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Back to…normal?

January 8, 2007

Back to…normal?

Backtonormal

I want to thank all of you for your comments regarding Mary. I hope that Jon and her family has had a chance to read some of the kind words. Another example of Mary's legacy, I think. So…thank you, and thanks to Jon for letting me share that.

Life returns to a regular schedule today. Kids go back to school. I have to wake them up in 15 minutes. It's been a tricky two weeks work wise, me not being on vacation, save for Christmas and New Year's. That work from home thing has its pros, definitely, and its cons.

Spent a productive Sunday cleaning Aidan's room, with Aidan…all bloody day. It has never been this organized ever, save for while I was pregnant with her, before anyone actually stepped foot in it. We broke up our 6-hour clean fest with breaks for Super Mario 3. Last night, Dan and Aidan were playing their final rounds when I noticed Dan had some print outs sitting next to him on the floor. They were cheat sheets he'd found on the web for Mario 3. All the secrets, right there.

What ever happened to the fun of discovery? Sigh. The example set for my impressionable child? Cheating will get you past the worlds that are too hard to navigate, and you'll get tons of coins, too! And, maybe find MORE secret vine worlds. Dude!

I'm looking forward to having this place to write again. Definitely.

One more quick thing: if you've posted something that requires my attention or emailed me, just hang tight. I'm not the speediest when it comes to replying. I've never really had this many posts, ever, save for when I stopped blogging, (is that irony?) so…just know, I'm doing my best to respond.

Have a great Monday.

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:34 am

    Cathy,
    Sooo glad to have you back in blogland. I missed reading your posts, seriously!

    Reply
  2. jenn says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:39 am

    Happy Monday Cathy!!!! I’m just freaking happy your back blogging. Your my daily does of sanity, pull me back to earth, make me smile 🙂 Its all good! Thank you from the bottom of my heart 🙂

    Reply
  3. Ana Maria Magloire says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:42 am

    Have a great “Back to normal” week!
    I feel the same way about the cheat sheets, my hubby prints them too and I feel they suck all the adventure out of the game… Oh well…
    Anilu

    Reply
  4. Nancy says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:42 am

    I’m in Minneapolis.
    Kids also go back today.

    I am soooo glad, they were getting on my nerves (and I got to go to work last week). They definitely need to get back to school.

    Just not looking forward to homework starting again…that was a nice break.

    Reply
  5. Jen says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:43 am

    How funny…my daughter and I cleaned her room this weekend as well! Only it turned into me cleaning while she played a Mario game on her Nintendo DS. Oh well…we got a lot done, she got new furniture and everything looks nice. For now. 😉

    Reply
  6. Michelle says

    January 8, 2007 at 8:26 am

    lol it’s all over now. Once they find those cheats they never ever ever go back! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    January 8, 2007 at 8:45 am

    Always a fan, but have never said hello to you. Just wanted to thank you for sharing Mary with me. As the mother of two boys myself, I can not imagine what her family has endured. I am so inspired by their spirit. Thank you for sharing your grieving process and for reminding us that life goes on, and not to take that for granted. Something i’ve probably been doing lately in the routines of motherhood. Thank you for sharing her with “us”.

    Reply
  8. Jen Smith says

    January 8, 2007 at 9:39 am

    I just want to say I’m glad you are back.

    Jen

    Reply
  9. Dolly says

    January 8, 2007 at 9:42 am

    I can not tell you how glad I am to have you writing again…not just blogging because it is so much more than that. You speak from the heart, clear, fuzzy, messy, hysterical, real..with all the joy and pain that often comes with real life. You make me laugh Cathy..but more importantly..you make me think. I have missed you, welcome back, please don’t leave…

    Reply
  10. Sheila Doherty says

    January 8, 2007 at 9:54 am

    Hey Cathy, great to have you back in blogland. Your posts always make me smile. 🙂 As for your friend, Mary, I am so sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was a dear person & friend.

    Reply
  11. amy j. says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:18 am

    Seems like everyone is in the cleaning/organizing mode! It’s the January effect, as I call it. A fresh start. I did the same thing last week and this week. I organized our garage, attic, all closets, the fridge, pantry and a first go around at our playroom (to which the kids responded with promptly pulling all the crap we’d carefully sorted and put into boxes and bins by throwing it all in the floor). I begin round two in there tomorrow! Here’s to a new start for us all…at least for a while, ha,ha. I’m one of the someone’s who did ask you a question on your Mary post…about recording blogs. If you have time to respond great, but no worries…I know how busy you are. Just throw it into one of your blog posts perhaps if that would make it easier on ya.

    Reply
  12. Michelle says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:21 am

    WHERE’S MY REPLY EMAIL?!?!
    WHY HAVEN’T YOU WRITTEN ME BACK YET??

    why why OHHHHH WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!!!!!

    OKAY kidding. wanted to start off your monday with the same level of drama that my day started with 🙂 No worries, no reply needed here.

    Reply
  13. Tanja D says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:52 am

    Hi from Germany! Just read it on Donna’s blog yesterday that your back bloggin’.That’s great – and maybe I knew you would cause I never deleted your link in my favourites!!!
    Have a great week!

    Reply
  14. Michelle says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:56 am

    Cathy,
    I love you. blogged about it!
    Michelle

    now if only I wasn’t blissfully married, with 3 kids, and not heterosexual. And if only you weren’t blissfully married, with 2 kids, and not heterosexual. And if only we lived close to eachother. We’d hook up. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Houston says

    January 8, 2007 at 11:14 am

    Ok, so this is a little off the track of your post, but I watched you kitchen remodel on DIY. I of course freaked out when I saw that it was your kitchen because we had been planning our remodel and had pulled pages out of Clean and Simple that showed your great peninsula.

    We are in the middle of our redo right now and I have to thank you for the inspiration.
    We of course are not doing it ourselves due to the fact that we are both legally blind and worry that nothing would be level!

    Thanks again for inspiring me both creatively and in my home!

    Reply
  16. deb munn says

    January 8, 2007 at 11:58 am

    Happy Monday 🙂

    Super Mario Brothers 3 has a cheat sheet.
    Now where was that thing when I was pulling my hair out and cursing at the darn thing??
    Aaahhh… progression…

    Peace…
    ~deb~

    Reply
  17. Maureen says

    January 8, 2007 at 12:12 pm

    Hi Cathy,
    I have heard so much about you & your blog. So I decided to take a look now that your back bloggin. I’m from southern Minnesota. Have a great MOnday.
    Maureen

    Reply
  18. Jenn from MA says

    January 8, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    Noticed that you are listening to Gomez too…love the CD. And, welcome back! You know you are a complete rock star when people check an abandoned Web site for months just praying you will return!! So, welcome back, rock star!

    Reply
  19. Kay Ward says

    January 8, 2007 at 12:58 pm

    I was reading a couple blogs this morning before getting started with work and thought I check and see if you were blogging again. This is just the coolest thing and you have made my Monday!! I have so missed your writings. I only posted a response on your blog once, last fall sometime. I wrote to tell you how your Clean & Simple book had inspired me to start scrapbooking again. That I could do it differently than when I started back in the dark ages with big die cuts, pictures cut into shapes, and catching up with all holidays and occasions. Funny, real, sensible, very cool, simple, inspiring – it completely changed my thinking on scrapbooking. Reading your blog was kind of like that too. I’m so happy you’re back!!

    I read about your neighbor and friend, Mary. Thank you for sharing that. I lost my Mother 2 years ago and my Father in November. It’s so hard, but also so important to be grateful for every little moment. My grief was so overwhelming with my Mother, but when my Dad died I thought I have to make more room for the good, too. Let the grief out but also the joy and thankfulness for life. Every cup of coffee, piece of chocolate, blue skies, meals with family, a glass of red wine, a game with my boys (video or board! I have to sneak in a few of those too), the conversation in the morning driving my 14 year old to high school, time spent with a friend or family, curling up with my sweetie and watching episodes of Boston Legal – when will Lost start up again!!, I treasure it all. Every moment, every taste, every day. Grateful is my word. Doing better at reaching out is what I need to work on. I can’t believe I wrote this much. Keyboard therapy! I better get that coffee and start some work. Thank you for coming back!
    Kay

    Reply
  20. Stephanie Carty says

    January 8, 2007 at 1:06 pm

    LOL, is your daughter related to mine?? But I suppose I can’t complain too much, since when I was her age, my father threated to remove my room from the house with a backhoe. Have a great week and don’t stress too much on getting back on schedule…it will come 🙂

    Reply
  21. Sheen says

    January 8, 2007 at 2:43 pm

    Hey I too did my 71/2 year old daughter’s bedroom last Friday – it was only a 5 hour mess fest! Can’t a 7 year old store some *#@*! When there was empty shelves in her wardrobe she exclaimed “Cool that will be for my birthday presents!” I think we might skip her birthday this year? “Organised” was one of my Ali E words for this year – along with “enjoy” & “positive” trying to keep to the big picture stuff – and not let the little stuff bog me down! Happy new week – happy new year!
    PS: We love cheat sheets – it saves my son so much frustration on his GBA! 🙂

    personally we love

    Reply
  22. helga (Belgium) says

    January 8, 2007 at 2:45 pm

    Hi Cathy,

    Never received that many mails, save for when you stopped blogging?
    You know what they say: people only realize how much they appreciate/miss something when it’s gone. I know I did miss your blog, honesty and wonderful sense of humour.

    And as someone said, maybe most of us believed you would come back to us one day: a lot of peope did never delete the link 🙂 I was one of those too.

    Reply
  23. RScrapIT says

    January 8, 2007 at 2:50 pm

    This is my “back to normal” week also. I’ve done the work from home thing for 6 years and yes, it has its pros and cons especially with kiddos running around. Just since the end of Nov, I have not been able to “wfh” and it really stinks! So, I’m VERY jealous of anyone who gets to wfh!

    I was off-line for a few days and just read your post about Mary. My heart breaks for her family! Thank you for sharing that quote. I had read it before, but did not realize it had my word for the year in it (thanks, ali) which is SHINE. I’m adding that quote to my “SHINE” collection. Thanks!

    Reply
  24. sue says

    January 8, 2007 at 4:23 pm

    Enjoy ‘getting back to normal’, whatever that is!
    Sue

    Reply
  25. samantha Jo Campen says

    January 8, 2007 at 6:17 pm

    I’m so glad your back!!!

    I literally ran around the office when I found out.

    My circle journal part deux starts in a few weeks and I hit your books for inspiration all the time. Love you and love your style.

    Keep on talkin’ cuz we’re listening!!

    Reply
  26. krisfred says

    January 8, 2007 at 6:56 pm

    EXACTLY…what is up with these CHEAT CODES? Not only do I love to read you first thing, but the comments crack me up too!! Your peeps are very COOL…!! Come to Cali soon…the Oasis is calling your name!!!

    Reply
  27. Katy says

    January 8, 2007 at 7:20 pm

    reply reply reply
    Cathy has to reply
    to every little email
    to happy to see you glee mail
    to never leave blogland again mail
    to silly non-rhyming email
    without fail.
    ha!
    reply to THAT! 😉
    (ha, seriously, this is a no reply email/comment/bloggy thing brought to you by sleep deprivation)

    Reply
  28. Hillary Chybinski says

    January 8, 2007 at 8:50 pm

    Cathy – so great to have your “voice” back – you’ve been missed!

    Hillary

    Reply
  29. Jennifer says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:09 pm

    Dan if you’re reading this please email me with the site that has the Super Mario 3 cheat sheets. I’m not above cheating when it is harmless and could make me one-up my hubby. Please, pretty please! My little sister gave me her Nintendo for Christmas and I love Super Mario 3. My husband and I have been playing it for days. Please send me the site for the clues. Please please please!!!

    Reply
  30. Leslie says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:13 pm

    Welcome back! Missed you so! Hope you know how many hearts you touch!…thank you!

    Leslie

    Reply
  31. Carla Cavellucci Landi says

    January 8, 2007 at 10:28 pm

    Hello from Brazil, again and very happy to try the blog link and finding you here!!!!. Happy new year!!

    Reply
  32. beth says

    January 9, 2007 at 6:51 am

    You’ve made my day by coming back to blogging. Always enjoyed checking in to see what you are up to, listening to, and creating. Missed you and SO glad you are back.

    That was a beautiful tribute to your neighbor Mary. Makes all of us think about reaching out to someone in our own lives we’d like to get to know better.
    Peace,
    Beth in Indianapolis

    Reply
  33. Charisse says

    January 9, 2007 at 7:26 am

    Some people are blessed with the ability to write and make the reader feel the emotions intended. You are most definitely one of those people and I am glad to see you back again. From meeting you in Bama, and reading your blog everyday, I knew it was only a matter of time until you felt like you were going to explode from not expressing yourself! I know how it feels. Thanks for coming back!!!

    Reply
  34. amber says

    January 9, 2007 at 4:56 pm

    so so so glad to have you back. you’ve been missed. don’t ever leave again. please. 🙂

    Reply
  35. Belinda Love says

    January 18, 2007 at 7:06 am

    Hi Cathy, I am a UK fan of yours and am so glad that you are back on the blog! Because of you I started scrapbooking last year and would like to thank you for this!
    A great hobby to have, especially when my husband is away at sea (Royal Navy)
    DO NOT DISAPPEAR AGAIN !

    Reply

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