NaBloPoMo'h Well!

Oh well!

I didn't participate in NaBloPoMo. I didn't quite know much about it until I noticed it on other blogs (well, Kelli mentioned it to me a few months ago, but I didn't really get the jist until mid-November!)

Next year, I would love to participate. At least I posted every day for the past few...

Anywho -- CONGRATS to everyone who participated! I truly enjoyed reading your daily posts.

Have a lovely weekend! And a productive beginning of December :-)

Twice today

Twice today, I ended a phone conversation with a close friend with, "I love you!" (Well, for sake of a good post, I did say it to Jill, and I REALLY wanted to say that when I was hanging up with Michelle but I was in a hurry and I forgot!)

Anyway, my point is that I have two girlfriends with whom I can comfortably end a conversation with "I love you" and have it not feel awkward. That makes me feel great!

I've never really been one of those girls who can cuddle in bed with another girlfriend, or be super huggy, or throw "I love you's" around, etc. Expressing those signs of affection with girlfriends have always felt a bit unnatural to me.

Until recently. Perhaps it's maturity, perhaps it's finally a deep enough respect and connection, perhaps a lot of things that I guess just don't really matter in the scheme of things.

But seriously, Jill and Michelle, I LOVE YOU girls!
(see...not at all awkward. Progress!)

No leaf left unturned

For most of us out there, we'll spend a good portion of our lives searching. For love, happiness, the next best thing...

I'm currently undergoing a proactive search for not only true happiness, but contentment. Peace. Perhaps a hint of a spark of joy, or two, or three...

My intention for this post, and others in the future, is not to dwell on my current melancholy state that I can't quite shake, or to blab on about a vague "search" without venturing on to a justified explanation.

But I am, certainly, trying to post more often, no matter how unmotivated or sad I may be at the time, and no matter how much I really just don't want to delve too far into details.

So here I am, skimming the surface but reaching out, nonetheless. Admitting that lately, for me, the colors just seem far less bright than they truly ought to be.

It shouldn't bother me...

They're 4. I get that. They don't understand what they're saying, and it's my job to correct them.

But seriously...

Picture three of them singsongingly, "Miss Pissy, Miss Pissy, Miss Pissy, Miss Pissy!" first thing this morning.

And after nap time, I caught two others singing, "Miss Chrissy is stupid, Miss Chrissy is stupid!"

I almost cried! I know, I know I know... Obviously I was being a little emotional. I'm kind of, sort of, laughing it off right now. It just gets a little tough when the kids make fun of you, even if they are only 4 :-)


Brushing it off now...
Pissy and stupid,
DTL

"Fanksgibeen"

As my 4-year-olds would say (and have been saying all day today...), tomorrow is "Fanksgibeen!"

And in the spirit of Fanksgibeen, I'll act in a completely cliche way and list many things that I'm "fankfuw" for. I know...completely unoriginal, but important, nonetheless. Here goes:

I'm fankfuw for:

1. Mark

2. Four days OFF! No kids (that aren't family...), no Ulta, no nuttin!

3. The snow that fell today. It made my dog Tucker so happy! He pranced in it at 6:00 this morning like you wouldn't believe...

4. My family's recent visit

5. My family's recent departure (ha ha!)

6. Not having to cook this year (although if I had the time, I would have love too...)

7. E-mail, Web sites and blogs. Without them, I'd be lost...

8. Dr. Lisa

9. My CL girls!

10. My mango salsa that everyone at worked loved!

11. My friend Misty -- can't wait to see her at her baby shower!

12. Michelle, Gretchen, Marilyn, Pamela -- my Chicago connection

13. Sunny Denver days

14. Spironolactone

15. Digital cameras

16. Co-teachers

17. Aunt Mary and Aunt Barb

18. Tuckie

19. The Food Network

20. Naps

21. Coffee

22. Live music

23. The biggest bar night of the year (tonight!)

24. Airplanes

25. Children

Ok, that's good for now. I'm thankful for my readers of this blog!
HAVE A HAPPY FANKSGIBEEN!!!!!!

Much love and joy to you,
DTL

Focus on My Fabulous Friend

Well hello there!

As always, there's a lot going on in my life right now. Same stuff, different day... Just like my extra special friend, Jill, I've been taking a little break from blogging. I'll be back soon once I've cleared my mind, with fresh, exciting stories to tell.

In the meantime, I want to introduce you to Jill, in case you haven't met her or read any of her blogs. As you'll read here, now is the PERFECT time to get to know her.

She's such an influential part of my support system. I'm proud to know her!

I hope you enjoy her as much as I do...