learn about me

Everyone is asleep andI get to sit down. Lovely day, today. My husband
worked overnight so I had planned to run errands
today...mostly pawning off the mountain of clothes and
toys in garbage bags that have been sitting in the
garage for two weeks. Some to the consignment store,
some to my friend with younger boys, some to the
shelter, etc. My husband came home in the morning,
ran his errands, came back and we got a call from the
school. My son Connor, the 7-year old, had tripped on
the curb and knocked out a tooth. Jim rushed over to
the school and brought the battered bundle home - a
swollen nose, a knocked-out baby tooth, a bent-in
front permanent tooth, and a goosegg on his head. He
had a big, bloody lip and swollen eyes from crying.
"Mom," he said with trembling big lip and quivering
chin. He rushed to my arms. That's so nice. Just
the one word. It's a perfect word.
Needless to say, by the time 4:30 came around (after a
dental trip and piano lesson) and I still hadn't tamed
the mountain of charity, I gave up. I got in the car
and took it to the big Good Will truck parked at the
mall. Goodbye 90's blazers that got me through my
Master's, Goodbye dinosaur t-shirts, Goodbye maternity
dresses with large flowers, Goodbye foam USA map
that's missing Texas and Minnesota, goodbye Spiderman
slippers (or at least I thought it was goodbye until I
found one on top of the washing machine when I got
home), Goodbye out-of-tune lap harp, Goodbye skirt I
will never fit in again, Goodbye, goodbye,
goodbye....I handed them all to the bald, but biceped
Man in the loose-fitting overalls. I hope he makes
some money from them.
So, who am I? I figure that what's in
my garbage pretty much typifies who I am. If only
they would take half-used decade old make-up and bras
in every imaginable size but all with the underwire
poking out from the armpit, I would be set.
Really, I am just a typical Mormon girl from Utah who
just wanted to leave her whole life and is now just
wanting to come home...I have a million brothers and
sisters, handsome older husband,
four gorgeous kids, a messy desk, and a passion for travel
and drama that I never get to do.
My most useful gift is an eye for spelling
mistakes (I say this tentatively, since you might find
one or more in this missive). I have been known to
leave rabid notes at store counters asking them to fix
the signs outside. My current project (or burr under
my saddle) is a huge, glowing restaurant sign that
says CEASARS instead of CAESARS. They just opened and
I have to pass it twice a week on my way to Karate.
I am not sure what else to write. Umm, I like
making sculptures out of Rhodes Frozen Dough (turkeys,
snakes, Christmas trees, wreaths, snowmen, bats,
Easter bunnies, etc.) and eating them. My one craft is
beading jewelry. I have a passion for Italy. I went
on study abroad for my junior year to the University
in Florence. I used to know Italian well enough that I
studied Italian literature there. Now, it would be
good if I could order pizza. I got to travel quite a
bit before I decided doing laundry and creating
exciting crockpot concoctions would better suit my
free time. What does the twilight falling over
Istanbul compare with the light in my daughter's eyes
when she puts on pjs by herself?