Five minute Friday: finish

As a child, most people seem to be impulsive, reckless, indecisive. These traits can often be explained away by youth and often continue into the teenage years and even into the early 20s without anyone really questioning it. It just goes with the territory. Most people grow up, and by "grow up" I mean become responsible, do what you're told, be practical... at least most of the time. Not all of us grow out of it, however. Not so much impulsive or reckless, I am absolutely indecisive and a procrastinator. Not saying that I believe in it, but this seems to be in complete agreement with my zodiac sign (Libra). My indecisiveness has not even gotten better as I've gotten older; in many cases, it seems to have gotten worse. Eventually I have to just push through and make a decision whether I truly believe in it or not.

As a result, it's hard for me to finish things. I start projects all the time and they sit unattended to, all set up and ready and waiting for me, for weeks or even months at a time. Looking like a dog waiting expectantly at his master's knee for a treat or to go play or... whatever. I have the best of intentions, and I have Pinterest to prove that, but once my projects begin I can pretty much guarantee only about a 25% chance that it will actually finish, no matter what time I have set aside.

Currently I'm looking at my family room wall. It's big and blank due to the large painting that I recently removed from it. I want to do it over, and I will. I've recently begun a project featuring an old window which I'm sure is going to look awesome when it's done. I'll let you know when it is. All I have to do is finish it.

Five minute Friday: begin

As August draws to a close, there are few topics on my mind with as much frequency as the start of the new school year. I guess it's that way for most parents of young children, but when you're a sensitive person, it's probably worse. On the one hand, I'm excited to see the new school year begin to restore some sense of peace and order to my days. As much fun as you might think it is to go food shopping with two kids in tow, trying to avoid the crowds, while one child (who shall remain nameless) delights in simultaneously careening the cart around sharp corners at dangerous speeds AND tossing into the cart every baked good you pass, well, it's really not.

On the other hand. I worry about my kids, probably more than most, and how they fare in school is one of those worries. Colette is very outgoing and social. She is looking forward to school with great excitement. Alexander, on the other hand, is the one I worry about more. He keeps to himself more, enjoys the company of other kids but has a more difficult time making friends. I spend a fair amount of time when they're in school, much more than I should, wondering how he's doing and worrying.

But no matter how I feel about it, school will begin again, and with it all the nervous butterflies I've become so accustomed to. And once that begins, well, it's hard to stop.

Five minute Friday: Bloom

I love things that bloom. All plants and flowers, the brighter, the better. I love those huge tropical flowers that come in dazzling shades of orange, red and fuchsia. The ones that require round-the-clock sun.

I myself have never been good about getting things to bloom. Try as I might, my thumb has never been very green. I wouldn't go so far as to say black, but definitely a muddy shade of brown, much like the healthy soil these plants need to survive. I have killed bamboo plants and cacti, which I thought were supposed to be indestructible. "Bloom where you are planted." Which would not be at my house. Currently, I have four plants decorating my large bay window. Three of them are dead. I keep watering them anyway, not willing to accept that they're really gone.

So it seemed like nature was doing us a little bit of a favor when we moved into this house. Zach likes to refer to it as being "eternally shrouded in darkness." We don't get much sunlight, and what we do get is dappled and moves during the course of the day. I would love to have a garden and grow vegetables, but our property is just not cut out for that. We do have a hanging tomato plant on the side of the house, which doesn't get as much sun as it should and not nearly enough water. A couple of small tomatoes are on there, and they are red, but they're tiny and suffering. Dying, actually, I think.

My children, however, are flourishing. I can keep them alive just fine, thanks, by giving them food and water, and of course lots of love and encouragement. I can look on my windowsill at my faltering plants with a twinge of sadness, but when I look at my kids and how they're growing tall, strong and beautiful, I can't complain about my dirt-brown thumb too much. Besides, the weeds in the front yard are totally thriving.