1.

 We had a girls' dinner and movie night this week with my friend Jen and her daughters. Neither dinner nor movies nor girls' nights in general have factored very heavily into my schedule in the past but all three were a delight.  Alannah roasted two chickens to perfection in the convection oven sent from heaven and we had a huge salad and french bread, followed by sundaes. We watched Julie and Julia which completely captivated me.  

Julia Child's life story parallels mine in some ways at this moment – living as an ex-pat, learning a new culture, finding oneself in the fifth decade of life discerning where your energy will be channeled and what excites you now. (The Julie part was endearing but apparently not true to life which was discouraging to discover.) 

I have never been a foodie per se as you know if you have visited here before.  I was completely in charge of meal prep from the age of nine and what a 9yo can swing is less than amazing. Later, food became the enemy as my health declined steadily, rapidly. I am just now discovering gourmet cuisine and am thrilled to find that the older the cookbook, the more likely I can eat the recipes. Plain cream, eggs, meat, sugar, vegetables.  No mixes nor corn syrup. Very exciting!

2.

Miracle of miracles, while she was here Jen helped me solve the riddle of the dishwasher and clothes dryer.

 

  I am now in possession of an array of fully functional household appliances once again. What WILL I do with all my newfound free time??  I shall retire to a life of leisure at once.  A life filled with sterilized dishes and fabric softened tee shirts. 

Happy sigh!    

3.

We attended our first homeschool park day here.

 

 
 
 

I am pleased to say we found the Seewoog nature area without benefit of the gps which apparently is unaware there is a lake in the midst of us. 

  
 

The moms in the group were a wealth of crucial information such as where the health food stores are located.  Wonderful ladies.  Looking forward to going back. 

4.

Alannah is babysitting for the neighbors this evening.  First job here.  She will be making ten dollars an hour.  TEN.  I have not fully processed that yet.  When I was her age I made ONE dollar per hour for families of up to five children and had to change cloth diapers to boot. I think this means I am very old. 

 5.

Another number I am stunned over:  two.  The number of inches off my backside lost since we arrived. Unreal. Yes you can walk your way fit. Though I am thinking these have helped too. I fly up and down four flights all day long.

 
 

It occurred to me the other day that the picture I have of myself is not accurate and likely has not been so for many years.  When I think of myself, I think 'chubby', because I was always a little that until I had children. My first babies are in their twenties now however and my shape changed long ago. 

 
 

Funny how our mental images are so persistent. Seems it is a good thing to step back and reassess our opinions of ourselves now and then and see if they are reflecting reality.

6.

Unfortunately two is also the number of migraines I have had since the last week in May. Prior to this I had not had a migraine since Brendan was born. Whether it is change in diet, change in routine, or my ever changing age is hard to say.  My skin is changing too.  Really there isn't much about myself, my family, or my life in general that has not changed. So, it's hard to say. 

I can say that the blinding (literally) aura which used to scare the bejeebers out of me no longer strikes fear into my heart. I don't enjoy it, but I don't hyperventilate either. We will call that progress. 

 7.

Been thinking over these lyrics.  Over and over. It is better. And crying is ok here, too.