Time with Friends is a Big Rock

So, to put the title of this post into perspective, there is a story told by Steven Covey about making priorities in your life.  If you haven't heard about the "Big Rocks in Life", You can read it here.  It's worth a look.

Work has been a bear since last September, and add in the holiday stress, New Year's annual tax and paperwork travail, and I've been feeling a bit blue lately.

This week and last, I did something I have not had time to do in quite a long time.  A sew meet with my girlfriends.  Even though I was tired, and lots on my mind, like shaping my children to be productive and pleasant citizens of society, and world peace, I went anyway tonight.

We chatted, made each other laugh, embarrassed whatever children were present.  And there is just something in that mix of nonsense that releases some endorphins or something.  I am still stressed about work, but a little less so.  I am still worried about the state of the world, but a little less so.  Still wishing I didn't have decades ahead of me of working, striving, saving, etc., but a little less so.

Time with friends is one of the Big Rocks in my life.  I'm going to try harder not to let the sand take up all the space.

For the love of books

I love books, and while the argument for the advantages of e-readers are starting to make sense to me, I can't let go of the tactile joy of turning pages and smelling the paper and ink.  The first video below made the rounds last year, and I loved it then.  The second video is the sequel.  I love them both!

And your problem with that is...?

We were ordering the birthday cake for oldest child's party this weekend, when Youngest overheard.  Miffed, he asked in a plaintive voice, "Why does he get two birthday cakes?!" 

We had gotten a very small one for the actual day of Oldest's birthday, knowing his party was 2 weeks away.  Youngest's birthday party was a week before his actual birthday, so we had not done the same for him.  Just one cake.

DH looked in surprise at Youngest, and clarified, "This means you get to have some of 2 of his birthday cakes, instead of just one.  What are you really having a problem with?"

Youngest thought about it, and retracted his complaint.  The principle seemed a lot less important than the potential for chocolate.