Dear Reader:

I do my best with bedtime for two seven year olds, you know.   But, whew-ee.  It ebbs and flows as to it's anguished drawn-out-ed-ness or ease and comfort-ed-ness.   Tonight was a bit of an anguish night.     I am also trying to wean the kids off of devices and get them more onto a routine and it's the first week of summer camp.   So, I AM NOW LETTING US ALL OFF THE HOOK.   We are doing our best.    It is hard.   We will keep trying tomorrow.   I will extend myself and them forgiveness for our communal bedtime anguish.

Ha.   Here's a little saying that I think I need to have hanging in every room of my house and my office:

This is so simple.   And, so to the point.   And, so true.   My goal is to give my children a happy mother who loves life.   And, on most days, I meet that goal repeatedly.  

I have been on THREE long walks on the Salt Trail this week.   Here's evidence:

I like to imagine that you could step off of this log and into that patch of light and be instantly transported to a magical land.   These are the kinds of things I think about when viewing something like this.   As my daughter likes to say - "You're weird, Mama."   I can't deny it.

I just love the colors in this one.   And, the play of light.   Lovely. 

So, I just went on the Virginia Herpetological Society website to identify this guy.  Maybe a Northern water snake?   I am now just a little bit creeped out by the site.   For some reason, seeing snakes in person (I mean, unless they are venomous!) freaks me out less than seeing them in a series of pics, one after another....   I now have the heebie-jeebies.

This flower is rather jaunty, isn't it?

Anyway, another good healthy thing I did was make a new recipe from my "Cooking in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook" book.   Lightly fried and baked chicken tenders with an egg white, parmesan, panko bread crumb topping and a surprisingly awesome homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.    I have also eaten lunch at home instead of out more than I usually do this week.  

I came home from my walk today and told myself that I didn't have to be productive.   I read, watched HGTV for an hour, took a tiny power nap and felt guiltless.   This is highly unusual.   

I've got a big, uncomfortable work meeting coming up.   I have a plan/idea to pitch.   The atmosphere at work is pretty dismal these days and no wonderful interactions with students to mitigate all the yuck.   But, today, I thought about how to draft the pitch and then gave myself permission to realize that all I had to do was present this plan.   I know it's a good one and they should take me up on it.  But, they might not.   And, it has NOTHING to do with me.   I will continue to practice piano and teach and love experiencing new things and have happy and healthy children, whatever way this goes.  So, NO MORE WORRY.   (We'll see how long this lasts!).

I was thinking about that idea of inviting famous people to dinner and who you would choose.  I won't lie that I am pretty psyched that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Dem nominee.   The FIRST WOMAN to be a nominee from a major party.  INSANE that this hasn't happened until now. I've been a fan of hers for a long time.   Anyway, I want her at my dinner.   And Elizabeth Warren.   And Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  And Brené Brown.   And Yo-Yo Ma.   And Amy Poehler.  And Tina Fey.   That's not a weird dinner party, right?   Oh, and I want the dinner party to be out in a lavender field under a shelter at a big wooden table in Provence.  With lots of olives and cheese and wine.   And,  nice sunny day with a breeze.  And, you know, blue and white checked linen napkins and nice silver cutlery.    I mean, it's my dinner.  I can have it wherever and however I want, right?   

All right.   Time for me to go to bed.   Onto tomorrow!   Another walk.  Some more practice.   

Have a lovely day, dear reader.  

Thanks for reading.