Weekend Recovery

This past (four day!) weekend was exactly what I needed. {Although now it's Wednesday already and I'm just getting around to writing about the weekend.} With four days instead of the usual, miserly two, I didn't have to choose between relaxation and responsibility; there was plenty of time to be both industrious and indolent. I graded papers, cleaned bathrooms, washed sheets, bought groceries, and scrubbed floors, but I also watched movies, shared meals, took naps, drank Greyhounds, walked aimlessly, and photographed randomly. The end result was that by the end of the weekend, I felt good. Of course, there was more that could have been done, but I felt like I had struck a good balance. Bottom line-I would like to make four day weekends a regular occurrence.

One of the weekend's highlights was getting to watch Tom play some music.  I love watching him play, so was happy to brave the rain on Saturday night to watch he and Devin perform with a couple of other local musicians. Thanks to my sisters, my mom, and my friend Jaime for also battling the elements to show their support.

I have yet to figure out the best way to take pictures in the super low light that is apparently requisite for all live music performances. Sadly, what follows are the best shots of the night. Tom and Devin played first...

They were followed by brothers Billy and Bobby Shaddox whose father joined them at the end of their set.

Tom and Devin returned to the (now very crowded) stage for a few more songs with the Shaddox gentlemen at the end of the evening.

{Apologies to Papa Shaddox for hiding him in the shadows}

It was an evening of great music. I may be biased (after all, I am a pseudo celebrity now that a song bearing my name has become a fan favorite), but I thought the Riders killed it. The Shaddox brothers (and father) were a treat to watch as well.

Friday Felicities

felicity (fə lis′i tē)

noun pl. felicities -·ties

1. happiness; bliss
2. anything producing happiness; good fortune
3. a quality or knack of appropriate and pleasing expression in writing, speaking, painting, etc.
4. an apt expression or thought

Origin: ME felicite < OFr felicité < L felicitas, happiness < felix (gen. felicis), happy, orig., fertile, fruitful, nourishing


Obvioulsy, I have slacked off in the blog-writing department as of late. I have been busy and tired and uninspired and excuse and excuse... I am attempting to refocus, and I thought it would help to have some sort of routine. Back at the height of my middle school awkwardness, I discovered this book.

Being the joyful little dorks that we were, my friend Jessica and I set about making out own list. We got to a thousand, one thousand things that made us happy. We printed our list out, and I stuck my copy (a thick stack of that old school printer paper that had that weird perforated edge with the holes in it) in a desk drawer. I think. I have absolutely no idea what happened to it, but I would love to be able read it today. I wonder if the same things that made me happy at thirteen still make me happy at thirty. My guess is that a lot of them probably do. 

In any event, I am going to try out a weekly routine that is a throwback to that old school list. Friday Felicities (alliterative and apt) will be a list of things that made me happy over the past week. 

Things that filled me with felicitous feelings this week (or, more accurately, today, since this just occurred to me and I haven't been keeping a photographic record of my happiness this week): 

• Swimming piglets* and silly wordplay. {Someone commented on this photo that the little guys were probably training for the Olympigs}

                          Source: dailycute.net via Gaby on Pinterest

• Feeling loved by the Hubs on Valentine's Day (and every day for that matter)

• Growing a salad on the railing of our bedroom balcony

• Freshly washed sheets and Barbara Kingsolver

• Dinner with the fam

• These words of wisdom - I'm going to make my own poster and put it up in my classroom

                                                                               Source: etsy.com via Kate on Pinterest

*Disclaimer: Pictures of adorable baby animals (is there any other kind?) doing  silly things and/or just looking adorable almost always make me happy and will likely make frequent appearances.

Happy Valentine's Day

We decided on a low key, homemade Valentine's celebration. So, inspired by this, I made this while Tom was out last night:

{I'm still cleaning glitter out of my hair, but it was an all around good time}

{Look at me, I even bought a glue gun.}

 

And inspired by my sister, I also made these:

{Red velvet cookies, cream cheese frosting, pink sprinkles} 

 

 

 

I strung up my glittery, sparkling Valentine's greeting before I left for school.

Lest you think that I swept Valentine's Day, I must say that Tom did pretty well himself...  I received a lovely bouquet at school which in addition to brightening my day and my desk, served as a teachable moment...I used it as an opportunity to remind the young men in the room that you can never go wrong sending flowers to a woman at work. After work, I was treated to a delicious dinner which I was too busy enjoying to photograph.

Sure, it's a commercialized, Hallmark holiday, but a day devoted to love can't be a bad thing.