Making the most of a moment

I am a contributing editor at Mamapalooza and here is my first post over there:

Like all of you, I am busy. My to-do list is long, nerves frazzled, memory is going. Working mom/artist trying to find a little space in my day that is just mine. Lately I have been taking a moment to enjoy just a tiny success in my day, a smaller thrill. It is great to have an entire day to work on a project but in lieu of that ... how 'bout just a minute or two to savor something delicious.

1. I had saved all the links and instructions, with the hopes that one day in my lifetime I would have a week of freezing weather to make Ice Luminaries. I look longingly at the photos of glowing candles housed in iced cylinders ... thinking, maybe if I move to Montana I could have those in the winter. I don't live where gets cold enough to enjoy such a "free" candle holder. And my heart would ache at the thought of that.

Then the worst snow storm we have had in decades hit a week before Christmas. With pre-Christmas panic setting in, many items left on my list undone and family flying in for the holidays, the thought of Ice Luminaries completely left my brain.

While driving in brown slush to the grocery store the blue glow of those candles popped into my head and I yelped in pain that I had wasted 3 freezing nights. Last night I decided to punt. Before snow turns into a flash flood in our front yard, I took the opportunity to make "my" version. Grabbed a can from recycling, compressed 6 little cylindrical shapes in the snow and placed lit tea candles. For the moment I was in heaven. Making the most of the moment, even if it is not the perfect can bring much happiness.



2. When my son drove his car in snow conditions, that I had prohibited him to do and got it stuck in a snow bank, he was grounded. Later when we were there with the car discussing how to get it out ... I told him to leave it until the snow melted. During our heated debate over the subject he asked me why I was being so bossy ... and I yelled to the sky as loud as I could "I am the mother and we are supposed to be bossy"! Making the most of a moment.

3. This summer I ran across my M-I-L's gift that was meant for her last year. She was married last year and I found a Double Wedding Ring quilt. Last year was really the appropriate time for her to receive this gift. I decided to tagged the quilt and give it to her anyway as "Gift of Christmas Past".