This week's tidbits

I was just finishing a belated thank you note to Heather for the fabulous evening of radical mama conversation and inspiration, and I accidentally closed the browser and lost the message. UGH. So, I'm going to catch up here before trying again.

It feels like forever since I've written. Last week I took the boys to see my dear friend Megan and her beautiful family, who live 272 miles away. My boys did really well on the road for the first time in three years of visits, and the new car was awesome. We had a terrific time visiting. We tore up their living room, took four small boys on a walk and returned with only one major injury, had a picnic and fed the pond fish fresh strawberries, and wet the couch.

Megan made me the most fabulous apron as a birthday gift. It's both modern and retro in design, with lollipop spirals of varying shades of pink in the fabric pattern, and yellow rick-rack edging. It's also quite short, and Scott thinks it's sexy. My friend was concerned that I might find it anti-feminist. But as a progressive homemaker, I embrace it for both its beauty and its practicality. Yes, I've finally learned to cook, I'm getting pretty good at it, and I like being able to wipe my hands on an apron as I work. Should I mind that it turns on my husband?

Today I learned that vintage aprons are all the rage on eBay, and there's even an art exhibit honoring the women who have made and worn them at ApronChronicles.com.

I found myself getting excited about summertime this week, which is not normal since summer around here usually means 100 days of 100-degree weather. But life has been so busy, I'm looking forward to regular commitments slowing down and new projects being added to my to-do list. I want to paint my living and dining rooms, catch up on four years' of scrapbooking and a year of thank you notes, take the boys to the zoo, the waterpark and the children's museum, lose 10 pounds, and write a book.

Pray I gain some sense by July.