Hello! Happy Friday! Long time no post, eh? When the kids were little, if you had told me that having big kids actually meant LESS free time, I would never have believed you. But somehow, I used to actually have time to write. Right here on this blog. Multiple times a week. (And sometimes, in October, EVERY SINGLE DAY.) Amazing.
Confession: This Five Things was supposed to be last week, but everything just got crazy, plus Husband has been out of town the last two weeks AND school started Wednesday. I ALMOST had this ready last Friday, but it just didn’t happen. So here, for your reading pleasure, are some things that were on my mind last week. Ha!
1.Tennessee. At the end of summer, we spent two weeks in and around my hometown in East Tennessee. Family dinners, catching up, a trip to the Smoky Mountains, and even my high school reunion! It was a fun trip that felt long in all the best ways. I love living in California – it is truly home to me now – but being back there always makes me think about what it would be like to live there – the beautiful hills, being so close to family, and the people. They are truly the friendliest of all the places I’ve ever been. Leaving Tennessee is always bittersweet.
(Photo is the view from the deck of the cabin where we stayed in the Smoky Mountains. Breathtaking!)
2. Vacation vs. Trip. I read this while I was on my “trip” to Tennessee. I laughed so hard, I couldn’t breathe.
3. I have found the perfect sandals. I realize that many of you do not know the depths of my obsession about things. I have been searching for a perfect pair of sandals for YEARS. Two summers ago, I found a cute, cheap pair at Old Navy that I wore almost every day. Their “leather” (fake, of course) was the perfect shade of tan – not too dark, not too brown, just right. Obviously they got worn out by the end of summer, and I have searched for something similar to replace them, even creating a Pinterest board highlighting the details I wanted (ankle straps, no elastic for the buckle, very light shade of tan, simple design), creating my own “perfect shoe” in my mind. Nothing was ever quite right. I started looking into shoe repair shops to see if they could MAKE what I wanted. I pondered, “Could I become a cobbler and design the perfect shoe?” See? OBSESSED. (At least I was aware of it.)
But then, one late night in June, after scouring Zappos and Amazon and Nordstrom, I found them on Etsy. My perfect sandal. They are from Greece. They are handmade. They took 6 weeks to arrive. They are absolutely worth it. They were comfortable from the moment I put them on, and I have worn them almost every day since. They go with everything. They are perfect.
And now I don’t have to become a cobbler in my spare time!
4. This quote.
5. And also this one. A friend texted me at 6:15 on Tuesday to let me know that she had left a wetsuit on her porch for my son. (She told him about it when we ran into her at karate. Had he ever mentioned wanting a wetsuit? NO! Does he ever swim in the ocean? NO! Did he talk about anything else in the 14 hour span between hearing about said wetsuit and picking it up? NO!!!!) A few texts back and forth in, my friend said, “Wait, why are you awake right now?” This quote is the reason. Now, sometimes I DO wake up and workout before the kids are up, but the REASON I wake up every morning before the kids is so that I wake up every morning BEFORE THE KIDS.
What are you up to this weekend? Husband gets back from his trip today, so we’re planning Family Movie Night for Finger Food Friday. Also planning to FINALLY get a new sewing machine this weekend! Woohoo! Hope your weekend is full of laughter, good coffee, and the little things that bring you joy. Thanks for reading!
beautiful objects 
I just got back from a “trip”. I know because even though we flew and children weren’t with us on the flight, there was a kitchen at our destination. And there was a small pond with a beach, two grown children with their spouses and 5 grandchildren. But it was also a vacation, for me anyway. I didn’t cook a thing-our children did all the shopping and cooking. I played with my grandchildren, but when the baby needed changing, someone else did it. And on the final day, we all shared the wonder of a total eclipse.
I loved the link and know what the author is talking about, since we did many “trips” with children and since they have grown up, we have had many “vacations” by ourselves. But what we share this summer was one of the best.
I love this, Gail! I think (hope?) that’s the beauty of being grandparents – that you’ve done the hard work – many “trips” for years and years – and you get a perspective later that, even though it’s still a “trip”, there is so much to enjoy. Sounds like you had a wonderful summer!