dianaschnuth

I saw something moving out the window as I got ready to step on the bathroom scale this morning. That’s a big dog, I thought — then I realized it was a deer. Right there. Getting ready to nosh on the one hosta in the border along the back of the house.

I watched (and snapped pictures) as it snacked on the hosta, then sniffed at the bench and the tomatoes, and finally wandered out of sight.

By the time I was ready to get my son up for breakfast, the deer was in sight again, this time by the hydrangea tree. I got my son up by telling him to go to his window to see the deer. He was up in a flash.

I was a little extra late to work, but getting to see the deer and share that with my son was worth it. I’m just glad it didn’t eat my tomatoes.

Note to self: Even if only one friend were to show up, it would still be a party worth throwing.

The annual shindig happened over a month ago, but I wanted to be sure to make mention of it here in the blog, since I have a tendency to forget how much fun it is every year. I always stress over it, and worry over whether it’s worth the extra-thorough house-cleaning and the food prep for days and the last-minute RSVPs. The answer is yes. It’s worth it.

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After taking a break from social media (which seems to happen about once a year for me: see 2014 and 2015), and with that break coinciding with the (initially) disappointing response to my annual shindig, I reflected on my relationships with others — friends, acquaintances, online peeps — as defined by my interactions with them.

I also thought about what I’m trying to get out of social media — and am I actually getting that?

Some people have described Twitter as a party where you can hear everyone’s conversations, whether they’re directed toward you or not. I feel like I’m the person at the party who will talk to everyone and no one until someone acknowledges them. (None of us know anyone like that, right…?)

It’s like I’m seeking validation or feedback for everything I’m experiencing: a jerk cut me off in traffic; I’m losing weight; I’m not losing weight; I’m having a boring day; I’m having an awesome day; I had sushi for lunch.

Who needs to know this? Nobody.  Continue reading →

Most of our garage sale success on this 94-degree day was after we left Waterville, ironically enough, including a couple of estate sales that were still going strong by late afternoon.

Our “haul” included a stack of comics and a stand-alone DVD recorder unit for Aaron; a couple of shirts, a two-piece swimsuit, and a wind-up alarm clock for me; and a wooden United States puzzle for Connor.