Naturally Optimistic

Yesterday was not a good day for me. A crappy night of sleep (imagine that!) followed by my total & complete lack of patience for two very needy & clingy small people, coupled with a to-do list a mile long for August's upcoming birthday soiree (Saturday). Ugh. Errands to run, in the rain; making more than one stop with my entourage & did I mention my complete & total exhaustedness? Plus I've had this weird back thing going on which is very uncomfortable. A trip to the chiropractor is needed very soon! Anyway- a highlight of my day... We stopped at the post office to buy some ONE cent stamps so I could mail out another batch of riveting postcards (yeah, postcard stamps went up one cent. Hmph) & to mail a package to a friend. I went to the Mt. Royal post office which is closest to me & I really love. It's so...um..."down home" for lack of a better word. They always decorate to the nth degree for holidays; they use hand painted, wooden signs t...

Happy Birthday to my beautiful boy! There will be cupcakes, balloons, Grandparents, cousins & owls this weekend! I can't believe it's been a year!!

Dahlia loves to go outside on these beautiful spring days and color the sidewalks with chalk. She got a huge box of new ones for her birthday (December, we've been waiting to use them!). They're so fun because there are so many colors. I probably have as much fun, if not more, than she does. And August likes to eat the chalk. Oy vey. She calls it "chalking" & I love that. We are going to go chalking after she gets up from her nap. :) Yay spring!

A great weekend behind me...but it went far too fast. Arrived on Friday night, enjoyed conversation, laughter & memories with two of my best girlfriends. We marveled at the fact that we've known each other for just under 20 years. What? How did that happen? Saturday morning found us sleeping in & eating baked french toast. We hiked along the Lake Shore & too many photos. We headed back to the cabin & partook in naps, reading & M&M eating. Saturday evening we dined on spaghetti, enjoyed some wine & of course more laughter. Sunday morning came too quickly. I reveled in sleeping all night & 'sleeping in' (boy that has a different definition than it did 20 years ago...). It was so fun to relax & read & snooze & not worry about anyone but myself. *sigh* After we left Sarah & I went to Gooseberry Falls. They were thunderous & so beautiful. The water was awesome. I'm not sure that I've ever been there at this time of year...

I'm heading up the North Shore for some Girl Time with my too close college friends Sarah & Freya. A small cabin on the lakeshore, a bottle of tequila & some lime juice, puzzles, books, hiking, napping. I cannot wait. Have a great weekend!

According to this new study , Minnesota is ranked 4th in the country for peacefulness. I can see that. 10,000 lakes, national forests, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, peaceful prairies, clean air, not too many people & friendliness. Rivers, sky blue skies, great artists & musicians, the largest lake in the world...and the home of Snoopy. Clearly I think Minnesota is a great place to live. When I returned from 5 1/2 years of living in California, I finally felt like I could take a deep breath. I'm not cut out for the hustle & bustle (constantly!) of a big city. I take my life a little slower; more peacefully. The USPI indicators: number of violent crimes, number of murders, number of police officers and the incarceration rate & ease of access to small arms.

A pretty napkin, all to myself; uninterrupted internet searching & catching up on PARENTHOOD via Hulu; a bagel that I ate every bite of & didn't have to share. Ahhhhhhhhhh

So my friend Donna is a finalist in the HomeAway Vacation Rentals contest to win a trip to London for the Royal Wedding. All you need to do is go to this link on FB , "like" HomeAway (you can unlike after you vote, I guess) and put your comment down for Donna! It's easy. Go, do it! It would be awesome if she won!!