Here it is - my last day of vacation - I am glad and sad all at the same time. I like being a lazy bum and having hte time to read and sew and keep my house in order. But I dislike being bored. So...I am gonna live it up today and be happy to go back to work tomorrow. With that out of the way, I have lots of little thoughts running through my head today...

On Wind:
Last night there was a wind storm. If there is anything in the world that could convince me to leave California it would be the Santa Anas. I was waked at 3:00 AM to the wind whining around the corners of our house. The trees were whipping themselves into a frenzy and something was banging against the house. After 1/2 an hour of lying in bed unable to sleep, I got up and wandered around the house, peering out all the windows and reassuring myself that all was well. I rehydrated myself while perched on one end of the couch watching the streetlamps flex their skinny little muscles. I crawled back into bed at about 4 and through sheer exhaustion, managed to sleep off and on for the rest of the night. I really HATE those winds.

On Hair
Much to the dismay of my husband (and my daddy, I'm sure), I stopped at the cheapo hair place in town and had them whack off the bottom 5-6 inches. It is still long...way past my shoulders, but it has that newly cut, springy, bouncy feel. I like it. Plus it's easier to brush. Considering my lacksadaisical (blame Mikey if that's not spelled right...he's my living, breathing dictionary) approach to hair care, I am sure that it will soon be back to it's previous length and poor health.

On Music
I have begun learning a second song on my pretty little guitar. (She really needs a name...any suggestions?) Along with Teach Your Children by Crosby , Stills and Nash, I am now learning You Left It Up To Me by the Indigo Girls. There was a very rough time in my life that was made easier by having this song to express myself. I was happy to see that it wasn't particularly difficult.

On Little Boys
I spend last night with my young charges..."J1", a slightly overweight, slightly geeky 12 yr. old with a budding sense of humor and "J2", a sweet but self-centered little 8 yr. old with a talent for charming and irritating me at the same time. I spend every Monday night with them and after over a year we are finally starting to understand each other. Last night was the second week in a row that left me with a "gosh, those are nice kids" feeling rather than the usual "gosh, those are spoiled kids" feeling. It's not that I dislike them...it's just that most weeks I am worn out with all the energy it takes to remind them to be nice to each other, say please and thank you, clean up after themselves, and think about others occasionally. I am much more particular about these things than their parents, so it's an uphill battle. However, in the last few weeks I have seen definite improvement. I like it.