which we'll talk about my big rocks and my little rocks and the progress that's being made which are great things to discuss especially since I've made some good progress towards all my rocks this week.

6. Lead the submissions judging meeting choosing the content for that issue such hard decisions to make these days.

7. Eat yet another lunch of cottage cheese and fruit but it's better than another day of edamame though I like edamame it's kinda boring maybe I'll jazz up my lunch with a handful of Wheat Thins? sometimes you just need some salty crunch

8. Fill out the May/June editorial spreadsheet with the projects that will be going into that issue including project name, designer, and e-mail address kinda tedious but it's got to be done and it's exciting to see for the first time who actually gets in because our judging is blind and we don't know whose projects are on the table when we look at them.

9. Create acceptances for all the designers who got their projects in so they can go out first-thing tomorrow morning.

10. Label and catalogue the projects for Stamp It! Cards so we can hand them off to writers next week.

11. If there's time, work on the editorial plan for a new blog I'll be launching on the Paper Crafts website in the next week or so...stay tuned, it's sure to be moxie fab...hint, hint.

12. Come home and eat a salad or some such other meager meal to try and get the momentum going again I've had three meals in restaurants the last three days and no matter what healthy choices you make it's still tough to keep the weight going down but I'm hanging in there better than I ever have before so just be patient. Patience.

13. Watch the Vice Presidential debate no matter what your party this one's going to be a good one.

14. Clear off the top two layers of junk on my craft table in preparation for making cards on Saturday for World Card Making Day I just can't wait I can't believe how excited I am to spend some time with myself in that old familiar Cards by Cath space making cards.

15. Post this blog to say hello to you, my blogfriend, so glad you stopped by today (although in realtime that should be Number 3 on the list because the only thing I've actually done so far is drink a delicious cup of coffee and keep Scout from becoming a maniac) but I can't actually post it until the whole thing's written so to put it at Number 3 seems silly because then there wouldn't be a blog to post. A bit of a time warp but there it is.

Have a wonderful Thursday, blogfriend! What's on your list today?

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A Satisfying Tuesday

My thoughts are swirling around in here, generally swimming in around and through the knowledge that

• I've had a really good day,
• I exercised like I should, the pounds feelingseeming like they're melting away like ice on a hot summer's day,
• I worked hard like I must, checking off deadlines one by one like filling the rest of Stamp It! Cards including the last page,
• preparing for and contributing to the post mortem of the October issue,
• turning in my updated bio,
• making binders in which the Stamp It! Cards projects can live until they are whisked away by the writers,
• reconnecting with Brenda at lunch,
• wishing Kelly a heartfelt congratulations on her long-deserved promotion,
• and being so happy that Brandy is thriving in her new position as managing editor
• as we all knew she would.

Only to come home to my sweet daughter, Nicole, in which we

• made a delicious Greek salad (no mysteries here it's lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, and some chicken if you're not a vegetarian) and chatted about our days including her co-workers and whether or not I'm going to get any of Andree's chicken's eggs when they start laying because Jason-the-boss says that moms of the team don't get dibs on the eggs so sweet that she would even mention me because we're so far not much more than Facebook friends (when are we going to meet, Andree?)
• after which I took a couple of pictures of the sky

• while noticing the chill in the air with the crickets chirping and the biting smell of the beginnings of decay, the edges of the linden leaves yellow, outlining like a coloring book their shapes too soon they will be falling,
• and upon turning to go back in I see the roses, as full and beautiful now as they were last spring

And I shiver, thinking to myself how lovely it is

• to work a full day with good people,
• to connect with my daughter,
• to notice the changing season,
• to cherish the blessing of leading a productive life,
• feeling so happy to be communicating with you, my blogfriend

when in that instant,

in that very moment I'm not even kidding you

• the dog peed all over the kitchen floor.