1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Is there a flower you associate with a particular memory? Explain.

Yes! I think I may have blogged about it before but my grandparents, who lived in Palm Beach, had camellia bushes in their front yard.  I have a very clear memory of my grandpa picking a few then floating them in a clear bowl on their kitchen table because my grandma loved the smell.

2. Last time you helped someone? Tell us how.

Hmm, kind of hard when my job pretty much involves always helping grad students. I guess I will say that we helped out our friend, a single dad, by giving him some stuff we no longer need. Moving will show you what you do and do not need, that’s for sure.

3. It’s National Salsa Month (the food, not the dance) so tell us, do you like salsa? Hot, medium, or mild? Homemade, store bought, or from your favorite restaurant only?

I guess  I’m more of a medium person. I used to hate spicy stuff but now I enjoy the heat.  I do prefer restaurant salsa but some store stuff is good. Publix has this one that’s fresher and pretty tasty.
4. When I was twelve years old…

I was really into the X-men (comics) and swimming. These were probably the biggest ways I killed time. I was on the swim team and competing a lot and then my hobby was buying and reading comics.  I specifically remember still feeling like a kid at the same time as knowing I was on the edge of the teen years.

5. It’s the first of May so let’s run with it-first things first, don’t know the first thing about it, first dibs on something, first impression, first rate, first cousin, first string, first come first served, at first light-which phrase can best be applied to something in your life currently or even recently?

First things first. With settling into the new house, we are trying to organize and not just throw junk wherever. So I feel like we have spent each weekend trying to figure out which things need to get done first.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I had the best day, you guys. I called in sick and spent all day getting stuff done. First, I took the kids, then I made breakfast. After starting some laundry, I went to Target for things for an upcoming birthday party and teacher appreciation week. They are also doing a car seat recycling thing right now. I don’t  need the 20% off coupon for a new seat but at least my old one will be taken care of (and out of my garage.) Then I went to this Christian Ministries thrift store in hopes the toy bin/organizer thing Ash saw a few weeks ago was still there. And it was! We have one but as we’re unpacking, I realize both Dakota and Isaac can use one. So I got that then went home to clean out my car, which has needed it for a while!

The radon mitigation guy needed to come by with the tester so I spent about 30 mins cleaning the sun room, then went to Fresh Market for some lunch before meeting him back here. That done, I got down to real business: moving boxes. Sure, they are now up in kids’ rooms but they are not in my living room. We’re going to my parents’ next weekend and bringing back their old couch. We never needed two couches before but we literally have an empty room in this new house!

That was some backbreaking work so I took a shower and went to the store When I got home, everyone else was back and I could relax! Just kidding; I had to make dinner. But after that, I made a Tom Collins and came up to the bedroom to write. I love this new big house! I can barely hear the TV downstairs and it feels like I am actually in my own space. Our old house, even with the door shut, my master bedroom still felt too close to the action. I love my family but I don’t always want to hear their TV or computers or video games. I am so glad that now, as I near 40, I am able to have the big house,  the nicer things. I worked hard for this.