when it rains, it pours.

when it rains, it pours!  and i mean that quite literally.  it is really raining and it is really pouring. it's pouring buckets of water..... quite the metaphor for our lives right now!! this is our time of year that we try to live lean, as they say.

who is "they" anyway....all i know is when i use any example for my kids about motivation or visualization and explain that "they say that...." basketball players have to visualize getting the ball through the hoop....and that we have to visualize what we want, our kids always respond with, "who are they...there is no they....they did a study.....people just make that stuff up....it must be parents that make that stuff up!" i work a bit on my explanation and just shake my head...someday, they'll understand what i've been talking about....someday.

when one of the kids has an head ache or some other bother in their body, i'll say,"just breathe.  breathe into where the pain is and feel it fade away."  o.k., it is a bit sensitive new age...but it helps. after that, t.j. will let me know,"mom, that's like you with cream...you have a cream for everything!!  itching cream, sunburn cream, heating the ache cream.....you give us cream for everything!

sometimes that's all i have....it's just one of those things....when the kids were younger, the creams could do anything....anything....like a super power.

i do have some creams that do help....like aloe for sunburn and heat cream for muscle aches....but, they've lost their powers.  so have i!

so, back to "they".....and they do say that when it rains, it pours!  today, it's more real than you know.  it's that time of year.  we try to live simply in these early spring months.  we have plenty of plenty in our lives, but at this time of year we feel best to stay tight. 

we had hoped to plan a little family vacation...just us...just family.  we need this time. we desperately need time together.  just us. alone. biff and i, grace and t.j. and time to have some fun together.  we need fun.  it's true.  so much of the school year, we have to be on everyone.  it's just life.  with teens, it seems like it's more so.  at this time of year, in between seasons....we all feel in between.....life!

for the last few years, we have planned....really semi planned....kinda...maybe....sorta planned to get some time away as a family.  to a warm, sunny beach. nothing super crazy.....just to be somewhere that we all love and where we all can have fun together! fun in the sun...they say.

it seems that even when we think it can happen, it's not quite....not quite in the cards, as they say! they.

this year has been the same.  we have some miles to use for planes and hotel.  we have all kinds of options.  it just doesn't seem like the right time.  business wise and money wise and getting that sinking feeling wise.

i try to live by that feeling...good, bad or in between.  this felt good, good, good, not quite sure, it's good for all of us and it's worth it, yes, good, good, business needs attention too, not good, not good, good for us, good for the family, good........and just not good, not gonna happen, not such a good idea, no!

no. it was that sinking feeling that did it.  sometimes biff is the one with the sinking feeling or caution.  sometimes, believe it or not, it's me. we went back and forth and back and forth....we finally came to the conclusion that we had that stinkin' sinkin' feelin'.  i hate when that happens!

so, now that we've disappointed ourselves and our children....we're making alternate plans...again!  last year, at the last minute....we were blessed with an invitation to southampton with our friends.  we were saved.  it wasn't sunny florida, but it was sunny, chilly and the best beaches in the world, bike rides, family, friends, great dinners and fun for all.  it was great....and we all had a wonderful vacation!

a few years ago, we had a similar situation....also with heavy rain that spring, we stayed home over spring break....and we had to rip the wall to wall carpeting out of our soaking wet basement!  slowly and steadily.....throughout the whole vacation, we  ripped out the whole basement carpet....that had been installed just the year before.  with tears in my eyes and dripping water from bits and pieces of that huge rug, biff and i trudged up the bilco stairs and....dragged the waterlogged carpet out to a dumpster.

talk about a metaphor for life...at that moment in time, the rug was pouring water, my eyes were pouring water and life felt like we were in the dumps.  it was not fun in the sun, but we did survive and we did have fun....somehow.  we know how to make the best of things.

we have never been able to get that basement back in order until.........finally, this year we got it back...almost.

and the rain came. and the rain came. and the rain came!  we pulled up everything we had down there....again.  we let it all dry.  dry in the sun. dry with the doors open. dry.

then, began the putting back together. little by little. we do have lots to get done though.  just as we prepared to get it back in order.........

more rain.  lots more rain! more and more and more.

as the say, when it rains it pours.  only this time, we had finally given into the reality that it may not be the best time for a trip.....when it rains it pours!  nope. that's not it.

we had some moments when it rained and it poured.... we told the kids that plans they were a changin'. it was not easy. not for any of us. yesterday, all i said was, "as

long as we're not toting a million pound drenched rug out to the dumpster, it will be a nice vacation...we'll think of something fun to do!

this afternoon, i dashed out with the dogs....in the pouring rain....to take the dogs to the farm to let them run and expend some energy....oh, they did!  fitzy ran off to unknown places....biff was passing by...he called to fitzy too. thankfully, she came back.  she burst through the car window!  proud of returning on her terms! 

i needed the walk too...to expend my energy or lack thereof.  thinking about what to do over vacation to have a little time....somewhere else.   i was soaked through.  my hair was dripping.  my face was wet. i was cold. the car smelled like wet dogs. i was beginning to smell like wet dogs.

that's when i got home.  just after biff.  he was already inside.  grace greeted me at the door.  our backyard is so saturated that our odors form the septic tank are seeping into the basement!!  well, it's true. now, the sh.. really did hit the fan!  when it rains it pours!

this e-bay has been so much fun!  i have a lot to learn...everyday is  different.  it's a surprise everyday! it's exciting to mail out the auction wins!

http://stores.ebay.com/littlemarymixup

who would think? me? at the post office?  one of my greatest issues....mail!  postoffice...getting the mail to the post office!  packaged!

it turns out, i love packaging the merchandise. i like it to look pretty when the winner receives it!  it really is my little store!

o.k.....it was a little tricky to get it done on friday.  i had some o'neill boots, in original box for pennsylvania....a black leather jacket for florida, a dooney and bourke bucket bag for new york state that was changed to florida because it was a birthday present for his mom!....a camera to turkey, for real! i mailed something to turkey!  if you know my mix ups, you know that was a huge event for me...in the post office.  i even had to get through the customs paperwork...can you tell that i'm feeling proud?  turkey wasn't the biggest trick, although writing out the address gave me writers cramp!

my biggest challenge was.....grace's pink electric guitar!...only going to pennsylvania but how about the box! i looked...i called people....i stopped a delivery truck!  i remembered our garage....a safe haven for boxes and tubs...i found it!  i had to take out some of the shelving that came with it..."new in box" as we say in the e-bay world!....i packed up the guitar...with lots of newspaper and a very large lid from one of our plastic tubs.. a little extra touch...so it wouldn't arrive....broken!  it was great!  esxcept for the top 4 inches....i wrapped that up  with boxes and taped it all together.  you've never seen a more mixed up looking package....i know it will get there safe though!! even the woman at the post office gasped!  the big job was taken care of...i really did it....grace had the turkey customer and the electric guitar customer.....next time, she'll have to come with me....i've already let her know that i'd have to charge her for that kind of stress!!  by the way, i was the last customer in the post office....living on the edge...but i got it done!  even with my postal issues.

i must admit, i have to learn where the best location is to contain the merchandise!  i have so much to sell that i don't have it all up on e-bay yet!  the descriptions take time...the research takes time...and keeping organized to mail it all takes time....where to keep it is my bigger project.  i started out in the family room!  we've outgrown that area...i have it all in tubs and i know what's what...but it doesn't do much for the decor!

this is what we have...not even from the antique stores that i frequent....not even from stores...not even from the outside world....just stuff.

do you have stuff?  you probably move your stuff out immediately.  i know, you don't have junk in your junk drawer.  your closets are organized.  your garage has cars.  your kids have nothing more than they need...the ideal amount of STUFF!

not us.  and we give away. we hand me down. we share. we sell.  we work at clearing out.  always.  that's my mission in life.  getting it out! i desperately want to be free of too much stuff!  i want to live simply.  the stuff just complicates things!

we are very blessed.  blessed to have such abundance...that doesn't mean that we need to have it all under our roof!

today, i have to get some more listings up!  i have to bring t.j. an english paper that he left on the kitchen table...i have to get our dogs out for a big run...in the rain...i have to clean the paw prints on the kitchen floor.

hey!  how did that happen?  it's only monday...i had kids and biff here all weekend...why is it more upside down on mondays?  anybody have the answer?  i still can't figure it out!

we did some outside work. we did lots of laundry.  we took care of a couple of projects....and today....it's all left for me!  i guess that's o.k. but i think i have the answer....i'll say."pick up your stuff

or i'll sell it on e-bay!" it might just work...i'm on a roll, don't stop me now!

***************

no photos in this post...they won't upload...something new to figure out! i'd better go bring t.j. his paper...it's pouring out there...really puring...connecticut news keeps reporting floods! oh, great...i better start selling everything we own in the basement!  watch for it all on e-bay!!