It's that time of year!!

I realized yesterday when I was putting the kids' tennis matches into my phone that it is March, and it is the start of the High School tennis season (hence the birth of this post) and that means that the end of the school year is a mere 3 months away.  As I entered each match, I slowly began to hyperventilate a bit.  

This is not new.  This happens every year about this time.  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE tennis season, and I'm excited to see how Kristin and Trevor do this year as both of them were quite successful last year.  I'm excited because I will see people at the matches that I don't get to spend a lot of time with otherwise and sitting courtside watching our kids play is ideal for doing a little catching up.   And of course, the beginning of March means the daffodils are beginning to bloom, and the forsythia is in FULL bloom and the grass is greening up in the field (this time of year it actually looks better than our lawn!) and it is actually light when I drive to seminary in the morning, and Spring is just around the corner.  Who wouldn't be excited for that?

The panic comes as I realize that another school year has FLOWN by.  That is what I am NOT ready for!  Not that I don't want to have my kids around during the summer, not at all.  One more school year in the past means they are that much closer to graduating.  In point of fact, Kristin is all but graduated.  (Did I mention she is a Salutatorian?  So proud of her!) Senioritis is strong, and she is signing up for housing, and getting a summer job lined up and she has a countdown on her phone to keep track of the minutes/seconds until the big day. Having a senior is my usual panic attack times two - deciding about announcements, planning a party, mentally preparing myself for her to leave, knowing the summer won't go fast enough for her all the time, and for me part of the time (if I'm being honest here!)  I've been here before and survived, but I don't love it, and certainly don't look forward to it.

So, I think to preserve my small amount of sanity, I'd better remember to breathe deeply when the familiar feeling starts, to try to take it one day at a time, and try even harder to enjoy the journey and all the things that I truly do love about this season of the year!  

Along with the calendar entries, I think I better set a few (a lot) reminders of my intentions.  That may be my only hope!!

How to buy a refrigerator...by John and Michele Rietz

Our shiny, brand new refrigerator

To say that we have a hard time making decisions and actually following through is a HUGE understatement!  So, for us to actually have a new refrigerator purchased, brought home and installed in our kitchen, well, that is news-worthy if anything ever was.

Our old refrigerator is original with our house (1992) and although it still kept our food cold, it was only a matter of time before we would have been shopping around for a new one.  It was already a little moody, and more than once froze our poor lettuce and a few other unsuspecting vegetables.  So, we decided to be proactive and buy a new one before we were desperate and HAD to buy something on a moment's notice (see above:)

Follow these steps for a fool-proof way to select the perfect refrigerator for your home.

1- Measure your space and determine it is not tall enough for one of the new full size French Door models.
2 - Become discouraged and stop even thinking about it. (Do steps 1 & 2 several years ahead of time)
3 - See a counter depth fridge at a friend's home and open the conversation again.
4 - Stop in at an appliance store and see how much more money a counter depth fridge is, for less capacity.
Repeat step 2, but only sit on it for about a week.
5 - Stop at the appliance section of Home Depot and re-visit the issue.  Realize that you actually have the height necessary.  Do a little happy dance!
6 - Look at several fridges at different appliance stores and find one you really like.  Check the reviews on-line to find out how many people regret buying it.  Stop dancing.
7 - Invoke the powers of the Refrigerator Fairy to just drop the perfect one in your kitchen.
Repeat steps 6 and 7 several times.
8 - Finally find two models that are the right size, have the right features and are even on sale.  Decide to go ahead and give in on the Stainless Steel fight because you really like the 2-drawer freezer idea.
9 - Measure the space you have to get the appliance through to get into the kitchen.  Realize you would have to take it up and over the bar!  (Remember the first part of Step 2? and Step 7?)
10 - Look at the options you have left.
11 - Realize there is also a potential problem with the cupboard next to the refrigerator.  Do a little measuring and confirm those suspicions.  (By now you are automatically reverting to Steps 2 and 7.  No conscious effort is necessary.)
12 - Go look one more time at what seems to be your one and only option.  Confirm that it is, bite the bullet, and hand over your credit card.
12A - DO NOT LOOK AT ANY REVIEWS!
13 - Wait to receive the call that it is in at the store, ask a friend for help to pick it up (with his pick up) and get it into your kitchen ASAP.
14 - Share your "fool-proof" method so others can benefit from your experience.

You are welcome.

And if any of you remember this post from a while ago, you'll notice the front of my new fridge is pretty empty.  I am making a conscious effort to NOT put stuff on it for now.  Just to see if I like it better.  We'll see...

"Uncle"

As a general rule, I consider myself pretty good at adapting to change.  I know it is a necessary part of life, and yet, occasionally, there comes a situation that I just can't embrace.  This is the story of when I had to recently cry "Uncle".

The story starts about a year ago.  We got serious about changing our 23 year-old countertops as the old ones were, well, you can go here if you really want to see them.  (They were beyond starting to look worn out, so the color wasn't the only reason they needed to change.)

Not being ones to rush into things, we finally got the new ones installed in June, and got the backsplash installed shortly there after.  I love the new look.  I think it suits our style very well and I feel like our kitchen has come into the 21st century.  (Yes, I know there are still orange cabinets.  Do not be looking for those to change anytime soon.  I guess I have to change my statement to say that "part" of the kitchen is now in the 21st century!  :)  There were a few things I wanted done differently, but as I didn't get my way, I will just have to continue working on getting over those.  :)  

One thing, though, was a problem from the minute I started putting things back on the countertops.  My beloved KitchenAid would NOT slide under the cabinet in its usual spot!  No way, no how!  Believe me, I tried.  There was one space it fit, but it was across the room.  Now, I my kitchen isn't huge, but it also isn't a galley kitchen, so across the room was a big adjustment.  I was left with 2 choices when I wanted to use my mixer - 

1 - Use it where it was and make trips back and forth for supplies and ingredients, or

2 - Carry it to the bar which is more conveniently located to most things. (I know, not the heaviest appliance in the world, but still not feather-light either!)

They were both workable ideas, and I tried them both for about 6 months, but a few weeks ago, I finally threw in the towel, tilted the mixer enough so I could get it under the lip of the cabinet, and cried "Uncle", really loud!  There it will stay.  It will not come sliding out every time I want to use it.  It will be harder to clean up spills and spatters, blah, blah, blah.  I know, first world problems and I should just be grateful I even have a KitchenAid, because believe me, I use it and I love it!  But...the spoiled part of me is still a little ticked at the whole thing.  Ticked and a little suspicious of why there is one part of the kitchen it WILL fit in, when it won't anywhere else.  It must mean the countertops and/or cabinets are not truly level, but I'm going to pretend that isn't a possibility and not waste my time trying to figure it out.  I'd rather waste it ranting about the fact that it plain doesn't fit where I am used to it being. Because, if you can't change it, the next best thing is a good rant!  

Apparently, I cannot adjust to change in all things.  

Now, I guess, the only thing I can do is figure out how to embrace this and move on...(I'm working on it!)