Fun Filled Weekends

This weekend I have been getting out of the house and having fun with my friends. Yesterday B. and I went out for lunch and then to a garden center that was hosting a thrift sale for the local humane society. I obviously wanted to go and support them, they have given me five incredible animals the past few years, and I am glad I have the means to give them a little help. Today, A. and the kids are picking me up and we are heading to Action City for a morning filled with games, laughter, and memories in the making.

Some weekends I am not up for having big plans. The week was hard enough and I need the weekend to recuperate my energy levels for the following week. This week though, I am very grateful for friends who make plans. I have been enjoying getting out with them lately and I hope my body cooperates, and lets me continue to have lots of fun. (One of the draw backs of having chronic illness.)

My friends have always been a bright light in my life. They get me and are very understanding. B. A. and L. are my three best friends. Sadly L. lives across the country or I am sure we would be hanging out much more. I am also grateful to have lived in the time of easy communication. I am able to reach out to all three with a quick text whenever I need or want to. That text can sit there, in their inbox, as long as it needs to, and they can answer when the get a moment. Two of them are professionals with busy jobs, and the third is an incredibly devoted mom who is always busy as well. So I am glad whenever they get the chance to message me back.

This weekend is the first in a long time, where I get to see more than one friend, in just those two days. My social battery is being given a workout, but I couldn’t be more thankful to have the time with them. Like I mentioned earlier, it is weekends like these that are memories in the making, and I know I will look back at them and smile.

Fun filled weekends are few and far between these days, especially as adults with responsibilities. So when you get the opportunity to spend a little extra time with someone you love and cherish, don’t let it slip away. Let yourself have those fun packed days every once in a while.

Letter to the Future

Recently one of my friends had her second child, and it got me thinking. Maybe, someday, they might need to hear some advice or memories that I have to share. So here is a letter to W. and A., her children, from an honorary auntie.

Dear W. and A.,

Who knows if you will ever actually read this, but I thought I could at least try and leave some form of a note for you in case you need this somewhere down the line. You two were/are my first try at being an adult figure for children. Of course I babysat back in high school but it is different when one of your best friends has kids. With that fact in mind I have a few things that I think you should keep in mind as you explore the world and this crazy thing we call life.

First I want you to know that your mother is one of my favorite people in this world. She has been there for me through quite a bit and has never once complained. You are incredibly lucky to have been blessed to call her your mother. Never forget that you got a good one and that I know for a fact that each day as you grow, she only loves you more and more than the day before. So don’t worry if you have to tell her that you screwed up or that something about you is different than the majority. She will love you just because you are her child. That will never change.

Second, being normal is vastly overrated. Some of the most interesting people I have met in my life are the ones with quirks. They look at the world from a different perspective, and sometimes that is exactly what you need, a fresh set of eyes. Surround yourself with the people who have dance parties while making dinner, and are so passionate about something that they can’t help but share that enthusiasm with the world. Without the type of people who are different from everyone else, we would never have gotten the advancements that make your life easier and more interesting.

Third, create art whenever you can. You may not be hanging in galleries across the country, but you will have a creative spirit. That spark can take you places you only dreamed of. Art is one of the purest forms of self expression, and sharing that with the world is a beautiful thing. Trust me, at least you will be able to decorate your future homes with things that matter to you.

Fourth, know that there is no one right way to do things. If there was only one correct path in life, we would all be the same. Having a world filled with diverse people confirms that there are an infinite amount of ways to move forward with your life. Whatever you attempt, if you get frustrated because it is not working out like you hoped, try another angle. You two are such unique people that there has to be a path that is completely your own.

And lastly, celebrate with your friends. Your mother and I have been there to cheer each other on since high school. I got so excited when she told me that she was expecting you, both times. She was thrilled for me when I had my knee surgery, and then showed her the scars that meant I was healing. When life gives you people that you just connect with, make sure to celebrate their wins and take an interest in more aspects in their lives than just them as a person. It will only show them how invested you are in the friendship and make it that much more rewarding.

You two are incredible and I am honored to be part of your lives. Watching you grow and learn is a true joy. I hope life is easy for you, and that you always know that you have some place to turn should you need it.

Your honorary Auntie,

K. F. Wiltrout

Changing of Seasons

For a while now I have been working on taking a photo of my local spring house in each season. The last one I had to capture was the spring season. Today I finally managed to take that picture. I thought it was so interesting because of the foliage around such a small but unique building, and how it would change through the year. Finally getting the picture to complete my set has gotten me thinking about what else changes with the seasons.

Fashion of course changes. You need to dress according to the weather. Although pretty much all of us know that one guy, usually a teen, who will wear short year round, weather be damned. After the heat of summer I look forward to when it is finally cold enough to wear my own version of a uniform which consists of jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel over shirt. Usually all of this is combined with my current favorite pair of converse shoes.

Activities change with the time of year. In winter you can take your kids sledding down the local hills. Then in summer you take trips to the local pool for swimming lessons. Holiday traditions often follow along with the time of year the holiday takes place in. Christmas has songs that call for a white blanket of snow to be covering the ground outside your window. While a holiday like the 4th of July features water games and grilling out with family and friends.

Something that I am thankful doesn’t seem to change with the seasons, is how close my family is. No matter the weather we find a way to share the love. Home cooked food, fresh treats, pictures sent over text, a long phone call that makes you remember just how great it is to catch up with someone who means quite a bit to you. We always find ways to connect with each other. (I am also grateful for the internet and how easy it has become to stay in touch with family I only get a chance to see in person once a year.)

One of my best friends recently had a baby and I can’t wait to watch as this new life gets to explore and experience what the seasons have to bring. Welcome to the world A. K.!

Birthdays: Celebrating Another Year!

Well, I have made another trip around the sun. I am another year older. Maybe a little bit wiser too? I have always enjoyed the extra love I receive on my birthday. Getting woken up by my parents before they leave for work, so they can be the first ones to wish me a very Happy Birthday and give me my present. This year it was two new sets of very soft pajamas that I was in desperate need of. As I have gotten older I have come to value more the presents that are things that I need and will actually use, than the silly luxury gifts. Things like new pjs and bookmarks from my one of my favorite fandoms, show that the person was really listening to me and knows details about me that shows they care.

I also love gifts of new things I haven’t had the chance to try, especially art things. My friend B. sends me a gift every year and usually it is some art tool I haven’t been brave enough to spend my own money on because I am afraid that I won’t get my moneys worth out of it. I have gotten to try out so many new things just because she is my friend and she listens when I offer up ideas that I would like to try.

Gifts also have a challenge for the Birthday Person, at least I personally have one. I don’t want to ask for too much from my friends and family. Money is a very real worry for me, and I know the feeling of not being able to afford that one thing that my loved one asked for. So to combat this worry a bit, I try and aim for a decent sized list of things that are around $20. Twenty bucks, to me, seems like a nice amount that you can still afford it but it is a quality gift. My friend A. loves when I go to the Dollar Tree to get her gift. The same amount of money gets quite a few little things that she will find useful and like a treat to herself. Like candy that she doesn’t have to share with her son or husband.

Speaking of A., she is what has become known as my Birthday Buddy. Her birthday is the day before mine, so we have taken to picking a day during the week and exchanging gifts between us. During high school, because her birthday means she is just over 24 hours older than me, it was fun to have someone to go through the milestone ages with. Our senior year, our 18th birthdays landed on a weekend, and my family took me out to dinner to celebrate along with a few of my friends. I hesitated planning the dinner for Saturday because that fell on A.’s birthday and I didn’t want to intrude on her day. Thankfully she is an incredible person and she understood when I asked. She attended the dinner and we sang her happy birthday as well.

Looking back on my birthdays, I have always felt loved and celebrated. No matter how small the present, my loved ones have more than made up for it with time. Time spent cooking my favorite meal for a birthday dinner. Time spent picking up a cheese cake from the bakery. (I much prefer cheese cake over regular cake.) Time spent making my heart melt with mushy notes written on cards. Many of which I keep in a treasure box in my bedroom. But most of all, time spent making me laugh and smile.

I am so grateful for my incredible friends and amazing family. They make each trip around the sun that much better.

Warm Thoughts On Cold Days

Growing up, snow days were always interesting. Sledding with my siblings, playing in the snow, and warm drinks when we came back inside. Now as an adult, I don’t participate in these outdoor activities very often and I much prefer to stay inside when the weather starts to turn sour. When it comes to weather, I am very much a “Goldilocks” type person. Not too hot, not too cold, I need it just right.

On cold weather days now, I curl up inside with my cat Erza, and enjoy indoor entertainment. Reading a book, binging my latest show obsession, or playing with my dogs, all serve as activities to help me get through the day. Every so often though, I will through on my jacket and boots to step outside with my dogs into the back yard. River and Cooper, the two boys, will often race through the snow drifts, wrestling and playing tag, while Maggie, the girl, who is smaller than the boys, barks at them as some form of referee or egging them on from the sidelines. Maggie is small enough that when these large snow storms come to my area, my Dad actual takes the snow plow and makes paths around the back yard to allow Mags to actually go out in the yard with the boys and do her business somewhere other than the shoveled out patio. My grandparent’s dog, Ruby, has become well known for loving the snow and will go out and must roll around on her back at least once before she will come inside. When she comes to visit my house, she absolutely adores having more dogs to romp through the snow with and more space to roll around in fresh untouched powder, because her yard at home isn’t very big.

Warm memories also help get through the days where it seems like the white powder won’t stop falling from the sky. I remember making stews and soups with my Grandma and Grandpa when we would come visit during the winter months. Once we were old enough to start helping out, we would be put to work, peeling potatoes and carrots, chopping vegetables, and mixing up dough for either homemade noodles or dumplings. This work was always accompanied by laughter and most of the time some form of music coming from the player in the corner of the kitchen.

I live in Wisconsin where if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change. While I really dislike snow, too the point that I tease my family that it is another four letter swear word that starts with S, I don’t think I could see myself being too far from here for that long. Wisconsin is home. Wisconsin has my family, and has been the location that a lot of my favorite memories have been made. No matter my opinion on snow, I doubt I could leave the warm memories and loving people behind.