Dawn

This is a ridiculous time of day to be blogging, but I woke up and couldn't fall back asleep and have never been a believer in lying in the bed sleeplessly for long. Anytime I have trouble sleeping, which is rare, it's much more effective for me to get up and read for a while than to lie in the dark and think about the minutes ticking away. Unfortunately, this morning I'll probably be making a big pot of coffee pretty soon instead of going back to bed.

There is so much I have been wanting to write about but it feels like every time I have a chance to sit at the computer lately there's work waiting for me. The last thing I want to do with any leftover time is look at a screen.

I am loving the slower pace of life this summer. Our days have been mainly unscheduled, and it makes all of us more relaxed. Things are about to be briefly crazy, albeit mainly with fun stuff -- Claire's birthday, the Fourth of July, a visit with our college group, a weekend trip with Mom and Amanda, and a story that's been hanging over my head for weeks -- but in two weeks the calm will return. I might even get my hair cut.

With this bonus time awake (which I will certainly bemoan by mid-morning) I will probably finally finish this month's book-club book, "The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America." And just in time for book club tonight. The book started out strong but I've been bogged down by the details since about the half-way mark.

But first I'm going to spend some time reading Colossians. I've been listening to a lot of John Piper while running lately, and he mentioned having divided this short book into 11 sections and then reading through it in one sitting, pausing to pray for a couple of minutes after each section. For someone like me who has a tendency to rush through Bible reading and prayer, this has been a great strategy for slowing down.

Birds are starting to chirp, so I'll get on that now.

Verbatim

Father’s Day 2012

By Claire Kirby

Tell me about Daddy. He likes bubbles. He likes chairs. He likes squares. He likes tape. Look at this [stands on the sit-n-spin]. Anything else? No. Oh, he even likes yo-yos.

What does Daddy do for work? Builds houses.

What do you like to do with Daddy? Tickle Daddy! And Daddy tickles me sometimes.

What is Daddy’s favorite thing to play with you? Ball.

What is Daddy’s favorite food? Cereal.

What is Daddy’s favorite drink? Koolaid.

What is Daddy’s favorite game? Soccer.

What is Daddy’s favorite song? “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”

Who is Daddy’s best friend? Riley. No, Ron-Ron.

What is Daddy really good at? Soccer playing.

What is Daddy really bad at? He’s really not bad at anything.

What is Daddy’s favorite color? Blue.

What is Daddy’s favorite room? The living room. ‘Cause it’s his favorite deal to watch Spiderman.

What does Daddy like to wear? He likes to wear Tar Heel shirts.

How much does Daddy love you? So much [spreads arms wide]. Why? ‘Cause forever.

How much do you love him? That much [spreads arms wide]. ‘Cause he’s my boy.

Finished?

After much rearranging on the living room rug and many nail holes in multiple walls, here's how the frames project played out:

Over the living room couch

In the breakfast nook (replacing the big white mirror, which is hanging in the landing. For now)

Claire's take? "Mom, you forgot something there." "I left it empty on purpose." "Why?" "I like the way it looks." "I don't like it." "No?" "No. Can you please put something in there?"

Frames

The fad of grouping empty frames as wall art has been around for a while, and now that I've jumped on the bandwagon, I don't know what took me so long. It meets all my criteria: 1. gives me an excuse to visit thrift stores 2. is very very inexpensive and 3. involves spray paint.

A few of these frames I already had, but most I bought for pocket change at either the ultra-cheap Bargain Barn behind the main Coalition building -- we're talking a dime per frame -- or my new favorite place, Adams Thrift Store in Pinebluff. (Incidentally, I think that's where Amanda made out so well with some of Bri's birthday presents.) It's packed to the brim with junk and gems, and the prices, which are already pretty reasonable, are astonishingly negotiable.

I got so enthusiastic about this project that I ended up with enough frames to fill the wall above the couch in our living room as well as another smaller area, probably upstairs, where there are blank walls galore. I wish I'd realized my overabundance before I painted all of them black, but at least the lack of variety will make it easy to mix things up in the future if I want to. And I'm sure I will.

Rejuvenation

You know how they say 20 minutes is the perfect length for a nap (for an adult)? I have never believed that. It usually takes me that long just to fall asleep during the day. If I get less than about an hour of sleep once I do fall asleep I just wake up sluggish and irritated. That's one reason I usually don't even try to nap while the kids are napping.

Another reason is that I am so grateful for the midday peace and quiet it seems a shame to let that time pass without actively enjoying it. Sure, I sometimes I have a little editing to do and other times there are household chores I can't justify putting off any longer, but my favorite way to spend a naptime is on the front porch swing with a book and a glass of sweet tea. That is definitely a happy place for me, and usually every bit as rejuvenating as sleep.

That said, there are certain days you need sleep and nothing else will do. I have heard that some cities actually rent out spaces where you can nap for a block of time. Along the same lines, I've seriously considered writing a letter to our gym and proposing that they create a spot for this. There's everything else, why not a dedicated napping area?

When I had a terrible sinus infection last summer I dragged myself and the kids to the gym for three or four days when there was no way I could work out but I was desperate for a break. I sought out quiet corners where I stretched out with a magazine and read and dozed. I was a little worried someone would think I needed medical intervention or something, and I thought about sticking a note to my shirt: "I'm not dead, just napping."

If I suggested this to the gym, do you think anyone would take me seriously?