(4/15)...streaming

I used to think that people who claimed to be so busy they couldn't get done the things they really wanted to get done just didn't have their sh*t together. Must not be well organized, have their priorities straight, must be wasting time watching television or on Facebook.

Turns out you can actually have so many demands on your time from outside influences that you can't do what you want to do. What a revelation. Even when I had four children under the age of twelve at home I did not have this problem.

I apologize to anyone I ever thought that about.

I actually feel guilty blogging because I have so many projects, so much dirty laundry, lesson plans unplanned, Lenten decorations still up, and overdo library books, I have no business sitting here typing, but I refuse to give up on the blogger in my head. She needs to commune with her fellow bloggers if for only 30 minutes a week.

So here I sit and I can't remember anything I wanted to share.

Oh yeah, how about the fact that my life is so uncomplicated right now that we are going to get a new cat? A cat...a new cat to us...we don't have one. Faith has been badgering for months. We have never had a cat with kids, though we had two when we got married. Both parents sent us off with our childhood cats. That was fun. We've had dogs since the oldest boys were little, but no cat. Faith is dying for a cat. She even claimed that her childhood would essentially be ruined if she couldn't have a cat. I was not really opposed, but Doug was. Really opposed. She wore him down. There is a Petco next door to the Panera where eat every week or two before dance class. They have some shelter cats on loan and Faith has been checking for a good match since early last fall. So far they have been male, long-haired or adopted before we checked back on them. Last week there was a short-haired female that was a really sweetheart. We filled out the adoption papers, but it turns out that particular kitty hates dogs, so no-go. And she had finally convinced her dad to let her have a kitty.

Well, Doug and Noah stopped at the vet's office today to pick up some medicine for Maggie, and they had two rescue kitties there in the waiting room. Guess who sent me pictures from his phone because "she was such a nice kitty"?

Tomorrow we will be going to pick up some supplies and then pick up "Avery" for a little test run with Maggie. We'll keep her for a couple days. If the cat and dog hate each other and I have to take the cat back, my daughter will probably have an emotional breakdown. Fortunately the cat shelter with whom we filled out adoption papers has a back-up kitty that likes dogs -- they just emailed me this evening.

I'm not sure I'm diggin' the name Avery. I like Vivian, but Noah doesn't. Maybe Molly, but I don't think she looks like a Molly. I'll keep you posted.

~~~~~

On another note, today is the 31st anniversary of my dad's death. I think I have told you before he was unfortunate enough to get his death and taxes on the same day. Thirty-one years is a long time and it's hard to believe I was the same college girl who lost her dad suddenly to a heart attack. He was just 42. It seems like another life ago. My uncle's wife was pregnant with her first baby and that baby is now pregnant with her first baby. Her sister Jill was born a year later. I did not know my husband. How things can change in 31 years.

Earlier last week we were planning a photo session with Doug's family to take place on Sunday at his parent's home. I was telling my mom about it and she reminded me that we had our family portrait done outdoors in the fall before my father died. We, of course, had no idea it would be the last family photo.

~~~~~

One last story before I go switch the laundry, make a cup of tea and settle down with some sewing. On Friday I confiscated Noah's cell phone because of a bad grade and then found some very inappropriate texts when I searched it. Not unheard of, in my family, or any other, but seriously disappointing. The kind of disappointment that starts in your throat, moves to your chest and ends up in your head, throbbing for several days.

I was mad, really mad, because all my kids have been raised to know right from wrong, good from bad, and seriously warned against such behavior. They have also been told that I will throw any electronic device used for the purpose of sin in the creek. It rained Thursday night and the creek was raging Friday afternoon. You know it. I took the SIM card and battery out lest anyone ever find it, I walked out the back door (slammed it, of course), down the deck stairs and chucked that sucker right in the creek with all my might. It was a most satisfying kerplunk. And I've had no regrets. I won't say Noah can't ever have a phone again, but it will be randomly searched without warning (which I should have been doing but got complacent).

Noah went to Confession on Saturday and we're ok today, but it was a tough weekend. He was sulky and that made me even more mad. He should have been sorry, begging for my forgiveness. I have to keep reminding myself how God must have felt when Adam disobeyed. He is the Creator, Adam's creator, in a much bigger way than I am Noah's creator, and still Adam disobeyed. And satan was at the root of it, just as he was with the phone. We can never let down our guards with these children of ours. But when they disobey we can't take it personally. They will sin. We just have to hug them and love them and try again.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

~~~~~

By the way, I am sewing two First Holy Communion veils for my Etsy shop. If you need one and don't have one, stay tuned...