Category: fun

First Dance

Deb and Napoleon’s first dance, Napoleon Dynamite

My husband was flipping through TV channels last night and randomly landed on a music channel playing 80s videos. As soon as I heard the song, I melted. I told my husband, “Oh, this song was my first dance, back in middle school.”

He stood up immediately, which I wasn’t expecting. He smiled, reaching his arms out to me. We slow-danced in the middle of the living room, singing along, laughing as we remembered those awkward gym dances so long ago. I rested my head on his chest, and he kissed the top of my head.

I can’t remember the last name of the boy I danced with almost 40 years ago in that middle school gym. But I remember his face, his nervousness, the song, where we were in the gym, the excited butterflies I felt.

What a beautiful, nostalgic experience to slow dance to that same song, decades later, with my husband, in the living room of our home. Wherever that middle school boy is now, I hope he also found love, happiness, and his own lifelong dance partner.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

I knew before the weekend even started that it was going to fly by. My husband and I had plans both days, on top of the usual weekend chores, tasks, and to-do lists.

We tried something a little different for date night on Saturday and went on a behind-the-scenes animal feeding tour at a museum nearby with native animal exhibits. We toured the animal food prep kitchen, then got the chance to help feed river otters, cougars, and a black bear. It was awesome! The bear took a biscuit from my hand, and my husband got to feed her a grape, which she took gently, but not without sneaking a lick of his finger to see how he might taste!

On Sunday, I finished a large jewelry order for my online shop, washed and vacuumed my car since I can’t stand a dirty car, vacuumed the house because I also can’t stand a dirty house, then did a quick face mask and hopped into the shower so we could head out to meet one of the kids for dinner. We had a lot of fun and ended up just sitting and talking for a long time, the best kind of conversation: about anything and everything that popped into our heads, serious and funny and everything in between.

When we got home, we stayed up much too late, trying to hold onto the weekend as long as we could. I sat down with my planner to jot down reminders, and this upcoming week is going to be very busy too! Seems like there is something going on each day, besides the obvious: Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. I can’t wait!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was just better when I was a kid. I am so glad I grew up when I did. My brothers and I put on our costumes, then burst into the chilly night air, with Mom close behind, watching us walk up to each front door, knock or ring a doorbell, wait eagerly for candy, and say “Thank you” before strolling on to the next house.

I still remember all of it. The excitement. The cool evening. Debating with Mom about whether I really needed to wear a coat (it covers my costume!), then putting on my coat because I never won that battle. Smiling as people opened doors and praised our costumes. Checking the bag (after they closed the door, of course) to see what kind of candy we got. Comparing candy later at home with my brothers, while Mom made sure to tell us we weren’t eating piles of that junk before bedtime or we would have a stomachache.

Kids today miss out. It’s not the same. Trunk-or-treats don’t even come close to old-fashioned trick-or-treating. I get it, I get it. It’s not the same world anymore. That makes me sad, too.

I’m glad we got to take the kids trick-or-treating when they were little, and Halloween happened to fall on our weekend. I don’t know if they remember it, but I sure do.

My husband and I wanted to make sure they experienced a traditional Halloween, a real Halloween. We walked around the neighborhood, with them decked out in their costumes, passing other kids dressed up in theirs. That time, we were the ones waiting nearby instead of the one knocking on the doors. We were the ones making sure they said “thank you”. And you know something? For different reasons, it’s just as awesome.

Happy Halloween!

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