Monday Musings

I know I've mentioned it before, but I will again.  I really like Mondays.  I know it is due in a large part of the fact I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home wife/mom.  I can get the house back to an orderly fashion, get the laundry started.  And think about a nice walk with the dog in a little bit.

However, I'll let you in on a secret.  I really don't like February.  It just seems to be a 'filler' month of more gray and cold.  I'm glad we've hit March because that means we are another month closer to not-so-frigid temps.  I just read that here in dairyland our average temp for the month of February was 14.3.  It was the sixth coldest in 100 years and that average does not take wind chill into account.

There is a good thing about February though!  It's my mom's birthday!  This year I actually had lunch with her on that very self-same day!

I was tickled when my dad told my mom right as I was taking this picture, 'smile like you look happy!'.  As if she usually isn't.... heh.

Speaking of birthdays.  Aren't birthday cards kind of a strange phenomenon.  It is expected to purchase a piece of heavyweight paper.  You stand in front of a rack of cards with flowers or scenes or obnoxious dogs and look for just the right saying for the person you are giving it to.  They can set you back from .99 to $6.  The recipient opens it, reads the prose, and then... what.  Put in a drawer?  The recycle bin?  I still buy them.  I still give them.  I still like to read a few until I get to one that almost makes me feel teary-eyed.  Then I know I've found the one.  But maybe, just maybe we should just verbally express or pen our own feelings about a loved one instead of spending time at the local store looking for the words someone else wrote that may or may not say what we are feeling.  Or maybe this is all just me....

We hit the slopes (if you can call it that) at the local hill again this past Saturday.  Daughter #1 and I smiled big for our selfie.

The other day as I readied myself for a shower I glanced in the fish tank and couldn't find "Styles".  I looked and looked and he wasn't in there.  I was secretly full of glee.  Finally the cat got the fish!  Now I don't have to clean that rotten tank anymore.  Nature took its course!  I rush out to tell the original owner that her fish had gone on to a better home (or the cat's belly).  She rushes into the bathroom to check for herself.  Then I hear something.  A wiggly sound.  It is coming from the slot where the filter motor is.  I shine a flashlight and there is "Styles".  How in the world?  There's a plastic divider.  There's a near-one inch jump he would have had to make.  A jail break if you will.  "Styles" was put back in the tank.  He swam happily around.  Daughter #2 looked at me through narrowed eyes and said, 'you were happy he was going to be dead weren't you?'.  Um....

Today is meatless Monday!  I decided that I wanted to start doing that.  Will see how long it lasts.  Today's supper menu is homemade potato/corn/carrot chowder with egg salad sandwiches and a green salad.   Will be interesting to see if anyone notices there's no meat on the table.

Well happy Monday to you!  I'm off to a really icky but satisfying job of gutting the fridge/freezer in the kitchen and seeing what is there that shouldn't be there and giving it a good scrubbing.  Exciting and riveting days here at the Chairman and Co!