Good morning and welcome to a fresh start. This weekend was full of blessings, everything from my family spending three days hiking, eating, drinking and relaxing with me in Indiana to finally completing my sacraments of initiation in order to fully enter into the Catholic church. Congratulations to everyone who participated in a similar celebration on Saturday evening. You are reborn! I hope everyone had a happy Easter as I did, surrounded by family for a long sunny weekend.
I sat down in front of my computer to write today’s post and, not for the first time, my eyelids began to droop before I’d even finished typing the title of today’s piece. I had every intention of sharing the fantastic lessons learned from chapter three of Atomic Habits or my recent and stunning success with Legendary Crab Rounds that made me the star of the Superbowl potluck. Those and many more are still in the works and will be showing up here very shortly. However, tonight I simply want to enjoy a few dazzling sunsets from Kino Bay, Mexico to Moab, Utah to Michigan City, Indiana and more. This collection is one of my favorites, compiled over years of good, old fashioned, outdoor adventure with my family, the people I love the very most.
Every time I can’t decide what treat to bring for a Saturday game night with friends or what blazer to wear to a company networking event, I call my mom. When I’m stuck at home wondering what to cook for dinner for the week or when I need guidance through my first dropped stitch on a new knitting project, I’ve got her number on speed dial. She hears about every hiccup at work and every dating dilemma. No matter what drama I drudge up for her to help me solve, her patience never ceases to amaze me.
Moms are full of great ideas. Often, with each kindly delivered suggestion I have to take a moment to thank her and exclaim that “this is why the world needs more moms!” I honestly have no idea where I’d be without mine. Thanks mom!
Making new friends is an amazing experience and by far one of the best things you can possibly do when moving to a new place. However, there are times in life when you just have to go be with your people, the ones that really know you. These are the people that never had to earn your love but make a point to anyway. These are the ones that belt out Meatloaf songs with you when you crank the volume in your car, the three back seat drivers that you can’t help but love despite their perpetually confounding directional advice.
These are the people that had already imagined your dream wedding and catalogued a few fitting baby names before you were even dating. You didn’t have to tell them what you wanted. They already knew. They’re the ones that always have been and always will be with you through every significant and insignificant chapter of your life. Sometimes, we all need to be reminded just how much we love those people.
This is a public service announcement that Mother’s Day is in two days! Don’t forget to send a bouquet to the fearsome mama bear that kissed your bruises all better and made sure you ate your vegetables. There have been a lot of flower photos this week but I can’t help it. It’s springtime and everything is blooming and this special lady deserves all the flowers in the world, even the ones that are a little past their prime but still pretty that she likes to rescue from the grocery store discount bin. She’s the red pen in the decisive hand of the editor-in-chief and the bared teeth of a snarling grizzly defending her cubs. She’s the house where Christmas lingers all year and the ring of rightness ever present in “practice makes perfect.” She’s the two words you always needed to finish your calculus homework and she’s best friends with the tooth fairy.
There’s absolutely nothing you cannot achieve but she believed it long before you did. She always will. She’s your number one fan. No matter where you go, whether you’re on the team or in the band, she will be there in the bleachers shouting you on because she’s your most loyal groupie. She’s magic. One snap of her fingers and suddenly your favorite handknit mittens are no longer lost. She’s a Michelin Star chef and a German lullaby and she can do anything. Thank you for filling us with grace and wisdom each and every day. We love you Mom!
I’ve made so many new friends during my time in Indiana working in the steel industry but sometimes you just need a girls’ night with your closest gal pals. My mom and my sister were more than happy to oblige and we all marked our calendars. It took a little creativity since we are separated by over one thousand miles and everyone is social distancing. Therefore, one Sunday evening we all got together for our first ever virtual girls’ night. We shared a beer over a Zoom conference call while we all watched the same chick flick and gave ourselves manicures. It required a bit of coordination and multiple computers but was a fantastic way to spend a few hours with family.
Even though it was a girls’ night and we enjoyed free reign for our movie selection, we were joined by my dad and my sister’s housemates. Two of the boys even consented to have their nails done and we all looked fabulous by the time the evening was over. It was nice to do something together, even something as simple as watching a movie and painting our nails. Although it’s much easier to share a couch and a TV, hanging out with friends is far from impossible in the world we live in. What are some of your favorite memories with your gal pals?
Girl of Steel 