I'll get back to blogging next week sometime.

Have a relaxing weekend!

48 Hours

Until my baby comes home!

Woo hoo!

He is currently in the city with this landmark building. Any guesses?

I'm feeling the urge to nest a little bit in anticipation of his return. I'll be cleaning and grocery shopping on Saturday before I head up to LAX in the evening. He will have traveled 20 hours (if there's no delay), and I just want him to come home to a clean house and a well stocked pantry. I'm already thinking about what I want to fix for breakfast on Sunday morning, and I'm leaning towards Peach French Toast Bake from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave. It's healthy. Really! Just 254 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 5 grams of fiber per serving.

So, I'm just thrilled that Michael is coming home, but he gave me a little disappointing news yesterday. Seems our trip to New York City has been postponed again because the host of the soiree he was to play for has had a death in the family, which is of course sad. But this is the fourth time this year that a gig in NYC has been postponed for the band! I don't know what's going on. So, then I was happy just to know that he would be home that weekend, which is Mother's Day weekend, but now there's a chance that he'll be going to Turkey for a one-night gig. Well, it might be a one-night gig, but with travel time and all he'd probably be gone for four days. I'm really hoping that doesn't pan out. I really need to have my husband home with me, or

I'm

going

to

lose

it.

I think you know what I mean!

New topic...

I treated myself to a massage this afternoon. Actually, I thought it was really therapeutic instead of self-indulgent. My lower back and hips have been stiff and sore for several weeks. I really can't figure out why, because I started feeling that way before I did any yoga. Today was the first day I felt pretty good in quite a while, but the massage really loosened me up. (So has the glass of merlot I've been sipping!) This favorite day spa of mine recently moved to a new locale and they now have a jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna - just like a real spa. After my massage, I donned my bathing suit and enjoyed having the jacuzzi all to myself - Thursday afternoons being a little slow there. It was just wonderful.

Then I walked a few doors down to New York & Co. (which seems to be the closest I'm going to get to the real thing anytime soon), and bought a few items for spring. Now, if the weather will just cooperate and keep warming up, I'll be styling in my thrifty duds. Did you know they give you a 15% discount if you simply show them your AAA card? I love that! Their stuff is pretty cheap to begin with and then you get the discount. Nice!

Thirty five days of school left, but who's counting?

;-)

Even Better!

I was off on my countdown until summer vacation. We are actually eight weeks out from the last day of school.

So, what with Memorial Day being on May 26th, there are just 37 days of school remaining.

Yes!

I love it when I make mistakes like that!

It's the beginning of my last week of being home alone. Yippee! I'm almost counting down the hours now. Michael is in Helsinki, Finland. He says it's cold there, and that just doesn't surprise me at all. The time difference is now 10 hours, which makes it really hard to reach each other at convenient times. He was kind enough to wait up for me to get home from school so that we could Sky-pe before he went to bed. That's true love, my friends! I couldn't wait up until 2:30 am for him to Sky-pe me, I'm sure. I turn into a pumpkin hours before then.

On Saturday, I started my scarf over again during my knitting class. The mistakes were too glaring for me and I knew it would always bother me. Besides, I've got the hang of it now. I'm going to try and finish it this week because Saturday is my last class, and I'd like to be ready to start a new project then. I'm not sure what I'd like to make next, though. Anyway, I will have to wait three weeks due to other commitments, but I plan to return to my Saturday morning hang after that. I really enjoy all the ladies who come to knit and chat. Knitting is good.

My pass to the yoga studio has expired, and I have decided that I really don't want to fork over sixteen bucks a class to keep going there. But, I do enjoy yoga so much. So, I ordered a couple DVDs last night, and I'm going to try doing yoga at home when they arrive. My other option is to attend the yoga and Pilates classes offered at the gym, but most of them begin too late in the evening for me on a work night. However, I will have more flexibility with my schedule when school gets out for the summer and they do offer morning classes.

Speaking of summer...

There are nine weeks of school remaining.

Forty-four work days.

I can hardly wait to hear that last bell on June 13th!

Indescribable

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

C. S. Lewis

Yesterday, I saw Ben Stein's documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. It was excellent and I recommend you see it. No matter your beliefs, you will be challenged to think. You can read a review of the film here.

First Bouquet of the Spring!

My rose bushes are doing so well! They are loaded with flowers. I spent some time out in the yard the other day dead-heading the spent blooms and cutting a few for this bouquet. Last year I was so busy with wedding plans and travel plans that I don't think I ever cut a single bouquet, and I know that I didn't care for my roses like I should have. They have not held last year's neglect against me, for they are rewarding me with their gorgeous blooms now. I am inspired, and I hope to spend more time in the garden this spring and summer rejuvenating it and enjoying some relaxing moments out there, too.

Speaking of gardens...

There is a garden tour taking place in the Orange County area the weekend of May 3 & 4. My sister's garden is on the tour, as it should be. She has such a lovely garden. For those of you who live in the area and love gardening, you can learn more by going to Heard's Garden Tour. It's a fundraiser, and the monies raised go to some really good causes that benefit people in need in the county. I'll be enjoying the tour that weekend with my aunt and my mom and some of my mom's good friends. I'm sure I'll be truly inspired to make more of my garden after seeing the gardens on the tour.

The picture you see before the bouquet was sent to us by Michelle a few months ago. Thanks again, Michelle!

Where in the World is My Husband?

Belgrade, Serbia

This is a game I've been playing with my students on the days Michael arrives in a new city. They love it. I roll down the big world map and point out the city and/or country he's in, and I share whatever I happen to know about that place. I was not enthusiastic about this leg of the trip because there has been some unrest in Belgrade recently. Seems they don't like the U.S. support of Kosovo's independence, and so they torched our embassy in Belgrade.

Nice.

And then when I showed my students a video clip about Serbia it was all about land mines.

Very reassuring.

Fortunately, he's only there until Saturday morning and then he will travel to another country. I think he will be just fine between now and then. I don't really understand why his boss is performing in Serbia, but maybe they are big fans over there. What do I know?

I told him last night that with him being gone so long I don't feel married anymore. He laughed and told me to look at Shiny Goodness when I feel that way. Shiny Goodness is what I call my wedding rings. I'll admit that I do look at them to remind myself that I am married, because all this time on my own feels just like my single days all over again.

I asked him how some of the other wives are holding up, especially this one wife I know who has two young children. He said she's going nuts, and that she calls her husband on his iPhone all the time. So I said, "Oh, honey! I want you to get your iPhone before you go on another trip like this. Then I can call you when I need to."

He said, "At a dollar a minute? Are you kidding? You want me to come home to an outrageous phone bill?"

"Maybe..." I replied, because I really wouldn't care. I would rather have a big phone bill than sleepless nights like when I couldn't reach him last week.

Anyway, this other wife was at her wit's end because one of her children had taken a Sharpie marker to the sofa. She wanted her husband's permission to purchase a new sofa, but he told her no. He said they weren't getting a new sofa until their kids were grown. Oh, my!

I sure hope this gig of Michael's is a thing of the past before any children of ours are old enough to decorate the furniture with Sharpie markers. Sheesh!

Tick, tick, tick...

That's my biological clock ticking up there. Yeah, just one of the drawbacks to all Michael's travel this month is that a cycle will pass with no chance of me conceiving. Ouch!

Then, as I looked at Michael's upcoming travel schedule, I noticed that he will be gone for the first three weekends in May. They are just short trips, but I could see that one of them is likely to keep us apart at a prime time.

Um, how am I ever supposed to get pregnant if he's not around?

So, I complained to him about it. On Skype, of course.

And I got me a whirlwind trip to New Yawk City for complaining. Yep, we're going to fly in on Friday the 9th, he's going to do a show at the Plaza Hotel on Saturday night, and we'll be home before noon on Sunday! It's going to be crazy!!!

But, if I don't have to write off another month like I do this one, it'll be worth it.

As far as this summer goes, I am prepared to travel with him whenever possible. I won't be teaching summer school, so I'll be free to go. And we are in agreement that if we're not pregnant by August, we're going back to the RE and seriously discussing IVF with him.

Tick, tick, tick...

Dare You to Move

I have been a sponsor of children through Compassion International since I was a college student. Currently, I am sponsoring a young boy in India and a teenage girl in Ethiopia - I think she was about six when I first received her sponsorship information, and now she's almost at the age to graduate from the program. I received a letter from her yesterday:

My dear mother for whom I am wishing peace and health! How are you and your family doing? I and my family are all fine. I have celebrated the Christmas holiday pleasantly with my family and friends. I have received your Christmas gift of money 126.36 Ethiopian and bought a skirt and a sweater. Thank you very much for the gift and your letter. Congratulations for your marriage. I felt very happy that you are married. Please send me your photograph of the marriage ceremony. Please pray for me so that God helps me in every performance. Where did you recreate on your marriage day? Till your next letter, good-bye.

Doesn't that just warm your heart? It does mine. I hope that though my small monetary contributions these sponsored children will receive tangible and intangible gifts. I pray they will have more hope for their future than if they were left alone to deal with the poverty that they and their families face.

I encourage you to support impoverished children whether it be through Compassion International or other excellent organizations like Half the Sky or Pennies for Peace.

"The the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:34-40

I Heart Sky-pe

What a difference a day makes!

Finally!

The phone rang at 2:15 am. Michael had just arrived in Malaga, Spain.

There was no internet on the bus Thursday and Friday nights. No internet at the venue, and they had checked into a different hotel than was given in the itinerary I had here.

I'm glad he's okay and that I know how to reach him now. He'll be in Malaga for the next five days.

He knows that I was worried and upset. I think we're definitely going to have to get an international calling card for future trips so that he can use any phone to make a call home. We don't have all our systems in place properly just yet - or, as my mother would say, "He's not yet fully trained."

Big sigh of relief here...

(Talking on Skype with my honey this morning.)

P.S. A big thank-you to those of you who left such caring and supportive comments on my last couple of posts. I really appreciate your advice and concern. I'm still learning how to be a wife, and when he's away from me my heart is where he is - even if I don't know where that might be.

Still no word from Michael since that last email.

He's not registered at the hotel on his itinerary - none of the guys are.

They may be on the way to Spain, but the itinerary wasn't clear as to whether or not they'd be driving or flying.

The itinerary was titled "Part 1".

Today was the last day on "Part 1".

I have nothing beyond today's schedule.

Today is our five-month anniversary.

I really don't know where my husband is right now, and I really don't like how that feels.

It's All I've Got Right Now

An email sent this afternoon before I got home:

Hi Honey,

Glad you made it on time this morning.

Looks like I will just miss you.
We are leaving the venue at 12:30 into Paris.
I'm sure someone will purchase the internet on the bus,
Maybe even me.

We gotta go.
I miss you baby.
Love, Your husband

So far it doesn't seem that anyone has purchased internet on the bus. So, I'm not holding my breath for any more word from my husband tonight. This has been the toughest thing about this tour for me - not being able to reach him on a regular basis. When he travels outside the USA, to save money I only use Skype to make calls to his hotel room because their rates are dirt cheap. I learned my lesson a while back when he was playing on a cruise ship off the coast of Italy. That phone call cost me $100!!! So, if Michael has an Internet connection, then we can use Skype to talk for free computer to computer. But, if the Internet is too expensive, he doesn't get it, and I have to use Skype to call his hotel. So, most of the time it's me making the calls because the Internet at the hotels has been very expensive so far.

The other night, the ringer on the phone in his hotel room was turned off (Michael didn't know it was), and I tried for hours to reach him. I finally had the operator put me through to the drummer's room (really nice guy), and I was just about in tears while I told him that I'd been trying to call Michael all night and he never picked up the phone. He calmed me down and said he'd just seen Michael at breakfast and that he'd run downstairs and tell him that I had called. The hotel even sent someone up to his room to check on him because I was so worried and I'd called numerous times - they were familiar with my American voice by then. Anyway, that's when it was discovered that his phone was turned off. He said to me, "I wondered why you didn't call last night." Now we have an agreement that if I don't call when he knows I usually do that he's got to make the call.

I mean how long do you go without hearing from your spouse when they are traveling before you start to worry? For me, it's about 12 hours between calls. After that, I start to worry and my imagination gets the best of me.

I do look forward to the day when he no longer has to travel for work.

Feeling Sore & Blue

see more crazy cat pics

I started taking yoga at this new studio in the neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. I had a great time and felt so good afterwards. There's just something so gentle and peaceful about yoga, and yet it gives your muscles such a good workout.

I had hoped to take another class tonight, but I've found that my very most lower back (might that be the sacrum?) is really sore since I took that class. Not muscular sore, but almost like bruised sore. It mostly hurts when I make contact with any other surface like the back of a chair or my mattress. All I can figure is that the time I spent on my back on the hard floor during class did a number on me. So, I'm going to give myself as much time as I need to feel better before going back, and when I do go back I'm going to go with a better mat. I really need something thicker than the mat I've got now.

Have any of you experienced that type of soreness from yoga?

I've hardly been able to talk to Michael today and yesterday - his schedule has been hectic and his Internet hasn't been reliable. I just feel blue when we don't get to bookend our days with some time to talk. It's bad enough being apart. Every phone call via Skype is just precious to me.

Seventeen days until he comes home...

Sunday Message

I needed to be reminded.

Knitting, Tea, & Promises

So, here is the scarf I'm knitting. I started out with sixteen stitches, but somehow messed things up so that I now have twenty-one. Thus, the bottom is narrower than the top. Oh, well... It's my very first knitting project and I guess I should expect to make some mistakes.

I just love the yarn I'm using. I purchased it at the shop where I'm taking my class. It's 50% Alpaca and 50% cotton, so it's really soft and fluffy. The colors are just yummy. The yarns in that shop are a feast for the eyes. I took a break from knitting today just to wander around and look at all the pretty things. I hope to make a felted purse someday. I love those.


After class, I met up with my mom, my grandmother, my sister, and my nieces and we went to tea at Paris in a Cup. We were there to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. I must have had six cups of tea! We noshed on scones, soup and salad, cheese and fruit, finger sandwiches, and petit fours. So good! And so much fun!

When I got home, I took Buffy for a walk around the block. She seems to be doing really well. She'll see her regular veterinarian next weekend, and I'm going to ask him to check out her knee real well, as I can't get in to see the surgeon - our schedules don't mesh. Dr. Morris (the regular vet) will probably do some x-rays. I hope everything looks good in there. I haven't observed any lameness, but she does seem stiff sometimes. So, I'm interested in what Dr. Morris will say.

Isn't she beautiful?


I love that girl!

Michael is now in Zurich, but will be busing back to Germany tomorrow night. There is no way I could join him on a tour like this one. Some nights they don't even have a hotel because they have to get to the next city overnight. He hasn't done any sightseeing yet, either - not much time for that. He says there is talk of another European tour this summer. I wouldn't mind going back with him, but not if it's another bus tour. Thing is, if we're apart all the time, we aren't going to get pregnant. I have some anxiety about that, but I'm trying to release my worries and concerns to God's care instead of carrying them around with me. All I can do, is all I can do, and God can do so much more.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,
plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Traveling in Style

My sweet husband is in one of these:


Traveling from Berlin to:


The bus is a double-decker, with a living area on the first level and bunks up top. It's even got wireless, so we can Skype! But with it being nine hours ahead there, he's gone off to bed for the time being. He'll call me when he wakes up in the morning, which will be my bedtime. I have to say that today's technology makes it a little easier when he's gone. Even five years ago, I doubt buses were equipped with wireless Internet. I just think that's so cool!

The week has gone by quickly. My kids have been better this week than they were leading up to Spring Break. The weather has been cool and cloudy here, and I do think that helps keep Spring Fever in check. But, I'm still counting down. Fifty (work) days left to go!

I had hoped to start a yoga class this week, but found that I was too tired after work to catch the 7 or 7:30 pm basic sessions. However, there's a class on Sunday afternoon that I'm going to try to make. Hopefully, next week I'll be fully back in the swing of thing and better able to do more after work. It would help if the weather warmed up a bit, too. I'm always more energetic when the sun is shining and it's warm outside.

I'm still working on my scarf a little each night. I should get the camera out and show you what I've accomplished so far, but I'm tired and lazy. So, I'll do that later. The yarn is so pretty. It's sort of pink and mauve and purple - pretty for this time of year. I promise to show you soon!

April Fools

This is PG, but it made me laugh! Enjoy.