This post is going to be about a whole lot of nothing. But what's new, most of them are, aren't they?

First of all, it is amazing what a little sunshine and a little retail therapy can do for a person. The sun was shining today, and it was 60 degrees. The sun and warmth was so welcome after the past few crummy rainy cold weeks we have had. I want nothing more than to purge winter from my life, and days like today make it seem like spring really is on it's way. I can't wait to sit out on my porch in the mornings and drink coffee.

I started my "tulip watch" today. Last spring, we planted a whole lot of tulips in the yard. Tony got them at the zoo once they had already bloomed, so I have no idea what color any them are. We planted them in the beds in front of our porch and around the mailbox. I've started checking daily to see how much the little green shoots have grown. You know what they say about a watched pot never boiling...well, a watched tulip doesn't grow. While I would like for them to sprout several inches each day, they don't. How dare them.

Today, I took a picture. And I decided that I am only going to do a tulip check on Fridays from now on. Here is what they look like today:

Onto the next random thing. I normally listen to what my kids call "OLD" music. Not "classic," like I call it, but OLD. As in wow, that was popular HOW many years ago? And you still LIKE it, Mom??? I try to tell them that someday, when they are OLD, they will fondly listen to the music they like now, and their kids will make fun of them the way they make fun of me. I tell them that The Black Eyed Peas will be their Eagles. They don't buy it, they roll their eyes, look at me and say, "who are the Eagles?"

Today, I shocked the heck out of my think-they-are-hip high schoolers. I bought a Katie Perry CD. I never buy CDs. Ever. I can't even remember the last CD I bought because it's been years. I made the mistake of taking my new CD with me when I went to pick up my kids from track practice, and they saw the CD case. And then laughed at me because:

*NO one buys CDs anymore. The truly hip with it people download from iTunes onto their iPods.

*I haven't joined the 21st century yet since I don't own an iPod.

*I bought a Katie Perry CD. Apparently, Katie Perry is not cool among high schoolers. Only middle schoolers. And I am obviously NOT a middle schooler. THANK God.

*My middle schooler laughed because apparently, we have lots of Katie Perry songs on iTunes, she has them on HER iPod, so what a waste of money for me to buy the CD.

*My middle schooler laughed when I reminded her that I do not have an iPod.

Anyway, I bought a Katie Perry CD today. There is a song on it that I love right now. "Firework." It's been on the radio for a while, but I never paid attention to the lyrics, until last Friday when we went to Lauren's basketball banquet. She wore a skirt because I bribed her with money to wear one. She looked so darn cute that I wanted to cry. We arrived at the country club where the banquet was being held, and I couldn't wait to take pictures. She had (or tried to have!) a fit and told me that I was not going to take pictures. And I told her that I WAS going to take pictures, or the money deal was off. So, this is the first picture. She obviously was not happy, she is stiff as a board, her fist is clenched at her hip like she is ready to punch me in the face, she had the fakest smile I've ever seen....but I took a picture anyway.

We went into the main room, and there were jaws dropping. It was sooo funny. We were early, but there were lots of girls and parents there, most of who came up to Lauren to tell her beautiful she looked, and choruses of "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE WEARING A SKIRT!!" It was cute, yet embarrassing for her I am sure. But, the girls legs have not been seen poking from a skirt or a dress since she was in 2nd grade.

So what does all THAT have to do with Katie Perry??

By the end of the night, THIS was Lauren, dancing and acting silly with her basketball friends to Katie Perry singing "Firework."

I've heard this song on the radio of course, but I never paid much attention to the words. At the banquet, a mom put together a slide show of pictures from the season with a few popular songs in the background. "Firework" was one of them, and I really listened to the words for the first time. Watching my sweet daughter who is so self conscious and shy at times dancing and singing and acting goofy with her friends to this song truly warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. The words to this song are exactly how I want my daughters (well, not just my daughters, but all my kids) to feel about themselves...that they are special and irreplaceable and they need to proudly show off what they have.

I tried to post a link to the video, but it didn't work.

One last random thing...months ago, I posted pictures of books in a dumpster.

And I wrote about my 3 year long project...wellllll....drumroll....after so many months of editing after we thought it was finished, this beautiful book finally went off to the printers today for it's final print. NO more editing, we handed them a copy with NO changes, and said PRINT IT.

Someday soon, I will posting a photo of boxes of this book. I am not the kind of person to brag on myself or pat myself on the back, but wow, this is one of my biggest accomplishments in all of my years at Share. So for once, I am patting myself on the back! Take not because it doesn't happen often.

Onto retail therapy....

I went shopping today to begin looking for an outfit to wear to the Angel Ball. Every other year, I procrastinate, wait until a few days before, can't find what I want, and then buy something I don't really like just to have something to wear. So this year, I started early. And I found something I loved at the first store I went to. I'd look much better in the outfit if I weighed 20 pounds less. Can a person lose 20 pounds in a month?

Here is a sneak preview. Hopefully by the time I wear this outfit, I will look better and post some pictures, but don't hold your breath.

This is all enough for now.