Saving the silverware drawer June 19, 2006

Around Christmastime, Brian and I decided to replace our 13-year-old flatware with a new set from Crate and Barrel. As I positioned the old vs. the new on the kitchen counter, the dulled and scratched  utensils withered in the shiny gleam of the incoming knives, forks and spoons. All was good in the sparkling world of the cutlery tray.

Until…we noticed some peculiar spots on one of the knives. And then another. And another. I read through the pamphlet that came with the new flatware set (no comments on the geekiness of having saved that!) to find the cause: leaving certain foods high in vinegar (mayo for instance) on the knives for an extended period of time (like the day and a half needed to get a full dishwasher). Yet I found no solutions. We tried to be careful, but more and more spots continued to appear.

So during a quiet moment this weekend, I googled "removing spots on flatware" and found several remedies. I started with the mildest one and it worked like a charm! I rubbed some whitening toothpaste (that Brian and I both hated, but for some reason I kept) on all the blades and then rubbed it off with an old washcloth, and voila! spotless knives once again. Peace is once again restored to the cutlery tray.

The Next Chapter June 7, 2006

I told Brian last night that it feels like my best friend just got back into town, and in a sense he did. I did not realize how much I missed my wonderful husband, because he was here, just not available. But if there was ever a question that quality time is my love language, I now have the answer! I feel more myself again, something I remember experiencing during our college days as well. In my senior year, I had just finished up an internship at a PR firm in Chicago while Brian spent fall term at MSU. I was driving to Michigan in a snowstorm to meet him, when my favorite Chicago radio station played Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel. This weekend, it happened to come up on an iPod playlist that I randomly selected and I felt the same sense of things becoming whole again with the words, "grab your things I’ve come to take you home."

I’m a better person with Brian. I’m so proud of him for what he accomplished with the book, and also very glad that he’s done! We haven’t grown tired of the novelty of sitting on the couch together, being able to talk at length, working on projects together, etc., and we’re looking forward to enjoying movies, World Cup Soccer, and the Weekend Journal together.

One of the best parts about the book writing process was adding a new dimension to my relationship with Ben. So often, I’m the manager-parent: monitoring piano lessons, arranging for friends to come over, helping with homework, diagnosing sicknesses, preparing meals, etc. In the past, when I got done with those parts, it was usually the after-dinner, end-of-the-day time when Brian would finish the dishes and then spend some time with Ben. And it worked pretty well for us, but it didn’t allow for many shared mother-son experiences. Over the past few months, we’ve really been able to have fun together – going to Starbucks or Krispy Kreme, watching movies (Born Free, Over the Hedge and The Dreamer to name a few), lots of reading, creative/learning projects, walks, and just general goofing around. I got some great advice recently that the best thing to do in parenting a kid like Ben is just enjoy him. I think this next chapter in our lives is going to be the perfect opportunity to do that for all of us – savoring our time together.

Works for Me Wednesday June 7, 2006

Okay, I’m not going to start this on a regular basis, but I’ve been enjoying Robin and Theresa’s posts and was reminded of one of my most helpful tools as I was clearing off the counter tonight: the lowly 3 ring binder. We have one and it organizes all those little bits of paper that want to accumulate everywhere: school papers and schedules, invitations that we need for future reference, a sheet of emergency numbers and info (insurance #s, handyman, etc.), frequently used addresses and phone numbers, a zippered pouch for store coupons and another for restaurant menus/coupons, etc. It’s all that stuff that I don’t want to trash, but doesn’t have another home either. It’s also been handy when mom/mother-in-law have been staying here and needed to ring us for something.

This is a great project for those of us who love to get geeked out about office supplies – pocket dividers, page protectors, oh the fun! And if you really want to take it up a notch, buy a white binder with insertable cover and cut some eye-catching scrapbook paper down to size – now it’s a happy folder!

FlyLady got me started on this with her talk of a Control Journal, but I’ve adapted it to fit my needs (no routines, etc.). FamilyFun also got me inspired to start one for holiday planning – a huge help!