One is not the loneliest number

So I'm back. Did anyone miss me? This has been the crazy season at work, and warm weather means more outdoor play at home. That results in less computer time.

But enough excuses...

And though I usually focus on my life as a mother, today I'm here to talk about my lunch date: me.

Let me explain something first. I have always been someone who needs and craves alone time. I can become quite grouchy if I don't have at least some time by myself. There is one exception however. I do not like to eat alone. Oh, I can grab a quick meal at home by myself, but I do not like to eat out alone. I cannot really give an exact reason why this is so. I think I feel exposed and on display.

If you've ever seen the remake of Sabrina starring Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford, then you might recognize the following quote:

"You seem to be embarrassed by loneliness, by being alone. It’s only a place to start."

And so today I started. I needed an oil change and lunch, and while the two don't normally go together, our Walmart has a Subway (ah, the joys of modern life). So I bought a book and sat alone and ate. It wasn't bad. I've definitely had worse company.

It was actually nice to be quiet and be an observer. It reminded me of something my mom once told me about when she and my dad were dating. Mom lived in West Virginia with her parents and Dad was living in Indiana with his brother and sister-in-law (so he could get a good job). Dad would tell Mom that he would try to call her on Saturday, so Mom would literally wait by the phone for his call while playing solitaire. Mom and Dad have been married nearly 41 years, but my mom does regret waiting for calls that sometimes never came. She says if she had it to do over again, she would have made Dad promise to call or set a time.

I learned many things from my mom, but I definitely learned not to wait around for the whim of a guy. And I try to keep an eye on what I'm teaching my girls. So I hope I am teaching them that they can be alone and be happy. They are the authors of their own stories, and they deserve to know who they are and to be comfortable enough with that person that they can enjoy solitude.

The character from Sabrina who I quoted earlier also said, "I met myself in Paris." While it is certainly a great deal less poetic, I can now say, "I met myself in a Subway... and the pepper turkey and the company were delicious."

Introducing indywriter...

I know you're bound to be so excited you can hardly contain yourself. "indywriter is finally blogging," you say.

Sure. That's it exactly, right?

Okay, so you probably aren't even sure who indywriter is. It's me! (I'm sure that cleared it all up for you.)

I am a do-er of many things. I am most busy with being a mom to my two lovely girls (that's them in the picture). While I do work outside the home, I find that I still spend a hefty portion of most days worrying or otherwise thinking about my girls. If I never do another thing in this life, I am blessed to be a part of them. They are beautiful inside and out, and have such strong personalities.

Miss B is six years old and starts first grade in the fall. She wants to be a "pure ballerina" (which means she wants to wear pretty leotards and pointe shoes). She was reading before she started kindergarten and has a habit of asking the hard questions. She likes to wax philosophical about many topics, but still loves to do kid stuff and watch cartoons. She keeps me on my toes. I never know what she's going to say.

Sister Goldenhair will be two in July. She is rapidly developing her vocabulary and seems to change with every day that passes. She has spent all of her short life attached to me in some way or another. But lately, she's been digging the daddy. I am glad for him and for her (and for me!). She's still my shadow, but it seems that her meltdowns are less frequent and her personality grows more sunny with each passing day. She is a hoot, and quite the little lover. Soggy kisses and pats on the back are her specialty. She learns quickly and is obsessed with remote controls and phones.

Miss B and SG are two of the loves of my life. My husband would be the other. Woody greatly enjoys carpentry and golf (yes, I am clever with the names... thanks for noticing). Woody and I have been married for almost 9 years now. He's fiery (that means red-headed and frequently short-tempered), but great. I'm a lucky woman any way you look at it.

As for me, I like to read, sew, cook, shop, scrap, sing, play, dance, take pictures, and so much more that this list could go on for some time. I will likely share lots of different things here, but who knows? Thanks for reading!