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Years ago I used to think that dining alone was a sign of loneliness. Now here I sit at a local wine bar/shop by myself, writing, thinking and alone. Some say it’s a sign of maturity, others might say it’s a sign of security and then there are those that look at you with sympathetic eyes. To me, it’s a night off. A night off from doing dishes, doing bedtime stories, preparing for tomorrow; it’s a night off and I’m alone, celebrating my night off with a few glasses of wine. Now I’m just debating whether or not to have that 3rd glass, knowing that 2 is more than enough and that I will be spending hours baking in the hot sun tomorrow planting a garden for my son and his classmates.

Yesterday I posted on FB how I witnessed a mother barking at her 3 year old child that if he says “mommy” one more time she is going to slap him. I was in Chick-Fil-A, a friendly, family oriented place and felt terrible for this toddler. He’s 3. He’s going to interrupt, that’s what they do. My husband and I swore early on that we would never hit our child. Do we yell? Yes, we do. We usually feel like crap afterwards so as our 2012 family resolution we have decided to not yell at our son. It does nothing for us and does not set a good example for him. It’s hard to tone it down when your patience is being pushed but we are taking a breath and walking away. I hope this is one resolution we can keep!

So back to spanking and slapping or yanking your child by the arm…I know all the books say, that if you are spanking, never do so when angry but how does that work in reality? Do you “cool” down then proceed with the spanking? Wouldn’t that be harder for you and for the child to understand the need for physical punishment? I just don’t understand how the rules work in regards to hitting a child.

And what about us, the one who don’t hit? Do you say something to a parent who is hitting or slapping their child in public or do you stay silent? 

I don’t condone spanking or physical punishment in anyway and that is my personal choice but am I allowed to speak up? 

~denise

I am challenging everyone to wake up in the morning and before you get out of bed think of one thing you are grateful for and say “I am grateful for…” aloud. After this is done, begin your day. For the month of November, I am attemtping to post my gratitude daily, please feel free to comment.

~Jill

October 31, 2011 – I am grateful for the ability to have a safe, comfortable place to sleep every night.

Last month I had lunch with my friend. While we were conversing over making our own sandwiches we commented how it’s just more fun to make a meal & eat it, even if it’s just a sandwich, with someone. Today while rummaging through my fridge, I pulled out the exact same ingredients to make a sandwich and sure enough, it doesn’t taste nearly as good as the day I had it with my friend. The memories that food can evoke are amazing! I will always associate fresh strawberries, ditalini pasta and those pink Canadian mints with my grandmother. I will always associate Elio’s pizza with Friday school lunches. Homemade Guacamole and lots of wine with Jill. Porchetta from a street vendor in Italy with Debbie. Raspberry Mousse in my wedding cake. The list can go on and on.
What type of food memories do you have?

~denise

Is it ok to break a promise in order follow your instincts? It’s very hard to ignore that deep gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach…regardless of the outcome.

Tonight I did just that & while the outcome proved my instincts correct, I still feel guilty for breaking the promise.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive.” – Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

~denise

Today is International Day of Peace.  I was explaining to my 5 year old son last night what people around the world will be doing to celebrate peace. I told him how some countries are calling a day of peace by putting their guns down. While on a smaller scale, communities around the world will be demonstrating peace by releasing balloons with peace messages written on them, holding concerts, showing movies about peace, etc.  I asked him to think about what he could do to show peace. So this morning, he told me that today there will be no pretend guns and no arguing.  I agreed and we sealed the deal with a hug.

What will you do today to show peace?

Isn’t it amazing how our minds work? This evening, after a nice after-dinner walk, I was running a towel through my washed hair and was immediately brought back to a time when evening showers/baths were a regular occurrence. I vividly remember sitting on the floor in front of the television on any given summer night with our dad toweling drying and combing our hair. The feeling of gratitude that washed over me as I ran the towel (and comb) through my hair this evening was immense. Although is wasn’t much at the time, I now realize how much of his time that he gave to this ritual. Dad could have easily been resting, watching the ball game, or spending time with mom, but he chose to take this time to spend with ‘his girls’. I can almost feel my dad’s presence as I run the towel through my hair and comb it out in between ‘dries’. Even though our dad is miles away, memories such as this will last my lifetime. I love you dad!
~Jill