Living in the "now"

I've been doing a lot of living lately. I'm trying to be happy in the moment too.
I am so busy but I step back and think that I LOVE this busy!  This is a good time - my kids still need me and want me.

I've been taking walks and hikes regularly.  It helps so much to have a "buddy" that I know will be waiting for me on the corner. 

I've been cooking a lot (I should try to post more of my weekly menus again since I've looked back on them for inspiration for current meals) and trying new things.  My latest addiction is bread. I've been making a lot of homemade bread.  People, do NOT be afraid of yeast!  I've made baguettes, English muffins, french bread, crusty rolls, dutch crunch rolls... all sorts of stuff. 

My son is thriving in his new school.  His grades are great and he's happier.  The only problem is they have NO fun.  It's SO dammed serious all the time.  HE is so dammed serious all the time that I wish they forced a little fun on him like his old school.  Oh well.  I guess I can't have it all.  His psychologist finished up his intelligence testing so we can know where we/he can help him.  Um, yeah. Scary numbers, let me tell ya!  Freaky scary numbers.  No wonder he didn't do well in "mainstream school".  Can you spell B-O-R-E-D? 

DD is doing well in school too.  She is smart like her brother but in a different way.  She is an excellent student but much more social.  She just finished up her first season of volleyball and LOVED it.  I need to go sign her up for basketball.  I've already signed her up for the spring season of volleyball because she asked me to.  She is tall and beautiful and happy.

FG is working away like crazy but the balance seems to be ok.  I quit my job to help him but, well, working together is not always a smooth road.  I finally told him I am not going to do a part of the job he originally wanted me to and I will help in a bunch of other ways. So I am.  I feel a huge relief.  I don't know how he feels about it and quite frankly, I don't care!  It was NOT going to work out the way we thought it would and it was going to lead to more problems personally and professionally.  Hopefully he realizes that too.

I'm enjoying my role with DD's elementary school PTA.  It's challenging and wow, dealing with personalities is an interesting education.  I'm being told often that I'm doing a great job.  I've been asked a few times to take on the role again next year but I will stick to one term.  Though I don't know what I'm going to do with myself next year!!  DS's school needs help and so does my sorority alum club so maybe my volunteer efforts can go there.

Speaking of volunteer efforts - I have sitting next to my computer applications for volunteers at the Humane Society.  DS wants to go pet the cats.  He has major OCD with our cat and cannot walk past her without petting her.  He will go out of his way to go to her if she is in the same vicinity.  We dropped off some old towels and blankets for the animals to use at the shelter last week and a sweet kid volunteer took us in some of the cat rooms.  They are great if you have never seen them.  They are like cat apartments!  They have furniture, scratching posts, cubby holes for curling up, a sun room, a tv with birds and squirrels, plenty of fresh water, food and blankets for snuggling.  DS was in heaven!  He loved that the cats were so happy to see him and jumped in his lap when he sat down.  He visited many of them and had to be reminded that they are not all as tolerant as our crazy cat. So he wants to go volunteer to visit the kitties. 

I'll try to share some menus more often.  Last weekend I made French Onion soup from homemade beef stock.  We got another 1/4 cow and with that comes several packages of soup bones.  So I roasted them then simmered them and made stock.  Then I made the soup from the stock.  I also had homemade croutons on it because when you make as much fresh bread as I have been, you end up with a lot of stale bread and there is nothing easier or tastier than making homemade croutons!  A little melted butter, a little olive oil, some salt and spices - mix and toss cubed day-old bread with it.  Spread it on a baking sheet and bake in a low oven stirring every 15 min or so until they are done they way you want them.  Easy peasy and yummy!  So for my soup I was proud to say it was 100% homemade!  It took all damn day but it was good.  FG and I enjoyed a bottle of good wine with it and played dominoes with the kids - just trying to enjoy living in the "now"!