Fall Tricks and Treats October 30, 2006

Welcome to the new home of my blog! Thanks for ringing the doorbell – here are a couple of tricks and treats for you:

• We caught “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” the other night – the familiarity of this special is half the fun, especially when they knock on the door and say, “Tricks or treats!” as opposed to every other place I’ve ever heard it said, “Trick or treat!” I’m always touched by the scene at the end where Lucy goes out to bring a shivering Linus inside and tucks him into bed, though this year I wondered, “Where in the world are this boy’s parents?!”
• If you want to get some major gold stars on your chart, head over to HearthSong in the next day or two and place an order for some of the children on your Christmas list. Use this promo cody by 10/31 and you’ll get free shipping: HSFS06. I can’t say enough good things about their toys, and they’ve got an especially great selection for the hard-to-buy-for older kids who’ve outgrown the 4/5 year-old toys. Low-tech, high quality!
• Here’s a trick – when you get your seasonal decorations placed around the house just the way you like them, take a digital picture of each little area. Then, next year at the appropriate time, pull up the picture and use it as your own personalized decorating guide. I’ve used this handy trick at fall and Christmastime. There might be some of you who can remember the details 12 months later, but my brain real estate is far too limited!
• This one’s a treat: early voting. We went and voted today (Sunday!) and it took less time than it did for us to decide what to have for dinner. We took Ben with us to enjoy democracy in action.
• And finally, it would be a treat for me if you subscribe to my new rss feed or bookmark this address: loribailey.wordpress.com. Hope to see you again here soon!

Solo Weekend October 17, 2006

This weekend while Brian and Ben were gone, I camped out in the middle of the living room with all my scrapbooking supplies and barely moved from that position except for church, laundry and sleep.

The perfect accompaniment to solo scrapbooking is some good, cheesy TV or movies – nothing that is mentally demanding or sad. (I learned this the hard way last year when I watched a movie where, unbeknownst to me ahead of time, the father dies of emphysema. This particular cinematic development occurred while I happened to be working on the eulogy page for Brian’s dad. I was a wreck.)

Well this year I hit the jackpot at our local library when I found the DVDs from one of my favorite TV shows when I was younger (in syndication, of course) – Gidget! I am a complete sucker for her zany adventures and over-the-top perkulence. Growing up, her life as a socially active surfer with an understanding, scholarly father could not have been more different than my rather solitary life in the woods of Michigan – and, boy, did I envy her! Watching that show is the TV equivalent of comfort food

I brought my indulgent weekend to a close with a different kind of cheese – a whole wedge of Brie with a crusty loaf of sourdough, all to myself.

If you haven’t done it lately, I highly recommend spoiling yourself a little! I have to remind myself of this often, but I’m always a better wife and mother for it.

Father Image October 14, 2006

Just a few moments ago, Ben and Brian pulled out of our driveway as they set off on their annual father-son trip. I won’t be a blog-hog and talk about their destination or plans, but I know they will have a wonderful time! I’ve been thinking about this trip over the last few days, especially as an example of what a wonderful father Brian is. Our pastor often says that our relationship with God will reflect our relationship with our father. And when I consider what Ben is learning from his relationship with Brian, I am profoundly thankful.

• He consistently puts his time and energy towards Ben’s growth, whether it’s researching the best way for him to learn something, teaching him a new skill, or thinking about what might be a good addition to his life.
• He is a creative father. Not only does he do things like write him a completely original Christmas story every year, but he also comes up with clever solutions for areas where we’re struggling.
• He finds great joy in making that boy happy. Last Friday we received the final Series of Unfortunate Events book from Amazon. Ben had no idea that it would come that soon, so it was very tempting to save it for him to read on this trip. But there was no way Brian could make him wait that long, knowing how much Ben was looking forward to devouring it.
• He is patient in a way that I could never be. I think Brian might have raised his voice to Ben about 3 times in 11 years.
• But that doesn’t mean he can’t discipline him. I am a bit of a pushover – even right after Ben pushes my buttons. I waffle when it comes time to take privileges away, and that’s when Brian is strong enough for both of us.
• Brian cannot lie to Ben. Not even a white lie – to the point of never
  being completely on board with the whole Santa Claus thing.
• He puts Ben’s needs before his own – something that continually inspires me to do better. When Brian was working on the book he had difficulty making time to write because he couldn’t stand the thought of neglecting Ben.
• Brian loves Ben unconditionally, with an immeasurable depth. It is written all over his face.

I love to watch the two of them together – I’m sure it will be one of my sweetest memories of Ben growing up. And while I can’t see them this weekend, I will smile each time I think of them and the moments they are sharing.

Inspired October 10, 2006

At the end of a day of work (which I often spend immersed in words), I rarely have enough steam left for a well-thought-out essay-style blog post. But, Katherine has inspired me as she gets back to the roots of her 30 second blog. Surely I can manage a couple of quick posts during the week!

So, today’s quick thought is my favorite salad dressing lately. Brian and Ben tease me mercilessly about the inventory of dressings in our refrigerator – there are eight in there right now. I eat A LOT of salad and the dressing can transform it into a completely different experience. I’m a big fan of Newman’s lowfat dressings, but my friend Jennifer recommended this Ginger Dressing by Naturally Fresh and it is fantastic! (I found the dressing at Kroger, but haven’t looked anywhere else yet.) As she remarked, "You’ll want to eat it with a spoon!" It would make a great dipping sauce for spring rolls, but I’ve been using it to top a salad I make with shredded cabbage, cooked and shelled edamame, thinly sliced red peppers, leftover grilled chicken and sliced sugar-snap peas. I throw that in a bowl, toss it with the dressing and then drizzle peanut sauce on the top. That is a wag-my-tail lunch!