Monday and Tuesday

The blech-iest two days of the week, no?

I had a wonderful weekend.  On Friday, my siblings, their significant others, and one of our "almost sisters" came out to the house for dinner and an evening of being together.  I really enjoyed getting to spend time with my peeps... I always laugh my guts out and have a blast!  I got a little wound up about the food though.  Anytime I have to cook a meal on a weeknight, I get wound up (especially when it's for company.)  Things go wrong and I get testy and then I blame Chris because I can't stay home and cook during the day like a NORMAL wife.  (I hope you are calling me a senseless baby right now, because I realize that logic is completely irrational and that staying home to cook all day is not at all "the norm.")

You may think that sounds silly... to get wound up about food you're cooking.  But there's a lot of time and care invested in preparing meals for company.  There's the choosing of the dishes you'll serve... considering how they go together, the planning of the shopping list, the planning when you're going to make what ahead of time in the midst of your busy workweek, then there's the shopping (which, in this case, required trips to THREE different stores!  I had my heart set on polenta and didn't find any in all of Maumelle.  My brother had to bring it from Searcy!)  Then of course, there's the getting everything made and dished up so that it's hot and ready all at once (while making sure you've saved the easiest things for last so that you can socialize with your company as they gather in the kitchen during the final preparations.)

Does it make a little more sense now why some people get a little wound up about meal prep?  Why your mom sometimes lost her cool when you didn't show up to the table on time?  Why perhaps she cried a time or two because her lasagna burned or the cake she painstakingly prepared using the entire Martha Stewart method didn't produce rave reviews?  Maybe the mayhem on Thanksgiving Day makes a little more sense now?  There's a lot of emotional investment in food preparation.  Especially when you love cooking and take great pride in your work.

So, although my Friday night started out rough (what with wasting 45 precious minutes of cooking time searching the town for polenta... then later slicing off my fingertips in a mandolin slicer)... it improved vastly once my siblings settled in.

Saturday was blissful and relaxing.  It was lovely outside.  Our workout consisted of walking and yoga.  Sunday's workout consisted of walking and yoga as well (after a potluck brunch at church!)  Superman and I finally had the heart-to-heart I've been needing to help me shake off the raging baby fever that's been wreaking havoc on my concentration.  In short... the weekend was perfect.  Delightful.

Then Monday hit. Bam!  My stack of To-Dos became a mile high by 9 am.  I had to deal with my usual stream of difficult people being as lazy, complaining, and/or disagreeable as ever.  I smiled, hunkered down, and got through it.  I thanked the Lord for some girl time later that evening where I was able to shop, eat, dish, laugh, and vent a tiny bit with new girlfriends from church.  I needed that more than I can say!  I've really missed the close girl relationships I had in college and it's taking awhile to form new ones.  But it's happening and that is SO encouraging.

And Tuesday (today) was more of Monday.  So again, I smiled, I hunkered down... I worked like a busy bee and then burned rubber back home.  Home is where I am now, home is where I love to be.

Thank you God for my home... 
for my job that makes it possible... 
for my friends that provide a listening ear, a laugh, and a prayer when I need one... 
for my sweet husband who showers me with love every day.  
Remind me, God, how blessed I am.  
You've given me more than I deserve.  
You've been so good to me.