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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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mara williams
on Jun 18 2013 - 06:00 AM
Hey, manchild, mama says: clean your room, wash the dishes, don't drink and drive.
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Emily Parnell
on Jun 16 2013 - 06:00 AM
Eating fresh, local produce is good for body and soul
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Jim Cosgrove
on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
I just want to buy some pants. Please, turn down the music.
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I have been trying to dodge lemons all week, but darn the luck, I have been catching them. I wish I could say that I have been making lemonade out of them, but really I have been smashing them, the sour juice stinging my open wounds. I couldn’t make myself find the sugar to sweeten the sting.
Happily, the kids have been great. They are using their summer for hanging out with their friends, enjoying the beautiful weather and even getting a few chores done around the house while I work. My oldest is working, putting some money back that she needs when she leaves for college soon.
Unfortunately, everything else is a wreck. Starting with my daughter’s car, which I had to scramble to fix because it would not pass inspection, and she needed it for summer school. By itself, I can deal with this, but add an auto shop that inflates the cost of their work and makes me feel like a rube when they talk to me. I walked out and found someone else that did the work for less, treated me with respect, not an air-headed woman who doesn’t know anything about cars. This lemon really burned.
The next bit of chaos involved a nerve-wracking trip to the emergency vet on Sunday evening and a dog who was sick enough she had to stay the night and then be transferred to our own vet where she stayed two more nights. Our poor Sabrina has doggie pancreatitis (I just never knew a dog could get this)and she was one sick dog-baby. My usually busy-home full of animals and kids-less one dog, was still busy, but there was a lull of sadness, without her expectant, furry presence. Our Sabrina-dog is at home now, on the mend and we couldn’t be any happier. I am beginning to believe it would just be easier just to squeeze those lemons over a pitcher of ice.
Tonight, as I write, things are looking up. Cars are working, animals are healing, and I have baked sweets, which always seems to comfort me, or at least make the people around me happy. I have embraced time with some women in my life, laughing and story-telling, taking my mind off the chaos and feeding my soul. Finally, I took my daughters shopping and walked out with some fashionable new clothes, a new purse and I felt refreshed after sharing some belly-laughs.
Tomorrow, I will attend a party to celebrate a friend’s even-number birthday and secretly, in the depths of my mind, I will be rejoicing that I finally found some sugar and decided to make some lemonade. It tastes so much sweeter.
Sorry about the dog an the car -those unexpected expenses can add up fast, and glad the dog is on the mend. Good to hear the end of your week is going better.It sounds like you DID make lemonade. You used the aggravation of a jerky mechanic to motivate you to find a good one that fits your budget. You were able to get you furry family member the care she needed and she is on the way to healthy again. Your kids pitched in when needed. You had fun mother/daughter time. That, my friend, is a big pitcher of lemonade! :)
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