A snowy morning in April? Hell yes. That was one beautiful coffee-sipping view. I know, you probably woke up pissed about it. I'm not happy that you're upset to see it but it sure did make my day.
I've always kinda been the odd man out. I prefer Winter and cold weather while the majority of the world would take shorts and sweltering sun. No thanks, shorts, I'm all set with you. I'll sit uncomfortably in my jeans in August. Trying my hardest to not be outside unless I am inches from the ocean. (My attire changes slightly whilst I sit by the sea). Late October through March, however, I will spend all the time in the world breathing in that cold (somewhat) fresh air. But ya'll don't want to hang out there with me then, do you?!
I'm certainly not an avid hiker but I do really love walks in the woods... in November. You're not finding me dwelling amidst a thick forest if there is even a hint of humidity in the air or a winged insect... or a crawling insect for that matter. The more leaves on the trees the less my chances are of being outside. I prefer a bare tree silhouette any day. This is the time of year in which I truly appreciate the last of the branchy views and I take lots of crappy sunset pics to capture them.
As for books - I'm not really a big reader of popular best sellers. I'll read anything Stephen King puts out but that's as far as it goes. I also don't love audiobooks or podcasts (Shout out to the You Rock School of Music podcast!) I do have a couple of favorites but I guess I'd rather read or view the material than just listen to it. I don't comprehend as well by just listening - I'm incredibly visual. My guitar instructor can tell me the same thing over and over again but until I actually print out exactly what I need to learn and study it I just can't grasp it.
I'm also not a "Paint and Vino - Girls Night Out" kinda gal. I don't want to paint what you want me to paint. I also don't need to sit in a group of thirty women I don't know giggling over Zinfandel. I'm not knocking it for all of those who enjoy it! I love you guys and love that you enjoy it! I've seen plenty of posts on social media of amazing paintings that have come from these events. But much like a Pampered Chef party or Thunder From Down Under night - I'm not attending. Give me my best friends in a brewery or vineyard and I am more than happy to stand around with my glass having a fantastic time.
I am going to end it here because this list goes on and on and on ... I always intend on writing shorter posts but my typing fingers are very wordy.
I hope you all have a great weekend! See you soon!
xo
April 18, 2020
April 7, 2020
You Rock
This post is about my love for music and my gratitude to my friend Sean for pushing me out of the comfort zone in which I dwelled for way too many years.
For those of you who don't know who I'm talking about - Sean (Sean P. Rogan) is the owner of and one of the instructors at You Rock School of Music. We spend a lot of time together as our daughters are in the same class at school and have daily conversations about music. Given my obvious obsession with music he could never understand why I wouldn't just simply take a guitar class and "make music a bigger part of my life". I had a plethora of foolish reasons I would spit out weekly but I remember one day telling him, “Maybe I’m just meant to be a spectator.” And he quickly assured me that wasn’t the case.
God bless him, he tried. He tried weekly if not daily to just get me into a class. "I'm too self conscious" ... "I can't play guitar, I tried back in high school" ... "I don't have time for lessons" ... "I can't be in a group, I would be way too nervous" ... "I don't have a guitar." I had a million of them. One day he placed a semi-beat-up acoustic by the tire of my car and told me class starts Wednesday. I was so stunned by that gesture I felt obligated to go to that class. And something changed in that moment when I made up my mind to go. I went to that class. (Shout out to Ted Larson, the amazing Beginner Guitar class instructor!) And I've never looked back.
I cannot tell you how much I have gotten out of this entire experience since I started taking lessons. What I pour into my practices. How much I really want to play the electric when I never in a million years thought I would even touch one. The total satisfaction I get from finally conquering something I’ve worked on for months. The way I listen to music with a "different" ear. The feeling that I am in insider now. Like I have a backstage pass to the music world instead of the cheap lawn seats.
I urge all of you, if you have always wanted to play an instrument but keep chickening out, DO IT. Just DOOOOO IT. You can think about it for the rest of your life wishing you'd tried or you can actually make up your mind and start today. During this social distancing mess you can even take virtual lessons - in your pajamas - from your bed. Well, maybe not a drum lesson from your bed but you get me.
I can't say enough about the staff at You Rock. Each instructor brings their own flavor to the lesson. All incredibly skilled with beautiful personalities. Check them out at www.YouRockSchoolofMusic.com for more info. I'm telling you, this has changed my life. I've never felt such a sense of accomplishment or had such a drive to continue on a path. I'm hooked.
Sean, thank you so much for consistently nudging me toward the cliff until I fell.
Forever grateful,
Sheri
April 4, 2020
Sweet frigging Saturday
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
I am definitely feeling the wave of calmness today, thank GOD. We took it really slow this morning. It was so nice to not have to have a full agenda. I let the girls play games on their tablets for an extra hour and then decided to surprise them with some baking. They lovvvve to bake. It's a dash of elbowing each other out of the way, sprinkled with, "it's my turrrrrrrrn" followed by a generous cup of my stern voice barking the rules of the kitchen. The pictures I sometimes take suggest otherwise but I know the real story. Who's had the mixer for too long, why did SHE get to put in the vanilla?! Of course all the while I'm monitoring for any licking of fingers - those offenders are sent to the sink for the eighth time. All in all I do enjoy it. We'll have these memories forever... Sinatra in the background, their little ice cream aprons. Pretty sweet.
I had some time to myself while they were actually playing together nicely. I used it to tie up a few loose ends and then got in some good guitar practice. Currently working on power chords and finger picking. Not together of course. I'm also putting together different chord progressions to start writing some songs which I am really looking forward to. I love having different creative outlets like writing, graphic design and music. I try to fit at least one of those in each day but it's always great when I can get to all three!
The girls played outside most of the afternoon and I am happy to report there was only ONE tattle-tale incident! Normally I hear that sliding door open and a voice yell, "She just pushed me out of the playhouuuuuuuse!" or "I was using a stick and she took it and threw it at meeeeeeeee!" And I'm purposely dragging out those words so you can HEAR the singsongy voice that they use to yell these tales. Some days only a minute or two passes before that door slides open once again. And those are the days where I lose my shit. They are ordered inside to sweep the dirt that came out from under their shoes and they are sent upstairs to learn how to play together without fighting. Ahhh, memories of my own childhood.
But today was a good day! I thought I should share that with you because we've had a lot of not so good days lately. Collectively. I'm hoping that you found some peace today too. That your slider didn't burst open over and over ruining your groove. I'm savoring this weekend like none other... and we still have TOMORROW!!!
Cheers!
xo
I am definitely feeling the wave of calmness today, thank GOD. We took it really slow this morning. It was so nice to not have to have a full agenda. I let the girls play games on their tablets for an extra hour and then decided to surprise them with some baking. They lovvvve to bake. It's a dash of elbowing each other out of the way, sprinkled with, "it's my turrrrrrrrn" followed by a generous cup of my stern voice barking the rules of the kitchen. The pictures I sometimes take suggest otherwise but I know the real story. Who's had the mixer for too long, why did SHE get to put in the vanilla?! Of course all the while I'm monitoring for any licking of fingers - those offenders are sent to the sink for the eighth time. All in all I do enjoy it. We'll have these memories forever... Sinatra in the background, their little ice cream aprons. Pretty sweet.
I had some time to myself while they were actually playing together nicely. I used it to tie up a few loose ends and then got in some good guitar practice. Currently working on power chords and finger picking. Not together of course. I'm also putting together different chord progressions to start writing some songs which I am really looking forward to. I love having different creative outlets like writing, graphic design and music. I try to fit at least one of those in each day but it's always great when I can get to all three!
The girls played outside most of the afternoon and I am happy to report there was only ONE tattle-tale incident! Normally I hear that sliding door open and a voice yell, "She just pushed me out of the playhouuuuuuuse!" or "I was using a stick and she took it and threw it at meeeeeeeee!" And I'm purposely dragging out those words so you can HEAR the singsongy voice that they use to yell these tales. Some days only a minute or two passes before that door slides open once again. And those are the days where I lose my shit. They are ordered inside to sweep the dirt that came out from under their shoes and they are sent upstairs to learn how to play together without fighting. Ahhh, memories of my own childhood.
But today was a good day! I thought I should share that with you because we've had a lot of not so good days lately. Collectively. I'm hoping that you found some peace today too. That your slider didn't burst open over and over ruining your groove. I'm savoring this weekend like none other... and we still have TOMORROW!!!
Cheers!
xo
April 2, 2020
It's our mess
Alright. So maybe we aren't quite 'in the groove' yet. I think we are more like, "HEY, today was a pretty good day compared to the last 712." Although it's only been what? 4 weeks? How is that even possible??
Today felt hectic. It just felt messy and hard to manage. I lost control almost immediately after breakfast and never really regained it.
Daisy didn't feel like doing her school work and to be honest she only attends three days a week so I should really keep that in mind. I tend to forget that now that we are doing it all at home.
Scarlett has trouble sitting still and focusing at home. Too many distractions here. She gets caught up in commenting on EVERY SINGLE POST in google classroom and she's learned how to email her teachers with questions now so that takes up about 97% of her time. (Sorry, teachers).
I start the day by reading any emails and all instructions from teachers, making sure I know what is expected of both girls. I save all files and out print everything - anyone else going through ink and paper faster than that 1-ply toilet paper you were lucky to score at Family Dollar? I can't be the only one. I let Scarlett choose the order in which she does her assignments but I'll be honest, if it's nice outside I toss the two of them out each morning. Fresh air and exercise!
I almost always miss information or forget about a class Zoom meeting. And when we do get on them we get kicked off at least twice. And I have no tolerance for that stuff. These virtual meetings are killing me slowly, a little more each day. We currently have about 8 or 9 weekly.
In other news, I am very lenient with P.E. assignments because I figure if they are outside running around for 2 hours that is a pretty good substitute. I hand out snacks roughly every twenty nine seconds - flying through Goldfish and Craisins, yogurt and nonsense fruit twist things. I check in with Scarlett every so often to see what she has left to work on I crack the whip a bit. Daisy will usually do one or two dittos and then we play with Magna Tiles or her favorite game - Petco. Yes. She asks me to play Petco with her everyday. I am the customer looking for whichever animal she chooses to be at the time. A bunny. A ferret. An orange kitten with gray ears and purple spots. You get the idea. She cozies up under a blanket on the floor and makes squeaky animal noises. I ask if she is for sale and then scoop her up and take her home with me. Game doesn't end there. It repeats. Over and over again. For eleven straight hours. And yes, I know I will absolutely miss this one day.
That's what we need to keep in mind right now, I think. We will all miss these days ONE DAY. Maybe not in the near future because we are all just about burned completely out. But maybe ten years from now. We will inevitabley see an old picture of them and wish to see them that way again. I will be begging a 15 year old girl to lay on the floor and pretend she's a green guinea pig and she will probably tell me to cut the shit and get lost.
If we are lucky enough to be home with our family right now then we truly have it all. It's a proper mess, no doubt, but it's our mess... and it WILL be a memory one day. If you can pause for a moment and take a breath, remember to count your blessings.
Keep on keepin' on!
xo
Today felt hectic. It just felt messy and hard to manage. I lost control almost immediately after breakfast and never really regained it.
Daisy didn't feel like doing her school work and to be honest she only attends three days a week so I should really keep that in mind. I tend to forget that now that we are doing it all at home.
Scarlett has trouble sitting still and focusing at home. Too many distractions here. She gets caught up in commenting on EVERY SINGLE POST in google classroom and she's learned how to email her teachers with questions now so that takes up about 97% of her time. (Sorry, teachers).
I start the day by reading any emails and all instructions from teachers, making sure I know what is expected of both girls. I save all files and out print everything - anyone else going through ink and paper faster than that 1-ply toilet paper you were lucky to score at Family Dollar? I can't be the only one. I let Scarlett choose the order in which she does her assignments but I'll be honest, if it's nice outside I toss the two of them out each morning. Fresh air and exercise!
I almost always miss information or forget about a class Zoom meeting. And when we do get on them we get kicked off at least twice. And I have no tolerance for that stuff. These virtual meetings are killing me slowly, a little more each day. We currently have about 8 or 9 weekly.
In other news, I am very lenient with P.E. assignments because I figure if they are outside running around for 2 hours that is a pretty good substitute. I hand out snacks roughly every twenty nine seconds - flying through Goldfish and Craisins, yogurt and nonsense fruit twist things. I check in with Scarlett every so often to see what she has left to work on I crack the whip a bit. Daisy will usually do one or two dittos and then we play with Magna Tiles or her favorite game - Petco. Yes. She asks me to play Petco with her everyday. I am the customer looking for whichever animal she chooses to be at the time. A bunny. A ferret. An orange kitten with gray ears and purple spots. You get the idea. She cozies up under a blanket on the floor and makes squeaky animal noises. I ask if she is for sale and then scoop her up and take her home with me. Game doesn't end there. It repeats. Over and over again. For eleven straight hours. And yes, I know I will absolutely miss this one day.
That's what we need to keep in mind right now, I think. We will all miss these days ONE DAY. Maybe not in the near future because we are all just about burned completely out. But maybe ten years from now. We will inevitabley see an old picture of them and wish to see them that way again. I will be begging a 15 year old girl to lay on the floor and pretend she's a green guinea pig and she will probably tell me to cut the shit and get lost.
If we are lucky enough to be home with our family right now then we truly have it all. It's a proper mess, no doubt, but it's our mess... and it WILL be a memory one day. If you can pause for a moment and take a breath, remember to count your blessings.
Keep on keepin' on!
xo
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