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.
Susan says
Cathy,
Sooo glad to have you back in blogland. I missed reading your posts, seriously!
jenn says
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 🙂
Ana Maria Magloire says
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
Nancy says
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.
Jen says
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. 😉
Michelle says
lol it’s all over now. Once they find those cheats they never ever ever go back! 🙂
Debbie says
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”.
Jen Smith says
I just want to say I’m glad you are back.
Jen
Dolly says
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…
Sheila Doherty says
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.
amy j. says
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.
Michelle says
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.
Tanja D says
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!
Michelle says
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. 🙂
Houston says
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!
deb munn says
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~
Maureen says
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
Jenn from MA says
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!
Kay Ward says
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
Stephanie Carty says
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 🙂
Sheen says
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
helga (Belgium) says
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.
RScrapIT says
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!
sue says
Enjoy ‘getting back to normal’, whatever that is!
Sue
samantha Jo Campen says
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!!
krisfred says
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!!!
Katy says
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)
Hillary Chybinski says
Cathy – so great to have your “voice” back – you’ve been missed!
Hillary
Jennifer says
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!!!
Leslie says
Welcome back! Missed you so! Hope you know how many hearts you touch!…thank you!
Leslie
Carla Cavellucci Landi says
Hello from Brazil, again and very happy to try the blog link and finding you here!!!!. Happy new year!!
beth says
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
Charisse says
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!!!
amber says
so so so glad to have you back. you’ve been missed. don’t ever leave again. please. 🙂
Belinda Love says
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 !