Riley draws lots of dots.
"Those are raindrops," says Rose.
"No," says Riley. "They're dots."
"No," says Rose. "They're raindrops, and this is a great big tree."
"That's not a tree," says Riley. "That's a mess."
"It's a tree in the rain," says Rose.
"MESS," says Riley.
-- from Riley and Rose in the Picture
It's all in the perspective, isn't it?
Recently, I looked through old posts and realized it's been quite a while since I visited the confessional.
What I need for you to understand is that although from time to time I share thoughts that you may find to be encouraging, uplifting, or even inspiring, my day-to-day reality is pretty messy.
At this very moment:
* Aliza is watching a movie (a Disney movie! horrors!) while I type.
* Also? She's naked. As a jaybird.
* It's ten after ten in the morning. I had purposed to have my disaster area of a kitchen immaculate and shining no later than 9:30. I haven't even begun to take it on yet.
* Although I am one of the biggest evangelists of the Oil Cleansing Method you'll ever meet, I have to confess that at this very moment on my chin is a zit that brings new depth of meaning to the word YIKES.
* I have 460 unread items in my Google Reader.
* Last week, I found out much to my big, huge dismay that Typepad's commenting system has not been working the way I thought it was working.
When I comment on another Typepad blog and the blogger responds to my comment, Typepad sends me an email with that blogger's response. Ergo, I thought each of my commenters were getting emails from Typepad each time I responded to a comment. I cannot tell you how bummed I am to find out that this is not the case. (Evidently, it's only fellow Typepad bloggers/account holders who are getting emailed responses from Typepad?)
I've been so overwhelmed with disappointment about this that I, for some illogical reason, haven't done much at all in the way of comment response in the past week. If you are new here, just know that is not usually the case. I promise.
* My email inbox? Oy. If you have sent me an email in the past two weeks, there's a 100% chance I have read it, and a 99.9% chance I haven't responded. I'll get there. Eventually.
* The truth? Since I'm confessing today . . .
When I get overwhelmed (and believe me, it doesn't take much), I shut down. I choose the path of inaction and avoidance every. single. time. And I don't like it. In fact, I hate it. And I am thirty-two years old and seem to lack the maturity/self-discipline/internal fortitude to change it.
So, that's me. Here in this little corner of the sprawling universe, I can offer you the prettiest pictures of what I have to share. What you'll find here has been polished (at least a little bit) and has been edited (usually a lot).
More than anything, I want to be authentic, transparent, and real. I post things like this not because I am fishing for encouragement (in fact, comments are closed), but I just crave and very nearly demand balance. You take the good, you take the bad . . .
So.
Things are pretty messy here. But I like to emphasize the pretty more than the messy. That kitchen that awaits me the moment I hit "publish" is a disaster area because of the remnants of art projects and sloppy, happy cooking, and time spent in there as a family that just doesn't lend itself to orderly.
No one will ever accuse us of being tidy, but we sure are happy.
(I'll be back later today - hopefully - to talk about what I had really intended to talk about today. But I had to come and confess first.)
(ALSO! Project Spring Green kicks off on WEDNESDAY! Don't forget!!)
(Also, the link to Riley and Rose is an Amazon Affiliate link. Thanks for keeping me real, FTC.)
