My Babies Are Growing Up

My work has involved a lot of travel this year. At first I had illusions of continuing to direct the household from a distance but I quickly realized that that was not realistic. So I turned over the list and duties to my husband, crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

Mainly I was worried about the kids. I don't talk about them here a lot for different reasons. They aren't so young that they need mommy all the time, but of course there are certain times and events when I am the one they turn to. Much to my surprise (and maybe just a little dismay), everyone has done fine without me. In fact, the tears I anticipated didn't happen. Maybe we tried too hard to make it seem like an upbeat thing and maybe I've tried too hard to foster self-reliance, lol. They have made more of a fuss before when I've gone to the store without them! They knew they could call me on my phone, text me or e-mail me so I was always reachable, even if I couldn't talk to them immediately. I made sure we spoke at least once a day. I sent them pictures of the hotel room, etc so they could actually "see" where I was. So I did everything I could think of to make it not a disruption in their schedule or a source of worry for them. Clearly my goal was to make my absence easier on them.

Yet for some reason I'm torn between wondering if they "shouldn't" (there's one of those bad words) have missed me a little more and feeling like it was a good thing that life stayed on an even keel for them despite my absence. (Okay, my husband was miserable and admitted it, shockingly enough. I thought he of all people would be leading the party with junk food, staying up late, etc. It's the children I thought might have a problem with it.)

I think I'm going to color it a good thing. They are growing up to be separate individuals and it really was a relief they weren't clingy. My husband remembered to feed them and everyone got to their intended destinations every day. Maybe the house wasn't as clean as I would have liked but it isn't necessarily as clean as I would like even when I am here. So overall this is a good thing. It makes my life a lot easier when they aren't so dependent upon me. It also reminds me that my babies are growing up.

Thankful Sentiments

I try not to let moments of thanksgiving pass me by just because it isn't that one day a year called "Thanksgiving Day" so here is an except of what I am thankful for:

-I am thankful for my spouse and children. I am blessed and know it. I try to remember to tell them regularly.

- I am thankful for my job. It has been gruelling and difficult at times, but I am grateful to have a job at all in these uncertain times.

-I am thankful for a lot of things in my life, a lot of people in my life. There are too many to go into here. When I have "down" days I remind myself of all the things I should be thankful for. It does help.

On the Subject of Bathrooms.....

I had forgotten about this practical gem:



From the ever-practical Dutch perspective, this can be a useful sign. Yes, for those of you who may not have been there or may not have seen such an event, it is not uncommon for pedestrians, bicyclers, etc to stop, take a whiz against the nearest building, zip up and continue along on their way. As a woman, I am jealous because it would be so much easier to be able to be able to do that.

Bathroom Compulsions

My friend Kahless has inspired me with her post (located at
http://kahlessnoise.blogspot.com/2008/11/compulsive-habits.html) to write this. Her topic was compulsive habits. Other readers' comments mentioned toilet paper compulsions, which is a favorite topic of mine. Well, it's a favorite topic if I know someone and feel comfortable enough discussing my toilet paper concerns with them, lol. So here goes....

Yes, I am one of those who likes the toilet paper to fall over the roll, not under. If it's under it is more likely to touch the wall, vanity, etc and possibly come into contact with germs. Especially in a public restroom, how often do you think the wall or vanity is cleaned? ::shudder:: So I like my toilet paper to hang over the roll for better odds of lack of contact with germ-laden surfaces.

I also loathe and despise it when people put rolls of toilet paper on the bathroom floor--especially in a public place. Gross! Would you rub your private parts against a groddy bathroom floor? No? Then why would you want to pick up a roll of toilet paper off the floor and wipe it on your privates? I don't. There might as well not be any toilet paper at all if it's sitting on the bathroom floor, as far as I'm concerned.

And has anyone else ever been struck by the placement of the toilet paper in an airline restroom? It's immediately to the side of the toilet, which wouldn't be a problem if only women used it. However, once someone of the male persuasion goes into it and....say.....has less than stellar aim or loses control of the direction due to air turbulence, he has quite possibly just whizzed all over the toilet paper! Don't think so? I should have taken a picture of the restroom I was in, except that that would have meant being reminded of that nightmare again later. Yuck! That single experience is the reason I now carry tissue with me at all times.

In fact, I was so horrified by that nasty restroom that I couldn't even use it myself. I tried but I had to stand so far away from the toilet so I wouldn't risk bumping into its urine-covered surface if we had turbulence that I was too tense to be able to go. It was another couple of flights before I would even dare venture into an airline toilet again. I am happy to report that that toilet was as clean as they come, much to my surprise. In fact, in light of the awful and cramped seat that I had on the flight, I even tarried a little longer than necessary in the lavatory, washing my hands in the nicely scented liquid soap, being sure the sink was completely clean and emptied and drying the tiny counter of water drops. Overall it was a pleasant respite on a very long, fairly awful flight. It's amazing what a clean lavatory can do to improve your outlook.

It's also funny to me what compulsions I have about bathrooms. Thanks, Kahless, for opening the door to the topic so I could share them. Maybe someone else will get the same chuckle out of them that I do.

Old Books

I love old books. The stories they tell can give insights into the times when they were written. Their pages and covers have seen the passage of time, sometimes from before electricity and cars. I wonder about their owners, the hands through which they have passed over the years, and the stories they would tell if they could.

Recently I read a book that was published over 100 years ago. It was interesting how, despite a few no longer commonly used words and some old-fashioned sentiments, the story was still quite good. Some things are universal, including a good storyteller being a good storyteller regardless of the era.

Where Has the Year Gone?

I can't believe it's November already. Where has the year gone?