I Am 6 (plus 50)

As you probably know, my daughter, son in law, three grandkids and their dog are now living with us. To say my life is different now is an understatement. Gone are the moments of silent bliss, gone is sitting in my chair alone, gone is going to the bathroom in peace, etc. With the arrival of my grandchildren came the "pitter patter of little feet" indeed...and whining, crying, and lots of discussions about why they can't do certain things. This has all given me pause to reflect back on my days of raising their mother and uncle. Being a grandparent gives you a chance to make better some of the dumb things you did as a young parent. I find myself being much more in control this time around. Not that it is always a cake walk, because it isn't. I am a LOT older, maybe wiser, and definitely more tired now. I actually slept until 8:30 one morning last week! That hasn't happened in years and years.

On Monday Landon turned 6 years old. For weeks he has been telling us all the things he will be able to do now that he is 6. It has been extremely humorous to hear him talk about this monumental event in his life. While driving in the Zimny family van to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate this event I was chatting away with Landon and it occurred to me that I am, and will always be, 50 years older than him. For some reason this struck a cord with me. I am a half century older than my first grandchild! Hearing him tell me all of his plans for what he will do now that he is 6 has made me think about how important it is to never stop dreaming about what you want to do when you grow up. The words of a 6 year old have, once again, made more sense to me than anything else.

On Tuesday I was getting ready to leave for Book Club and both Landon and Aniella were very sad that I was leaving. They questioned me about where I was going, how long I would be gone, and why I had to leave. They even walked me to the garage door and stood and waved goodbye to me. I had a flashback to the days when Artie and I would go out and leave the kids with my parents or one of my nieces, and how they would be so sad that we were leaving. I had the very same guilt pangs I had on Tuesday that I had when we would go out for a much-needed break from raising children. But the best part of my day was coming home from Book Club and being greeted by two little munchkins who screamed out my name and jumped into my arms, telling me how much they missed me! I was actually overwhelmed by this and it made me realize just how lucky I am to have the life I have now. It may be tough at times, and I may drown in the pity pool frequently, but when I walk in the door and am greeted in that way I know I will smile inside and out.

Life Can turn on a Dime

Just one year ago I retired from teaching after 28 years. It has been blissful, fun, and relaxing. That was then and this is now...

Two days ago my daughter and her family (husband, three kids and their Westie) moved in with us for good. What once seemed like a roomy 3-bedroom ranch nows feels a bit like an upscale sardine can with a large great room. Life does that sometimes. Their move in has forced me to be proactive in purging unneeded and unnecessary "stuff". Coincidentally our neighborhood is having a garage sale this upcoming weekend! SCORE! I am now hoping my "trash" becomes a whole lot of people's "treasure"!

Back to our current reality...the deafening (and peace filled) silence is now filled with little voices. Sometimes those voices are music to my ears and sometimes I would rather run my fingernails down my old chalkboard. The kids have adjusted well to their new digs. We decorated their room with an undersea theme. It is adorable. Bunk beds have made the room large enough to play in. Right now Landon and Annie are sharing the room and co-habitating nicely. Brennan is sleeping with his mommy and daddy. Needless to say finishing the basement has now become a reality. So, the purging has become a much-needed event in the Cybul home.

Anyone who wants to come "shopping" at our garage sale, it will be Friday and Saturday, June 4 & 5.

It's Official! I am a GROWNUP now!

I just returned from spending 5 days in Las Vegas with Artie, who was out there for his company's annual conference. How did this trip make me proclaim my status as a grownup? Well, because I did many things that now have catapulted me to that point.

I must backtrack a bit to share with you that I was a VERY sheltered child. Born eight years after my sister, and ten years after my brother, I was the true "baby" of the family. My parents and grandparents spoiled me and kept me in my own little princess castle existence. Because my grandparents lived with us, I never spent a moment with a babysitter. And, ready for this, NEVER spent even an hour alone until I was a freshman in college. Needless to say some of those "firsts" were very intimidating to me.

Fast forward to my marriage to Artie. He has continued the spoiling and sheltering, which I welcomed since I was used to it. Some of the "firsts" in our married life were frightening for me. I remember being terrified to be alone when he worked late or had to go out of town. Since I am pretty much a crybaby you can imagine how many tears were shed as I knocked back some of the experiences that shape us as adults. I became an official adult when I began my teaching career. Having to step into the role of educator and working with parents makes you do that pretty quickly. I handled that fairly well, if I don't say so myself. Was I a grownup yet? NOPE!

OK, so I've set the stage for you to understand why I have officially become a grownup. Are you ready? OK, here is why I became a GROWNUP this past week:

1. I flew alone for the first time ever - Artie was on another flight
2. I found and retrieved my own luggage for the first time
3. I took a tour to see the Grand Canyon all by myself since Artie was tied up in meetings.
4. I did the Skywalk at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon - 4,000 feet above the floor of the canyon
5. I ate alone in restaurants and didn't feel creepy.
6. I walked the streets of Las Vegas alone
7. I rode one of Vegas' monorails alone
8. I gambled alone (no, didn't win a thing)

Add to that I've begun putting my own gas in my car (see, I told you Artie was helping to keep my sheltered)!

So, it's official. I have now conquered some of my "fears" at age 56. I even did one of the things on my Bucket List! I love being in my 50s.

Southern Hospitality

I just returned from an amazing vacation to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Artie and I drove down to Pigeon Forge with our grandkids, and Lindsay and John. What a wonderful place to visit. Dolly Parton has made Dollywood a truly magical place, designed specifically for families. It is pure and wholesome in every way. What struck me most was the amount of restrooms throughout the park! When you are visiting with small children, including a baby, this is notable. The bathrooms were even air conditioned and clean. You never had to look very far for a bathroom. There are even nursing stations, complete with a private bathroom. Dollywood is fun for all and there is something for everyone.

It seems that everywhere I travel to, I want to live there. I guess it's true that the grass is always greener somewhere else...but in Tennessee I found the friendliest people I've ever met. Not just in Dollywood, but everywhere we visited - even the Walgreens employees were friendly. People smile and say hello as if by second nature. Cars stop for you if you are waiting to cross, and then wave to you as you pass by. Eastern Tennesseeans personify southern hospitality. Because we were all treated so graciously, it quickly and easily rubbed off on us all. We became eager to smile more, say hello to strangers, talk to people without any fear of being judged or worse yet, snubbed. Hearing "y'all" became music to my ears. Being called "darlin'" or "honey" by male servers in restaurants felt charming, not offensive in any way. I couldn't help but think of those radical feminists who would cringe at being called either, but for me, it was fun. I liked it!

Another notable thing was the lack of pretentiousness by people. No one was dressed to the nines anywhere we visited. They were dressed for comfort, not fashion savvy. Tee shirts abounded. I didn't even wear mascara! I never leave the house without it, and while in Tennessee I just didn't feel the need for it. I didn't even care that my hair got wet on the water rides and dried looking like some creature from the Black Lagoon. I simply didn't care because I knew no one would be judgmental. What a refreshing change from living here in the Chicago suburbs.

In my middle age I have found a closer connection to nature. I crave the warmth and peace that natural beauty in mountains, trees, and water bring. Trust me, I am not one to commune with nature - camping for me is a Holiday Inn or Motel 6. But now that I am retired, I am feeling the need to surround myself with the natural beauty God has created for us. I found myself wanting to wake up to the views that we woke up to every day in Pigeon Forge. To open your eyes and see the mountains and trees was exhilarating. For those of you who have been to any of our homes, you know how much we love trees. We have tried to imitate those views as best as we can but it just isn't the same. Our view is Al's backyard...not quite the same as the Smoky Mountains. Oh well...

Water in My Soul

I was born and raised in the city of Chicago. I grew up a city kid with privileges - my parents owned a summer home in Lake Geneva. My grandpa was the carpenter who built our Lake Geneva house. It was knotty pine inside with wood floors throughout. I spent every summer of my life, till age 15, in Lake Geneva. On the last day of each school year we packed up our car and drove up to Wisconsin. I returned to Chicago on the day before school resumed. During those carefree days of summer I swam, skied, sailed, and went boating. I think I had permanent prune skin from all the time I spent in Lake Geneva. I swam, dove, played in water literally all day long...until I got to be too cool and worried more about my hair than having fun. A charmed life for sure...but like most dopey teens I didn't realize what a good thing I had, complaining that I was bored - bored with a charmed life? I remain ashamed to this day. My parents sold the house several years ago when none of us kids (and our kids) went up there. We were all too busy with our sports and then our kids' sports. Sad.

I was born under a Water sign. I have been a "water baby" since I could walk. In fact I actually DID walk off the pier into the water when I was not yet two years old! And oh, my friends chide me for this fact, but I was a synchronized swimmer in high school. No stupid faces and nose clips back then. No excessive makeup and lipstick either. In fact, our teacher sponsor made us re-do our routines if we spit out any water when we came up from underwater. She would screech at the top of her lungs and embarrass us to death. My love of water left me smelling like chlorine most days in my senior year of high school. My eyes were permanently reddened from the chemicals and my hair never looked too great, as I remember it. This was before blow dryers, and I have the world's thickest hair that never dried! Artie didn't seem to mind...

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with a dear friend in Hayward, WI. Her and her husband's beautiful home is on Callahan Lake and the views are spectacular! Deer in the feeder, finches and woodpeckers in the bird feeders. My camera was so busy! I felt so at home and at peace with the world. I realized right then and there that I was meant to be near water. I have been thinking of nothing else since my visit. Water, trees, and wildlife is what brings me the most peace. Getting to photograph all of these things fed my passions. I have even been online looking for potential property. Yeah, right. This is just not gonna happen any time soon. I'll be OK. Our swim spa is ready for use now and our pine trees look great. It isn't lake property, but it will have to do. The robins. doves, and sparrows will have to satisfy my nature fix for now.

Did You Ever Wonder...

Why there are so many single shoes in the road? Who throws single shoes out their car windows and more importantly WHY?

Why "Plus Size" clothing is POLYESTER? Cruel joke. Larger people tend to sweat as it is and poly is not a "fat friendly" or menopausal fabric!

Why there are always sales on mattresses?

Why weight loss is called DIEt?

Where WGN dug up their Illinois Lottery "spokesmodels"?

Why Linda Kollmeyer is still one of the "spokesmodels" for the Illinois Lottery? She annoys the daylights out of me. Anyone else know what I am talking about? Linda thinks she is a sex symbol and literally struts, wears clothing that only young women should wear (hooker boots, black nylons, short skirts), and says the stupidest stuff, pontificating instead of simply doing her job! The move she makes at the end of her segment makes me want to jump into my TV and strangle her! I always say, "...and POSE!" when she does this. Grrrr! Just unleash the balls, Kollmeyer. No pun intended!

Why bras aren't more summer friendly? Who needs sweaty boobs in the summer? Can you say "cotton"??

Why certain dog breeds smell so bad? Not Yorkies, of course.

Why I am still a Cubs fan??

Why retired teachers write blogs? Teehee!

Garage Sales

It is the beginning of Spring, and what does that mean? It's the unofficial start to Garage Sale season! Whooohooo! In the past few weeks I have been "shopping" at my niece's garage sale. She was kind enough to let me come "preview" before the masses converge on her beautiful home in unincorporated Elgin. I didn't only shop once, or twice, but instead three times! There is some crazy allure to garage sales, isn't there? Buying someone else's "junque" to add to your "junk"! You know, "someone else's trash is your treasure"? Over the years I have picked up some cool and interesting things at garage sales, and certainly have added to my own junk.

I have been to countless garage sales with my mom - quite an experience, believe me! My mom is the biggest wheeler dealer on the planet - the true Garage Sale Queen. She will not pay full price for any item at a garage sale, even if it's a quarter! No, she wants it for a dime and will bargain with the seller until she gets her way, or she will walk. I cannot tell you how many times I have actually left her in the garage and slithered back to our vehicle, embarrassed beyond belief!! I love how we analyze the items in the sale when we return to our car - the setup/display of the items, the condition of the garage, the quality of the junk we are seeing. What is up with that? It's a flipping garage sale!

Artie and I moved into this home three years ago. I was very proud of myself while purging unwanted/unneeded items from our home in Bartlett before we moved into this house. It felt good to let go of things we didn't use, need, or want any more. Well, that was to be a short lived accomplishment. Moving into a brand new home is a chance to get brand new "stuff". Apparently I have been really good at getting new stuff, because my husband now refers to our basement as "The Store"! He invites guests to shop in our store any time they mention they are looking for some item. Our basement is the holding grounds for the leftover furniture that just doesn't fit in our much smaller house - we lost one bedroom for goodness sakes! While living in our exquisite 15 room Victorian in Janesville, WI we accumulated some amazing pieces of furniture. Well, those amazing pieces just don't seem to have a home here in Elgin, IL...but I just can't part with them! This includes two pieces we purchased from Schuler's Furniture in Janesville - a dry sink and a pie safe - fashioned out of old barn wood. They have a history for goodness sakes! So does the old bench we bought that came out of an old Masonic Lodge in Milton, WI!

Living less than a mile away from a Hobby Lobby store is not good for me...

So, what does this have to do with garage sales you ask? I have decided it is time to purge once again. While searching for something last week in our basement I began to feel a bit anxious, frustrated, nervous, and even claustrophobic. I had to get out of there because my mind was moving in so many places and I didn't know where to begin to search for said item! There is just way tooooo much down there! It is time to let go! If I haven't used most of this stuff in three years, it is time to part with it. It is time to have a garage sale! Ironically, I just got an email from a neighbor who is trying to organize a subdivision sale. The email was my epiphany! I am on board with this. It is time. On June 4 & 5 we will be hosting a Mega Garage Event. I am already pondering its setup - what color tablecloths will I use? I already have the tent my sister in law loaned me in my car, ready to store until the BIG DAY(S).

My friends, mark your calendars for this event. The sale to end all sales! Hobby Lobby/Home Goods/Tuesday Morning/World Market/ and beyond await you. Come buy MY tchotchkes and add it to yours. Empty my basement and fill yours! Artie will be forever indebted to you...and I will be using the proceeds to buy MORE treasures for the next garage sale!