I've been feeling a little blue since Inessa headed back to Latvia. I really am trying to get back my mojo, but it has been elusive the last few days. I am an optimist to the very core of my being - I can find a small ray of sunshine in most any cloudy sky, but I am struggling a bit right now. I know I will come out of this funk soon (See? Optimist!), but in the meanwhile my dear husband has no idea what to do with me.
I have no idea what to do with myself right now.
Tonight I came up with a little exercise that I think will help me get a spark of my former Susie-Sunbeam self going. If not, at least it will pass some time.
One of my all time favorite movies is The Sound of Music. It doesn't matter how many times I see it, it still reels me in and I find my heart woven together with the Von Trapp family as they learn, love, sing, grow, and flee. My Bucket List contains several goals directly related to The Sound of Music - I want to find the huge meadow where Maria is singing in the opening of the movie and belt out a show tune there myself, and I want to play Liesel in a live production. Of course, I realize that at nearly 37 my hope of singing a believable "I'm Am 16 Going on 17" is waning down to never-gonna-happen status, but I am willing to settle for a role as Maria. I'm nothing if not a flexible optimist.
During a particularly loud thunderstorm in the movie, Maria finds herself surrounded by the Von Trapp children, and she decides to sing to them about a few of her favorite things. You know how it goes - raindrops on roses, whiskers on kitten. (I can go on...I know it by heart.) As I came to my blog to write tonight, I found myself still feeling blue and I almost gave up posting. But I have decided that I am going to spend the next five minutes coming up with my own "Favorite Things" list and hope that "then I won't feel so bad". (You die hard Sound of Music fans are singing that last part, aren't you?)
Setting the timer, and here we go...
My dog, his crazy fur, and his smell
Cal's freckles
Jude's laugh
painted toenails on tanned feet
delicious tea in an inspiring mug you can wrap two hands around
sound of waves at the beach
pictures of my family laughing
scented candles
reading in front of the fireplace
Miss Terri days*
a new lipstick
preparing a healthy meal that tastes amazing
N'Sync music**
sitting in the sunshine
really good chocolate
a hand massage
fruity smelling shampoo
my red shag carpet
dew on a spider web
smell of baby wipes
OK. Time's up. So that's what I came up with (the list would be longer, but I was momentarily distracted by a crash in freestyle snowmobiling in the X Games on ESPN in the background...). I have to admit, I do feel a little bit perkier.
A shout out to you, Julie Andrews.
*Miss Terri is my dear friend who cleans my house. Yes, I have someone clean my house. Let there be no judgment. A post coming about this soon.
**There is NO shame in this either. But I can hear you laughing at me.
(And in case you're wondering, the picture is of my crazy furred, sweet smelling dog resting on my red shag carpet.)
Comments
Snuggling with any of the children...individually.
Time to read a book.
Anything West Wing.
When the children credit something to God.
Frisch's diet vanilla coke.
Sleeping in...or waking up refreshed and not getting out of bed immediately.
Waterdeep music.
Great jeans.
Salon-fixed hair.
Homemade muffins.