Beast of Burden or Social Animal?

Originally uploaded by abroadermark.

Not THIS kind

of pack animal, Cal!!

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THIS kind!!

Imagine walking into an empty movie theater with your significant other (See? I can be politically correct), choosing seats, and settling down to munch on popcorn and play footsies until the show begins. Now imagine that other people start to arrive. Let’s say you and your honey are sitting right in the center of the 13th row. Now where do you suppose those other people are going to sit? You know the answer!! They’ll either plant themselves in the center of the 12th row, right in front of you, or the center of the 14th row, right behind you. They might even sit a few seats away from you on the 13th row!! And there goes your game of footsies!

What is this strange phenomenon?!

My friend, Cal, said she thinks people stay close to other people because they don’t want to be alone. I agreed with her saying “Well we ARE pack animals after-all” or something like that. She then accused me of being cynical because she thought I was saying we humans are all a bunch of mules. But I wasn’t saying that at all. I was saying we’re social animals – much like wolves who live in packs – and that we need each other and are driven to satisfy that need. But now that I think about it, I suppose we ARE a lot like mules (or camels, or elephants, or any other pack animal you can think of ) too! Some of us more so than others. We are all the time carrying one another’s burdens, aren’t we? So it’s not an “either/or” question, is it? We are social animals AND beasts of burden. Giving and receiving, leading and following, deriving strength from companionship, finding safety in numbers and carrying our fellow traveler’s load when it’s too much for him/her to bear.

Cluttered Desk = Cluttered Mind?

Originally uploaded by abroadermark.

Does a cluttered desk equal a cluttered mind? I wonder.

I’d say that the state of my desk top is a direct reflection of what’s happening in my head. Lots going on, albeit in a rather untidy way.

Today’s Pleasures

Sleeping in
E-mail from a friend
Learning something new
Long walks
Free time
Slobbery baby kisses
Teenage boy hugs
Laughing with my mom
Starting a new book
Watching my children play
Sharing secrets
Knowing that I’m loved

New Shoes

good shoes

Originally uploaded by abroadermark.

My groovy new white (with pink trim) walking shoes earned themselves a big fat A+ today!!

My walking buddy took me to a cool nature park for our walk tonight and I’m happy to report that (even after a fair amount of walking/hiking) my feet are feeling fine!

Ahhh…life’s simple pleasures!

Today’s Pleasures

Waking in the morning to a quiet house
Cool water to drink
Party leftovers
Comfortable shoes
Springtime smells
Sunsets
“Gotta see” movie list
Laughter
Air conditioning
Trip planning
Touch
Goosebumps
Friendship

First Holy Communion Day

Originally uploaded by abroadermark.

Tess received the Precious Body and Blood of Christ for the first time today!

The Shoe Family

family photo

Originally uploaded by abroadermark.

Here we are!

This picture was taken last October after Clara’s baptism.

Back row: Old Man, Lily, Old Woman, Clara, Mamie, Ethan and Chelsea.

Front row: Gus, Tess and Henry

Saints Peter and Servatus Pray for Me!

The patron saints of foot problems are St. Peter and St. Servatus. They’ll certainly be hearing a lot from me over the next few days!

No More Barefoot Walks for Old Woman

I tried to wear my Birkenstock clogs when my friend and I went walking last night. Big mistake! I ended up taking them (along with my lovely black socks) off and walking barefoot. It actually wasn’t as bad as one might think. My feet and legs felt just fine afterwards. Still I thought it best to be properly shod for my next walk with my buddy, so I made my poor husband go shoe shopping with me tonight. After looking at and trying on at least 100 pairs of shoes, I finally settled on the very first pair I tried on. Isn’t that the way it always goes?! Old Man was more than happy to pay the $55.00 they cost just to get the heck out of that store.

Now the fervent prayers begin. I haven’t had good luck in the past with walking shoes – or almost any other kind of shoes, for that matter. I like my Birkies – and that’s about it! So I’m praying that it’ll be different this time – that I’ll somehow be able to stand wearing my attractive new NikeAirs long enough to “break them in” so I can stand to wear them even longer. Who is the patron Saint of foot problems, anyway? I think I’m going to find out and send some serious petitions his or her way!

The Best and Worst of the Day

The best things that have happened to me so far today are:

1. No one has thrown up on me and only one kid has thrown up at all.

2. My five youngest kids took naps at the same time.

3. I found a frozen dinner in the freezer so I didn’t have to eat PB&J for lunch.

4. I haven’t had to put real clothes on all day.

5. Frankie said “Mama” again!

The worst things that have happened so far today are:

1. I hurt a friend’s feelings.

2. Therese is still throwing up.

3. I’m suffering from lack of sleep.

4. It’s raining and the kids who aren’t sick anymore are stuck inside the house.

5. While trying to quickly chill my bottle of Coke in the freezer I accidentally froze it.