Listening to the Rhythm

I am not one to listen very closely. I try really hard to listen when someone is talking to me; especially if she is trying to figure something out, get something corrected, or explain what she needs. But honestly, I don't think that I have been listening well at all.

Next week, I have decided to take an entire week of vacation. Now that I have committed to actually doing this by asking permission from my manager and having it printed on the monthly work calendar, I realized that my soul has been asking for a vacation for some time now.

The rhythm of life changes so quickly, doesn't it? I can be coasting along just fine, keeping the wolf from the door, and not really listening to anything my body, soul or spirit is saying to me.

Hug your child. Forgive your husband. Appreciate your body. Get up off your ass and clean this house. How many of these things do you think I really respond to? Truthfully, not any! I want to be a better person, wife, sister, daughter, mother, insurance agent, friend, and human being, but in order to do that, I have to begin with myself. How can we listen to someone else when our own voice is not being heard?

So I am going to focus this next couple of weeks, while getting ready for a week off and then actually being on vacation for that week, to listen to my spirit. Listen to my inner voice--even when it's bitching. Listen, and truly hear what is being said. I think that will make all the difference in the world!

Poinsettia Update

Well, today is June 26th, 2009. I don't know exactly when we got our poinsettias for Christmas last year, but Christmas Day was over six months ago officially. I took this picture of my poinsettia today. It has a lot of new leaves coming out and still has colored leaves at the top. I have never been successful with keeping plants alive, but this one really wants to see another Christmas!! How much longer will it last? Place your bets and we'll have a contest!

Stomping Grapes at Texas Reds Fest!

This past weekend's adventure involved attending the 3rd Annual Texas Reds Festival in Bryan Tx, my hometown. Saturday, my sister-in-law Jessie and I entered the Grapestomp competition. The teams of two each had one minute to stomp as much juice as possible out of the grapes in your bucket, while the other team member kept the pipe running from the bucket clean with a pipe cleaner. Here are some pics of the big day!


Jessie making a face... maybe due to the stickiness of our feet!


My Turn stomping...


Jessie's a great stomper!



We had a great time! We actually won our heat, the 5 o'clock hour, and placed second overall! It was some sticky, hot, slimy fun!!

An Experimental Adventure

Originally uploaded by sgburnett67

Today is June 12th. I think that my poinsettia is officially 6 months old! I took the pic last month; it still looks basically the same. There are some shoots growing out on some of the empty stems and some small green leaves coming out on them. How long will it last? We're gonna find out!

Trip to San Marcos

It's hard to believe that my weekend came and went so quickly. I made it to CB's apartment right at about 9 pm. I thought we'd agreed that we were going to go to River Road Ice House, so I was surprised that he was wearing shorts and a tshirt when I arrived.

He confessed that he didn't have any jeans that fit right now, so he didn't want to go to a club. So, we went to a popular restaurant there, Pluckers, instead. Luckily, they had a live band, so I still got my live music fix!

We got home from there around 12, and CB proceeded to show me all of the funny stuff he'd found on the internet since I saw him last. Then we watched Paul Blart-Mall Cop, then a Todd Snyder dvd, then poor old mom called Calf Rope and went to bed. At 2:30 in the morning!

Saturday I awoke at 7, only to decide that I really needed a little more sleep. I got out of bed about 9. CB slept till 11, then he immediately wanted to take me and show me the Devil's Backbone. He drove me out to see it, which was really cool. I have seen it before, but it was still fun to see it and hear his stories of introducing many of his friends to the area.

Afterwards, we went to Gruene to eat lunch at the Gristmill, shopped a little there in town, and then went to Cavenders to get him a pair of properly fitting jeans.

I headed home around 5:30, leaving him with a new pair of Wranglers and enough money and groceries to make it a week or two. It's alway a little depressing to leave your oldest child back to his own life.