dailyfrosting

Good stuff that puts the frosting on the cupcake of your day

Category Archives: Musings


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They Do Exist

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They do exist, those miracles. Whether big…a house remaining unscathed in the path of a giant tornado…or small…getting all items on your schedule completed and done well…they exist.

Two evenings ago, our 14-year-old cat had a stroke. He went from healthy and vibrant (in his own elderly way) to glazed and pained in a matter of minutes. The next day, yesterday, was my husband’s birthday and I hoped with all of my might that no “decisions” would have to be made regarding the fate of our beloved Myles the Cat, for we had no idea how bad the stroke was.

Thankfully, tests have been given, he is resting now and wee baby aspirins will be administered (how cute is that? baby aspirin for a cat) for a few weeks to stave off any clots that might rear their ugly heads. But he is still with us. And my husband was able to enjoy his day and not have it result in a heartbreaking memory.

A little miracle of sorts.

Love those…


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Lows lead to Highs

Last week was a Daily Frosting week like none other so far…I began the week by completely missing a post and I ended the week by pretty much lying to you, my readers: I was late getting to the post on Friday morning and assured you that I would get to it later in the day. I even used the P-word: Promised.

I bombed.

No post on Monday and none came late on Friday.

My apologies to you all, especially to the newest followers out there (of which there are quite a few new ones in the last few weeks!)…I have never had a week like last week in the history of Daily Frosting. Ever. I guess this is testimony to how much the DF has become part of my dailyness…I felt perfectly awful about missing those posts.

The only excuse that I have and can offer is the word Basta. Again with the Basta, I know (see me throwing my hands up in the air, Italian-style)!  In the midst of last week’s uber-copious lists, I tried and tried with all of my might to not come unglued and “ruled” by the lists and, most importantly, I knew when to say it…Basta. To say “Basta” is something that is ridiculously challenging to do, especially in our SuperWoman, multi-tasking world.  I really tried to be conscious of how many things on my list I had to do and how many I could realistically handle…and, unfortanately,  what needed to take a back seat for a small spell.

But I am proud…so proud that I’m really wishing there was some kind of a grown-up Girl Scout-badge-thing…that I kept my head about me, focused in a super-yogi-way on one task at a time and completed them with a smile and a positive demeaner. Even when the steaks that I wanted were no longer on sale AND my daughter’s dance studio forced me to double-back the next day to pick up her recital costume. Mama Bear did not growl at anyone.

Is is rude to want to pat myself on the back? No stinkin’ way, sister. Everyone should pat themselves on the back once in a while for a job well done. Women….men and kids, too…do so much every single day. And when you have done something well, or a series of somethings well, own it. Give yourself a little credit.

Those frazzling lows can become empowering highs.


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Long Day, Short Year

Whoever blurted out the quote:  ”The days are long but the years are short”, was nothing short of a genius.

That CAN NOT be more true.

In a few moments, I will head into our wee kitchen and try to whip up yet a few more school lunches. Again. I tell you, at this point in the school year, school lunches have become the culinary anti-Christ around here. Try to still make it creative, try to still make it healthy….ughhh! I will wager that I am not alone in waiting for the last day of school with bated breath for this reason alone.

Strangely, I have no idea why they are so tedious…after all, I make dinners for everyone  in my family every day, and this is just a small version of one. What’s the big deal? It must have something to do with the fact that it all has to fit into a certain sized bag, can’t be too hot, too cold, or (gasp) too un-cool to eat. Also, as a sidenote, I discovered there’s no packing shelled edamame. They stink something fierce when you open that tupperware. No one wants their kid to be the one with the stinky lunch. That could mark a kid for their whole elementary school career. Nix the edamame.

THEN, after an all-too-quick yoga class, I will head out for yet another field trip with my daughter’s class for the afternoon. Been to this place a few times already, but not with her class, so I’m going. Honestly, why is it always the same parents going on field trips, helping out at class parties, buying the teacher gifts (don’t get me started)? This is one of three field trips in almost three weeks. The school system likes to cram them in during the busiest time of the school year. They think it’s winding down, but May-in most people’s book-is a zany 31 days.

THEN, I will take care of getting my other child to her play rehearsals, for which all of the grandparents are coming into town this weekend to see (hence, meal planning for 8 people the next few days and cleaning the house stem-to-stern), try to remember to pick up the other daughter’s dance costume for her studio pictures next week (must. put. that. on. calendar), take one daughter to swim lessons AND prepare for my husband’s birthday, which falls on Monday. I think there might be something also in there about baking for a teacher appreciation luncheon and picking up books needed for a school project.  The past few nights, I’ve been laughing to myself, because my husband and I have been doing our version of the parent-relay race over the past few weeks: I was with one kiddo at swimming and then he would come and pick up that child and drop off another and I would then stay with them at their tennis lesson (at the same facility). Take other child home, do homework, then WE’D come home and I throw together a very-European-timed dinner…at 8:30. The silver lining to this is that next to the tennis courts is a track, so I exercise for an hour while daughter has her lesson. Kill too birds with one stone! A victory!

But you know what, I wouldn’t change a thing.

These days are sooooo long sometimes. But they also go by sooooo quickly. I was thinking about this because my cousin’s daughter just graduated from college this past weekend. I remember, CLEAR AS A BELL, going to the baby shower for this child, all those years ago. Holy cow. I just did it. I don’t think I can tell you what we had for dinner two days ago, but I am recalling events clearly from twenty-two years ago. I. Just. Got. Old (never. wink, wink).

See, days long, years short. We must enjoy those long days, with the field trips, the baking, the running, the scheduling, because before very long, the wee people that we are doing all these things with will be out having their own long days.

Time to get ready for a fieldtrip….


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From Morocco to Whole Foods

…Going against every feeling in the depths of her soul, they parted ways. He to Morocco, while she traveled on the luxurious Queen Elizabeth 2….back to her home, but all the while feeling as though her true home was with him.

He thought about her every day and saw her continuously in the beauty of life. At night, he tossed and turned, hoping that they could somehow be together again. And when that time came, it would be forever.

Letters were exchanged, read and reread a hundred times. The handwriting studied for hours, picturing the writer’s delicate hands that wore the sparkling promise ring of aquamarine and hammered gold.

Finally, not being able to handle the distance, he packed up and fled. He traced her letters, finding her and laid in wait to surprise her at just the right moment. They would finally be together. The Universe would smile and bless them.

A delicate bouquet of pinks and purples, her favorite colors, was purchased for the reunion. With her unaware, he quietly followed her and placed the flowers…

…ON her CAR. In the WHOLE FOODS parking lot.

Whaa? (I’m giggling, are you?)

This little bouquet made me think of the J. Peterman catalogue. Have you ever stopped to read one of them? It really is as zany as the Seinfeld character portrayal. Dramatic and over-the-top…and all for some skirts, sweaters and dresses. I received one recently out of the blue and ended up keeping the thing because it’s such an imaginative and creative read, considering they are merely selling clothing. But with this catalogue, it’s not about the clothing, it’s really about the stories that they come up with for the clothing. They are creating worlds. And events and scenarios. It’s amusing to no end. The scenes they paint are from other eras, the situations outlandish, but the reading is fun. Who knows what they would do with a mysterious bouquet of flowers.

Here I was cooking up a silly story to bestow upon these blooms (lovers? friends? argument? declaration of love? rough morning?), when it could have simply been the wonderful doing of someone who was partaking in a random acts of kindness. Either way, purely delightful.

I loved seeing these flowers wedged there in the door handle-catching this moment. I truly couldn’t pull out that phone fast enough to grab a picture! Had time not been an issue (it was…read yesterday’s post), I would have loved to stick around and watched to see the reaction.

(bet you wish it was you getting that floral surprise…I sure do!)

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The Dog Ate My Post

Yesterday, for the first time in the history of Daily Frosting, I didn’t write a post. There have been the I’m-stuck-in-bed-sick-as-a-dog days and there have been vacation day absences, but never simply a I-didn’t-do-it day. I feel like a delinquent school child and my readers are the teacher. Can I say that Mom accidentally threw out my post? Or the dog ate it? Or my new kittens ripped it to shreds?

No go. I figured.

Yesterday was merely a case of Basta. Basta meaning “enough”. I simply could not squeeze one more thing into my day and unfortunately, my beloved Daily Frosting had to be the casualty. Any mom out there with school-aged kids knows, as soon as you flip that calendar to May, the lists begin. Sure, there are lists that you make all year long, but for some reason unknown to man (or woman), the universe seems to conspire to cram as much as in-humanly possible into the Spring Days. There’s more daylight! So let’s have after school sports in the evening hours completely botching up dinners and homework and forcing you to run your house like a military unit…you there! you there! We deploy at o-600 hours! Move out! Then you throw in end-of-year concerts and plays (and all of the extended rehearsals), projects, field trips, field days, teachers luncheons, plans for camp (am I too late? Did I miss the deadline? What doctor form??)…..B-a-s-t-a.

You can also kiss housework, regular exercise, sex and meal planning goodbye. You are in list mode and if they aren’t on the list, they aren’t happening.

I am hell-bent and determined, despite all this, to enjoy the spring and not slide in summer a frazzled, harried mess. It’s the run-for-the-plane scenario. Everyone likes to get to the airport with time to spare, have a coffee and sachet onto the plane. No one likes to have to sprint clear across the airport, carry-on bag bouncing against your body (what’s IN there that’s so pointy??), coffee splashing, hair flying behind you.

Basta.

So instead…..form and breath.

I read this in a yoga magazine yesterday and it couldn’t be more timely. Spooky almost.

Compose your form. Take a breath. Moment by moment. It will all get done-it always does, miraculously enough. You just have to remember that.

Baby steps, little bites…work through that list. Do each thing well, plan and stay focused (remember my post from last week….Experience not just Endure?). And be sure to yell basta when you can see the end of the rope coming. That is imperative. If your cupcakes do not make it to one event, the world is not going to crumble. Promise. There is a perverse sense of Supermom-ness when a mom’s list runneth over and you are getting through them. You hate it but somehow it empowers you. Just make sure it doesn’t break you. I’ve seen one-too-many moms who are so consumed with the quantity of things on their lists that quality goes out the window. They aren’t enjoying the events, or taking care with preparing things…it’s all about crossing items off with the bright red pen (admittedly, one of the most satiating things in the world).

Slow the heck down (I’m really typing this to tell myself at the moment)…experience not just endure. Breathe. Try not to careen into the boarding gate of summer.

Ok, everyone ready to face the lists today? Yes!

Breeeeeathe……


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This to That

As we stretched into Warrior 2 pose, eventually bending forward at the waist, hands interlaced behind us and finally collapsing over our bent leg to rest upon it for what seemed like the 50th time, the instructor (obviously) noticed that our group was becoming a fatigued. Supportive legs were starting to wobble and shake, breathing was becoming more audible (my mind was wondering where a clock was)….she touched on the idea of Experiencing and Not Just Enduring.

Take stock. In those times when you are uncomfortable, whether it be physically or emotionally, hone in on what you are feeling. Instead, then, of merely trying to muscle through it or hustle through it (the usual reaction)…try to experience it. What IS going on right now? How am I feeling or thinking as I find myself in this spot or bit of time? Can I somehow shift my thinking to lessen the discomfort? Notice, read the situation, make it better or, at least, think of it from a different perspective?

Experience, not just Endure.

This thinking could be applied to strenuous yoga positions, disagreements with friends or families or something as simple as attending (yet another) school function.

Experience, not just Endure. Sink into it.

Maybe a flicker of turning a negative into a positive?


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Would you, Could you….where?

For three whole days, as I mentioned yesterday, I was in a fabulous bubble. One filled with amazing food, great experiences, nurturing classes, lots of fresh air and sunshine and…silence. You never really appreciate silence until you remove yourself from the buzzzzzz of the everyday. Or until you have kids, whichever comes first.

Two experiences that I found to be rather surprising and prof0undly interesting were both times in which I totally submerged myself in, well, myself.

The first was the initial yoga class that I took upon arriving at Kripalu. In any given class, I tend to do a fair amount of my yoga positions with my eyes closed…somehow that helps me to really delve into the “being” aspect of yoga and not just the physical positions. Before I knew it, I had done virtually the entire hour-long class with my eyes closed. I hadn’t even realized that I had done it that way, until at the very end when we were heading into our savasana (final relaxing pose), I was almost startled by the mere act of looking around the room. It was truly bizarre. I felt as if I had been in a different room for almost an hour, if that is one way to explain it.

The other moment like this happened when I went out kayaking on my last morning. It was a perfect, and I mean perfect, weather day. Low-70s, glorious bright sunshine and a slightly cool breeze. Spring Perfection. A group of us tromped through the wooded paths to the nearby lake. Time to get a kayaking 101 course and hop in! I’ve been in a kayak before but always just flew by the seat of my pants. I’m sure that all those times I had been holding the paddle upside down, for I now know that the scoop faces you and the long side of the flipper-thing is on top. Go figure. Probably makes paddling a heck of a lot easier.

Into my life vest I went (we all had to wear them, lest Kripalu be hit with a non-yoga-esque lawsuit), buckled up and feeling like an adolescent camper, as my vest sat a bit too high and my chin was virtually resting on it when I plopped myself in the kayak. For all intents and purposes, I could have been a kid at Camp GitcheeGoomie instead of an adult off on a yoga weekend.

Paddle, paddle. Twist from the core, don’t just use the shoulders and arms (if you do, you’ll tire easily and never make it to your destination and back. Good to know). Twissssst, paddle! Press those feet against the braces in the kayak. Press and twissst. Hey, this is awesome, now that I know what I’m doing.  All 18 of us looked like a fleet of campers in wee banana boats, floating across the surface of this magnificent lake in our red, orange and yellow kayaks.

We followed the edge of the lake, curled around a bit and then came to the middle of the lake. I thought we’d just be heading back, but nope…this was Kripalu. Time for a mid-lake floating meditation. So cool. I love this place.

All of us little kayakers stopped paddling, placed our paddles gingerly across the top of our boats, pulled our feet out from below and gently rested them on top. Lean back. Feel the sun on your face, let the breeze push you where it wants. Ok…HEAVEN.

I closed my eyes and turned inward. Floating, bobbing, sun-warming. Life is good.

The leader walked us through a bit of a meditation, the breeze carrying her voice to each of us, and then we all just did our thing, letting our mind go where it wanted. When I opened my eyes after what seemed like a long time (which was probably just about 10 minutes), I was startled once again. My feet were up on a kayak and I was bobbing in the middle of a lake. I had totally tuned out. I didn’t even go to my usual Friday the 13th scenario when I am on a lake with some zombie-creature-thing overturning my canoe, kayak or floatie. It was also, quite frankly, pretty amazing that no one’s paddle slipped into the drink, as I think we all tuned out.

Again, I was greeted with the profound sensation of re-entry. I had turned inward so much (and without falling asleep-guess that’s what the life vests were for) that I had let go of where I was physically.

I may be getting the hang of this meditation thing, all the while proving the point that you don’t have to be seated on a pillow to do it. Would you could you in a kayak? Would you could you in downward dog or Warrior 1?

I would.


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Not Quite Like Dorothy

I went away this weekend…left my Kansas on a me-only trip…but not because I was fleeing a horrible neighbor with a grudge against my pets or even the fact that I was bored with my home life.

I went away to center and step back into myself. Kripalu yoga and wellness center in the gorgeous Berkshires was the destination and for 72 delicious, scrumptious, brilliant hours my time was my own. My thoughts and my choices were my own. Ahhh (woot! weeeee!)….to say the least.

Today’s post is re-entry mode for me…slowly slipping back into home life with its obligations and chatter. Stories will come with week about what I learned and what I experienced and even what I ate (delish!). Stay tuned.

Whenever you have a chance to be by yourself for a while, you learn a little bit more about the man (or woman) behind the curtain. It’s always amusing and interesting to see what’s back there….

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Meowww x 2

Last night our family adopted two, wee, 9 week-old kittens. Both boys. We already have an old cat and honestly, this move was really for him. We had to put his older brother, who was 19 (!!) to sleep last August and even though we have all showered him with attention, our beautiful, orange boy was lonely and you could tell. Isn’t that amazing? We could totally tell that he was missing his friend.

Animal comprehension is just a mystery to me and I usually fall into the mindset that, like the cartoonist Gary Larson once penned, animals hear “blah blah blah blah ROVER blah blah blah blah ROVER”. I’m usually putting my money on that being the case but then again, there are those moments when you would swear they understand what you are really saying. It’s frankly a little eerie. But then the next minute, they try to eat a piece of furniture or roll around in another animal’s poop and the hierarchy is instantly reset.

But the kittens, ah the kittens! What really was heart-wrenching, though,were the “personal ads” adorning the walls of the shelter advertising the dogs who are in need of a forever home. “Forever Home”… I think that is simultaneously the cutest and the saddest terms ever. And the names alone of the these pooches were enough to melt you into a puddle right there in the reception area….Midge (Midge!), Sweet Pea, Francois, Delilah and Jenny and my absolute favorite, Tanner the Chiweenie. A dog-half Chihuahua and half Dachsund-called a Chiweenie. I am no dog person but I almost couldn’t control myself with this one. I know the word Chiweenie is going to pop into my head from time to time and I’m going to giggle, I just know it.

So, to our cat and our rabbit we added two and now have zany kittens running around. And here my husband and I were just recently rejoicing that are officially out of the little-kid stage of life and are moving on. So much for that. Now we have two infants in the house again. Thankfully they will grow quickly but not before they break a few things and scale a few curtains.

More tales (pictures, too) to come of the wee tails!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone~


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A Step Recognized

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” -Maya Angelou

Each day, as I am driving home after dropping my girls off at school, I always listen to NPR. It eases me into the day, let’s me know what’s going on in the world and introduces interesting topics into my brain.

Yesterdays interview, when I got into the car, had me riveted and pained. It was with a mother who was injured in the recent Boston bombing. Both she and her 18 year-old daughter were hospitalized and the Mom’s injuries resulted in a double amputation.

As she told of her ordeal that day and in the days following, I listened and the rest of the world fell away. Her emotions, her clarity, and her bravery were incredible.

The interview was concluding as I pulled into my driveway and I sat there until the end, listening to her tale. Tears welled in my eyes.

As I walked from my car to the back door of my house, I was more keenly aware of each step that I was taking than I had ever been before.

I was left in awe.

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