Alaska
1:14 PM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
May is my three-year anniversary of moving to Wisconsin. A part of me celebrates because a lot of good things have happened to us since we've been here, but there's another part of me that still misses Alaska.

I grew up there, spent most of my life there, so it isn't easy for me to move on. This summer, the boys and I will be going up to Anchorage and Fairbanks where we will be reunited with my sisters and mother, along with many, many friends. It's going to be fun and a little intimidating to finally witness how much Anchorage has continued to grow in my absence.

We'll be hiking Crow's Pass - my sisters and a friend and I. I'm excited to get back on the trail with a pack on my back and nothing but the world in front of me. I always feel like Perry or Henson, explorers without limits, without fear, just me and my pack and the world under my feet. The terrain is familiar there, and welcoming.

We have a countdown on our calendar. The boys check it once a week to mark off the days that have passed and count the remaining days. They are excited to spend time with their Nana and their cousins and aunties. I am excited to spend time with friends and hang out with my sisters. We have already scheduled yoga classes and cycling classes at a local yoga studio. 

My mom has already told me she plans on taking some half days (because she cannot take off a whole day - what if someone needs her at work?) and we will go shopping together. 

What are you summer plans? Are you traveling? Camping? Hiking? Hanging out with friends? Whatever you are doing, enjoy yourself!

Blessed be.


Balance?
11:13 AM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
Last month I did a lot of writing and not a lot of quilting. This month I've done a lot of quilting and not a lot of writing. Of course, this is all in an effort to get as much possible done before I go, but I'm going to have to make peace with the fact that I can't possibly get everything finished. I'm not twelve people.

Sometimes having so much to do is frustrating. I've already given up many hobbies; must I give up yet another? Do I give up quilting or writing? Is it a matter of poor time management? It a matter of overextending myself? Is it all of the above? 

How do I possibly do everything I'd like when I'm stuck here, cooking and managing the house, trying to pursue something meaningful and fun, while I avoid cleaning the bathroom? 

I have no answer to any of this, except that there must be a balance between home and travel, work and play. I just haven't seemed to find it yet.

Have you managed to strike that balance? What's your advice?

Blessed be.


Coaching
4:40 AM - Posted by Bobbi - 0 comments
Balin has played tee ball for the last two years. He enjoys it immensely, mostly because when we get home, he gets to eat a popcicle. In fact, I'm pretty sure if we cut him off, declaring that there would never again be popcicles after tee ball, he would choose not to play tee ball. 

This year, upon signing him up, in a strange fit of delierium, I thought about how much fun it would be to coach.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Robinson asks. 

He's right, because I always seem to bite off more than I can chew. It's as if a great snake somewhere had unhinged its jaws and forced a whole cow down its throat.  Fortunately everything on my to-do list seems to get done. Eventually. Kind of like the cow being digested. 

"I'm only going to be the assistant coach," I protest, as if that's going to make everything better.

I find out that the mother of one of Balin's classmate's is going to be coaching with me. The two of us have never coached before. I doubt that between the two of us we've ever played a sport. 

Over the phone, she seems a very nice person, and I'm glad we were paired together. The thought crosses my mind that we were paired up because we are girls. Which we probably were.

Somehow that idea makes me a little sad - as if women coaching tee ball is a joke, anyway. But maybe it's practical: maybe everyone knew that we sort of knew each other through school. 

I've decided to take on a whole who cares attitude about it. The whole purpose of tee ball is popcicles, right?

Blessed be.