Yesterday was a gloomy day when I woke up and looked out the window at the gray sky. But then Jag licked my face and trotted out of bed ahead of me, and I smiled.
I was super tired from staying late at optical for inventory prep the night before. But then I had a 24 oz. honey vanilla latte from Coffee Hound. All was in equilibrium again.
As I drove to my church lady job, I thought about the funeral to be held at the church at Noon. But then my best friend Jen called and we talked about happy things, like her new career move and our adventures in Miami and Chicago.
I began proofreading the funeral bulletin before printing it. But then I found out Donald Trump (on my short list of people to meet someday) is coming to Iowa in June.
I went back to finalizing the funeral bulletin and began printing it, pondering the images of sad families whose funerals I have witnessed before today. But then I exchanged emails with my sister, discussing my nephew and the arrival of the new baby in May.
The family walked in. I felt the hurt in their hearts and my eyes began to water. But then the funeral and burial were over, and the family shared happy memories over lunch in the church fellowship hall.
I was once again tired at 2:00 p.m. when I left the church for the day, and I wanted to take a nap. But then I arrived at optical and the time flew by.
I was missing my friend Jen. But then when I looked at my schedule for the upcoming weekend, I found I have time to make a trip to Kansas City to see her and catch up in person.
The wind was cold on the way home. But then I cooked some spaghetti and opened a bottle of wine.
I knew I had to go through the monotony of working for the man again today. But then I was back where I started the day, in my bed with Jag curled up by my side. And I looked out at the pretty city lights. Ending the day at the top is always a good thing.
My 20-month-old nephew Gabriel is a constant source of joy for me. I babysit him on most Fridays, and we always have a new adventure together during that time. No two days are ever the same.
This is the first post in a series called “Fridays with G”. I hope this weekly post will bring a smile to your face.
I arrived at G’s home at 7:00 a.m. this past Friday, and his dad warned me he was grumpy and had been up since the crack of dawn. I was determined to set this straight since G and I have an agreement: When Aunt Mel shows up, he should cease all grumpiness. So I said, “Hey G!” as I took off my shoes, and when I walked into the living room he gave me a big hug and heart-melting smile. Then he was down to business, patting the couch beside him, summoning me to partake in some Elmo watching.
"Aunt Mel, it's too early for pictures!"
Yes, G is obsessed with Elmo. And I’m OK with that. Just no Barney or Teletubbies. I can only handle so much. I have my morning shows I like to watch too, so I understand the importance of Elmo. I limit him to one Elmo video in the morning, and one in the afternoon as a last resort though.
And then it was time to get dressed for the day. We had places to go. He wanted to grab my keys and take a ride in Smurfette as soon as he saw my car sitting outside (after Elmo, of course), but I explained with no success that he has to wear clothes before we can leave. This Friday he didn’t want to get out of his moose footie pjs. I can relate. I have many days when I’d rather stay in my pjs. And his pjs are cute. They also have a zipper, and he loves zipping up as soon as I zip down. It was quite the scene.
Then, just when I declared victory with getting the crazy boy dressed, he took his socks off and hid them. Actually, he didn’t hide them. He put them in the dirty clothes hamper because he was done with them. At least he has mastered what most men haven’t figured out yet.
Our outing included running Aunt Mel’s errands in Davenport, but I sprinkled in some fun. We ate mac and cheese at Noodles, and also made a Whitey’s stop before going home. And, we looked at the pets in PetSmart. While most kids I have been around like to pet animals, G prefers to stick his face right up to theirs and let them lick his entire face. And, note to self, he will stick his hands in the fish tanks, even when you are watching him. He’s so sly.
I’ve concluded that G is my good luck charm when shopping. Maybe it’s his cute smile, maybe it’s my disastrous disposition with trying to juggle a toddler with everything else, or maybe it’s both. People are so nice to me when I have him along. Sales people sign me up for drawings without me asking. (And I won!) A lot of people smile and say hi.
Since G has blonde hair and blue eyes, nearly everyone thinks he’s my son. But I can’t cheat. I tell them he’s my nephew. My sister did all the work with carrying and delivering him.
So tiny! Seems like just yesterday...
G took a nice, long nap after our outing. Since I had to bring him in from the car when sleeping, I let him snuggle up with me on the couch. Pretty sure putting him in his bed solo would have meant an abrupt end to nap time. As he lay there, I couldn’t help but thinking it wasn’t long ago when his tiny little body fit neatly from my shoulder to my waist. He’s growing so fast!
When G’s mom and dad came home, we all had dinner and recapped the day. I love sharing photos, videos, and tidbits at the end of the day. The photos and videos are becoming tougher to capture though because G is now obsessed with my iPhone. 20 months, going on 20 years old.
Happy Turkey Day! Hope everyone has a safe and fun day, filled with the joys and headaches of family. I awoke between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. today and took time to think about all of my blessings. Then I turned on the Today Show and started writing.
I am spending my entire Thanksgiving Day in Northeast Iowa – far Northeast Iowa. I arrived at Dad and Jo’s house in rural Postville last night, ate some Mabe’s Pizza, and had great conversation. At around Noon today, I will go to Uncle Irv’s house in Waukon for the Fosaaen family Thanksgiving feast. And it will be a huge feast, always is. Then I will conclude my day at Amy, Jason, and Jaxon’s house near New Hampton.
Spending an entire day with people I care about is what makes each holiday so great. The food, activities, and everything else are added benefits.
In no particular order, the things I am thankful for on Turkey Day and every day:
1. Jag – My fat orange tabby cat, now 8 years old, likes to plop down on my lap and convince me to stay still for just a little bit longer.
2. Gabriel – My 17-month-old nephew shows me how to appreciate little things in life and is a constant inspiration to me.
3. Sarah – My one and only sister is my biggest cheerleader and a best friend. The six year age difference seems to be less and less each year as we grow older. And yes, she is the YOUNGER sister. 🙂
4. Jen – My best friend from Simpson College gets the raw, uncut version of Mel each day and loves me anyway. She is also that friend who seems close enough to hug, even when we have lived across the country from one another.
5. Lexi – Having lived with Lexi for three and a half years, I know she is the real deal when it comes to friends. We also discovered wine together, which is HUGE!
6. Amy – My best friend since high school days, Amy is my best email buddy right now. She also keeps me in the loop on the Burg news and is my partner in crime on Black Friday.
7. Mom – Yes, she gave birth to me. More importantly though, she didn’t kill me during my mouthy teenage years. Thank you, Mom!
8. Stepdad – He dealt with me insisting that his marriage to my mom was “our” wedding, and has shown incredible patience with me every day since then. He is also a straight shooter and demands respect.
9. Dad – So many of my traits come from my dad: red hair, the gift of gab, and self assurance are just a few. Any time I do something a little or a lot crazy, my dad is there telling me to blow the doors off and blaze that new trail.
10. Jo – My stepmom takes care of my dad and has lived with him longer than anyone else. She has incredible strength and patience. Jo is one of the sweetest people I know.
11. Work – While my work places have varied throughout the year, they each have provided money in my checking account. And, we all need a little bit of money.
12. Seasons – I crave change and newness to keep things fresh in my life, and seasons naturally provide that. I hated winter before I moved to Houston for two years, but now I choose to live in Iowa so embrace the snow (most of the time).
13. New People – Everyone new I meet blesses me with new information and/or a new perspective. That is priceless.
14. Health – Being healthy makes everything else work.
15. Jesus – While I’m not into preaching and I respect everyone’s religious views, my faith is a huge part of my life and is the root of everything I have to be thankful for.
Mitch and I cut down my Christmas tree at the Kelly Tree Farm each year. This is me, Mitch, and Irvin the Tree in 2009.
16. Mitch – My one and only brother listens to my rants, provides some of his own, and is a good confidant. He also provides great random funny text messages (original – not forwards) and is my unofficial fix it man.
17. Jeremiah – I only wish my brother-in-law had an older brother for me to marry. I love his family. And Jeremiah is pretty cool too. 😉 He and I have some of the best conversations ever.
18. Kate – She is my surrogate sister in Houston. And Miss Kate was the first hand witness to my sophomore year college transformation – kind of a Son In Law type of thing.
19. Shy – A bundle of joy and love, Shy is the model Christian in every way. She and I taught preschool in Houston and have been good friends ever since.
20. Josh, Jo & Aaron – I group these three together, because they all brought me into the SendOutCards family and were great hosts during my San Diego vaca in August. Josh and Aaron knew me when I had scary braces and ugly hair, but they still talk to me.
21. Busy-ness (the good kind) – Filling my days with quality things to do is what life is all about.
22. Potatoes – Yum!
23. Cheese
24. Coffee – If it weren’t for coffee, I wouldn’t be half as productive as I am. It’s so amazing.
25. Wine – With all of the coffee I drink, it’s necessary to have something relaxing to sip on at the end of the day.
26. Beaches & Palm Trees – These are beautiful works of nature, and I will reunite with them more often someday, when I have a beach house.
27. Type A & Slight OCD – Like it or not, these traits make me effective at what I do. I also try to leverage these things to help others organize and plan.
28. All Friends & Family – I do think it takes a village.
29. iPhone – This has literally revolutionized how I do things, and I haven’t downloaded many apps or much of anything yet.
30. Smurfette – Yes, the cartoon character is cool, but I’m referring to my trusty blue 2004 Chevy Cavalier.
31. Target – It’s one of my favorite stores, and also an employer. I truly learned a lot and enjoyed my time as an HR exec there. And now I work part time in Optical – so fun!
32. The Area Beyond My Comfort Zone – Often underestimated, this is where I find my strength and true self.
I’m sure I will think of many more things I am thankful for today. How cool is that? We just need to remember these things every single day – not just on Thanksgiving Day.
I adore my one and only nephew Gabriel. He is so much fun. I never understood the whole talking-about-babies-like-we’re-crazy thing until my sister had a baby on June 18, 2009. That’s the day everything changed for me. And my life is so much better for it. Aunt/Godmother is the title I am most proud of to date.
Gabriel has taught me a lot, and he can teach us all a lot. Let’s call this one “Lessons from Gabriel”:
1. Don’t be shy. Just go up to someone, smile, and say hi. Never mind personal space. Get as close as you can. If they ignore you, move along to the next person.
2. Enjoy the little things: grass in sidewalk cracks, flowers, sticks, animals, trains, and tractors.
3. Show people what you want if they do not understand what you are saying. Preferred methods are pushing, pulling, or picking up their feet for them to get them moving.
4. Enjoy cake, cookies, and ice cream. They are so yummy!
5. Eat lots of fruit.
6. Play outside as often as possible. Find every puddle and splash around. Also, find every piece of dirt and get it all over yourself. Have fun!
7. Things are just things. So what if they break or get a little dirty? Mom’s laptop and cell phone are no exceptions.
8. Trust those you love completely. They will always catch you.
9. Be courageous and step off that ledge. Don’t be afraid. Just do it.
10. Stick both hands in the candy jar! Go for what you want!
“Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” – Shel Silverstein
Mel's Musings 