What? I only blogged once in 2010?

Really? Only one post in an entire year? What the crap? Well, here's to 2011. New beginnings.

What? I only blogged once in 2009?

Really? Only one post in an entire year? What the crap? Well, here's to 2010. New beginnings.

It's Wednesday!!

I'm back, blog world. Not that I actually have anyone who reads this, but hey, it's my life, so I can make it whatever I want it to be. And today I'm here to proclaim to the big green globe IT'S WEDNESDAY!! Soooo???

Wednesday=garbage day. The day my favorite garbage men take away all the crap that's cluttering up my life. I get to run through my house with empty bags and toss out everything and anything that isn't

A. useful

B. beautiful

C. makes me happy


I'll admit, this had gotten me into some trouble. In fact, my husband AND my BFF have even gone so far as to call me neurotic. (it drives me crazy when they have the same opinion, BFFs are supposed to back you up when the hubby won't) However, I saw their point when they pointed out that just because I don't find value in all of my husband's obscene amount of books (I only tried to pitch out two measly boxes), it doesn't give me the right to throw away someone else's stuff. Point taken, but the kids are fair game.



This all directly connects with my yurt-dwelling fantasy. Note that I used the word fantasy. I don't really believe that the six of us and our awkwardly leggy dog would fit nicely in a yurt, but it's the concept that is appealing. I would love to live with as little as possible~to be able to strip down the clutter until all you are left with are the people you love and some beautiful, practical things. That being said, the clock is ticking, and an empty bag is waiting.

The List

So I'm in a book club, and we do the obvious. . .read books. One month we read a book, I forget the name~I never finished it~it didn't hold my interest, but the whole premise had something to do with a life list. To make things fun, we all showed up with our own life list of things we would like to do before we die. Here is my list.

1. Put a trapeze up in my backyard (just a swinging trap~nothing fancy).

2. Live in a yurt.

3. Build a straw bale house.

4. Can something delicious.

5. Finish my degree.

6. Drop 15 lbs.

7. Complete an adventure race.

8. Kayak in Alaska.

9. Wear black leather pants (or chaps, but this is contingent on Ben owning a motorcycle).

10. Sew a funky apron.

I will add to this list from time to time, and perhaps I will write a blog post on WHY some of these things are on my list.

Now the big question is. . . What is on your list?????

Things that make me laugh but shouldn't

This is so wrong, but I laugh every time I think about it. There is a marquee I pass everyday on my way to Purdue that is in front of a botanical warehouse. The other day it read, "Rest in Peace, Carlos. We will always remember you." Not more than a few days later they changed the sign to read "Wanted, Spanish speaking telemarketer". Please. Does anyone else find this funny, or am I just evil?

TV UPDATE #1

Well folks, I'm sure you all are dying to know. . .How did it go? I can sum it up in one word. Beautifully. They were all in shock the first day. Millie kept coming in the living room and looking around. Like maybe it was hidden somewhere. This is a hoot as any of you know who have been in my house. My living room is about 12x15 with one couch, one chair, one piano, and one cedar chest in it. That's all. Nothing else. Nothing on the walls. No stupid knick-knacks. Nowhere to hide a huge freakin TV. I have to be honest. I worry about that girl sometimes. She continues to walk around saying things like "Mom, I miss our TV. The one that played my kid shows." As if she needed to clarify that she wasn't talking about the one that didn't happen to play her kid shows.

My other three kids made it in the house before me, and this is what I heard. "MOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!" They were panicked~asked a thousand questions~Madeline just kept giving me the evil eye. Then they declared that I will just have to wait until Daddy got home because he will set things right. He will march right down into that basement and bring up the TV. "Daddy is not going to tolerate this." (I don't know where they heard that before).

Well, Daddy did get home. And if I have to be perfectly honest with you, I really wasn't sure what he would do. He very well could have marched into the basement to retrieve the beloved TV. He is the man of the house. But he didn't. He didn't say a word about it. Shocker.

So it's been four full days of no television. Ben finished putting all the trim up in the living room. He painted the living room. I managed to organize my paperwork (this is a whole other blog post), I helped Madeline bake an apple pie, and I played football with the kids. Yes. That is what I said. I'll say it again. I PLAYED FOOTBALL WITH THE KIDS. And I liked it. Ben, however, did not play football with us. He was inside, and I'm pretty sure he was pouting because he couldn't watch football. In fact, that's how the whole football playing thing got started in the first place. He was crabbing about it and I said "You can't watch football, but we can PLAY football" in my best cheerleader voice. Yah, he didn't buy it, but by that time the kids were like "Oh my gosh, mom said she would play football with us. Mom, are you REALLY going to play football with us?" What choice did I have? Well, I'll tell you. I did have a choice. For a split second I thought "You (Ben) are being such a big jerky. Fine. We won't do anything. We'll just sit here and look at each other." But then I thought, OK, he's a bit miffed about not being able to watch football. I totally understand. But if I want a change to happen in the family then I need to make a change. With or without him. I need to be the good example here.

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change.

Dude, Michael Jackson wasn't always nutty.

BE GONE FROM ME YOU STINKIN TV

My family is in for a rude awakening Wednesday. When they arrive home from school and work we will no longer have a television in our living room. It will be safe and sound in our lovely basement storage room. And they will be steaming mad.

Whatever. They will get over it.

The thing is. . .I love my family. I really do. And as you can tell from my last post my life is not what it should be. I might not be able to live in the country or have a bluegrass band, but WE CAN make delicious food while LISTENING to bluegrass, and there is no reason we cannot bust out a sweet beat on some homemade instruments.

I think the biggest problem that I can identify is we our not living intentionally and we are not living simply. We are simply not living at all as far as I'm concerned. We (meaning them) have been sucked dry of life by the TV MAN. Hours are lost. Hours that my husband and I could be spent enjoying our children or each other or OUR GOD. I can't remember the last time we prayed together or read together, and we call ourselves a Christian family. What is setting us apart?

So I can keep complaining, or I can do something about it. I'm choosing to do something about it. For 40 days (God accomplishes a lot in this amount of time) we will not have television as a part of our lives. We might have a Christmas movie marathon if I think we can handle it, but we'll see.

I am expecting wonderful things, and I am expecting some withdrawal symptoms. I'm just going the trust the Lord with it.