Random Thoughts

May was a busy month and it appears that will be stretching into June.  The blog has been feeling deserted.  Whenever I come to post, I have so many things swimming around in my head that I want to post about that I can't seem to get anything down.  So in an effort to clear my head, today I bring you Random Thoughts, Volume 1 (I'm sure there will be more since I am often a random person).

*Joplin, MO has been on my mind a lot in the past ten days.  It feels near to me as we are about a 45 minute drive from Missouri.  Granted it would probably take us 5 hours to get to Joplin.  Regardless, it still feels like something like that could happen here.  Thankfully, I am able to do something.  Another mom in our small town is from Joplin and her family is still there (all are fine).  She and several other community members (many of us part of a mom's group) have organized a drive for supplies.  We will be packing up a semi Sunday through Wednesday of next week and shipping supplies to Joplin.  We have concentrated on toiletries, cleaning supplies, and survival supplies and hope that we make a difference in the lives of families down there.

*My cousin went into premature labor on Sunday and it looked really bad for awhile for both mom and baby.  Thankfully, things turned around in 24 hours and the baby was born safely, about 6 weeks early.  Both mom and baby are doing well.  In fact, he is doing so well that the doctors took him off oxygen yesterday.

*My sister is having a garage sale this Saturday.  This is a great excuse for me to de-clutter and get rid of some stuff.  I have done some de-cluttering, but I just hate it.  I need to do more.  Who needs two dozen shirts?  I mean, my boys would have to dirty several shirts a day and I'd have to be more than a week behind in laundry to really wear that many clothes.  Both of those instances have occurred, but not simultaneously.  Right now the boys are tackling their toys.  Hopefully we can get rid of some stuff so that there is less to take care of.  None of it is coming home.  I will drop whatever is left off at the thrift store on the way home.

*Cub scouts are also having a day at Adventureland this Saturday.  We're excited about that.  I haven't decided if I will be brave enough to don a swimsuit.  Normally I do there, but since there will be so many people I know there I haven't decided yet.  It's supposed to be warm, but the rain chances keep creeping up.  Maybe the chance of rain will keep some of the crowd away.

*I've gotten myself re-involved in two local groups this week.  Clarke County Moms is a group of moms that come together for playdates and to build supports for each other and other moms.  We did some of their activities last summer, but things got too busy for me with some college classes I was taking and then with work and I haven't been to any of their activities for some time.  I took all three boys to the park and picnic day yesterday and we are planning to attend more in the coming weeks.  Also I have been a member of Fiction Addiction (a book club) since its development this winter, but have never actually attended a meeting due to work conflicts.  I like to say I play along at home, as I read the books, but miss out on the discussion.  I went to the meeting last night even though I hadn't read the book (The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb).  I had fun and am excited to attend in July.  Our book for July is Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin.  I'm a few chapters in and will actually be able to discuss this book.  Woo hoo!

*I cleaned my van out this morning.  I threw away a garbage bag full of junk.  It's embarrassing to have trash fall out of the van when we get out, but for now we are trash free.  It really needs a good vacuuming, maybe I'll get that done tomorrow.

*We've started our Summer Bucket List and I'll blog about that in a separate post.  I'm trying to decided if I will blog a certain day of the week about this or just randomly.  It will probably be random, because that's just how we roll.

*It's past time for me to make lunch, so I guess I'd better get to it.  The boys have managed to empty out their toys into a carpet of stuff in both rooms so I might just have to play the mean mom and just start shoving it into garage sale boxes...  <sigh>