Celestial Seasonings Wisdom

Emily Dickinson said, "The sweetest way I think of you is when the day is done." This quote captures my feelings for my men as I check on them sleeping. The question comes to mind "how could I feel anything but sweetness for my four guys?" Well, if you lived at 951 Grand you might have feelings of a different sort from time to time. Nuff said... I'm drinking Sleepytime Tea while reading inside the C.S. box the following poem...realizing that I'm needing to do and think outside of the box more often.

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less,
I'd do less correcting, and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I would be firm less and affirm much more.
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

---Diane Loomans

If I had to do it all over again, I'd like a staff of helpers SO that I could enjoy the sweet life! I've been working way too hard. Joyfully lovingly raising my family shouldn't have so much serious work involved, or should it?

January has presented some unique challenges which I will not go into except to say that I am PH testing my water now, using supplements especially trace minerals and calcium, cleansing the gut of candida, and adding serious fiber to all meals. Informants have inspired me to cleanse from the inside out in hopes of pure spontaneous good behaviors from my entire family. If this cleansing does not work then the gluten free/lactose free/sugar free lifestyle will begin to emerge at 951 Grand.

It's Ian's senior year at Provo High and he is finishing up his pharmacy tech training, engines, snowboarding and dating. We are rarely gifted with his presence. Sean is a sophomore at Utah County Academy of Science where he just received 10 university credits. Homework, homework as I am his slave. Between school and snowboarding we seldom see him. And Conor...is always hopeful of finding a good friend to play with after school. He loves the library, scouts, basketball, soccer, Calvin and Hobbs, Gary Paulson books and the cat, Lazarus. He is willing to do ANYTHING to get better (this is the part I will not go into). We go to Grandma and Grandpa Stevens house on the weekends. So.....We hardly ever see Kent who is always working and wanting good hot food, a clean house, bills paid, smiling faces, peace and quiet with no problems to sort out. Thus...I really need a personal assistant, chef, Pilate's trainer, Stacy and Clint from What Not to Wear, cleaners, cleaners, laundry help, shopping help, teen advisor, txt message dictionary and time to read, enjoy life, read scripture and serve more diligently as I raise my family in the gospel.

Interesting to me that I have not mentioned anything about hair. I have the very best clients on the planet. I am grateful to each of them daily. In addition to filling my coffers with extra money or just the money, they give me the best advise on learning, books, food, gospel issues, health and wellness, gardening, teaching, doctoring and they listen, I have bent many an ear over the years. I have needed to he heard. They too have needed to be heard. Without them I wouldn't be me. We are sisters in some sort of mildly genteel cheerful vain way. Kind of like super cool visiting teachers, on a six week to ninety day schedule who don't live in my neighborhood.

Lazarus is obnoxious. Going on four this April. He visits my sleeping body each night and starts scratching my new bed skirt (on Kent's side) sometime around 4 a.m. I sleep so deeply that Kent yells yes yells, "Sue, your cat wants out!" I, of course, am not offended since our standard communication is done in yelling style (science has not yet proven which of us is really the most deaf) and as I have not yet laid down my "weapons of war" (yells) I simply drag my body out of bed, pick up that darn cat and walk him down the hall tripping on stuff and stubbing my toes on what-nots all the way to the front door where I have to put him down because it takes both my hands to turn the deadbolt door lock. It's seriously warped. Open the door, then gently boot him out into the frigid air with my foot. The first person to open the door in the morning receives purrs, slide-bys and good morning and hallelujah to ya's all the way to the food bowl. I can't imagine life without him but Kent feels differently. Lazarus is always attacking Kent's bare ankles with his claws, must be sort of a territorial war thing. A very hairy Hombre thing. A thing so primal a woman couldn't possibly wrap logic around. Hum...

I think Celestial Seasonings has done its magic. Time to sleep. Until 4 a.m. anyway.