13 Going on 30

As a mom of a 13-year-old girl, I have many challenges that face me every day. I actually sort of feel like Catherine Zeta Jones in "Entrapment"...remember the scene where she has to get through the room filled with lasers and does this completely unrealistic series of acrobatic moves to get through them? That is me with Charley. I feel like I have to move ever so carefully or I will hit a laser and all hell will break loose! And it could mean my untimely death!

Yes, it is a delicate balancing act. I want to be supportive, I want to allow her to be independent without clipping her wings too much, and I want her to learn how to navigate her way through life so that when she's not with me, she will make the right choices. It is so hard to do this though without being too protective. It's really hard to let go and not hold on the way you did when she was 8 or 9, or even 10-years-old. Life seems much more scary these days than it did when I was younger. We didn't have to deal with MySpace or cell phones or texting. We wrote handwritten letters and talked on the phone 10 minutes a night or until our parents kicked us off. And that was enough. We didn't need constant interaction with our friends. Truthfully, I would have found this completely exhausting (and still do).

I wish I could yank Charley back into time and let her see how it was when I was younger. But I can't. And when she says that I don't understand, I guess I really don't. I can't really understand how it is to be a teenager today. I can try, and think I might do a semi-decent job at trying, but I can't really know. All I can do is try to protect her as best I can without having her hate me too much. It's kind of like holding her hand and letting her run at the same time. Not impossible, but I guess she can only do it if I run, too.

Cutting coupons

I'm always looking for ways to save money on groceries. I've tried doing the internet coupon thing many times, but always found it frustrating. Usually, when you find a site that offers coupons, you have to sign up for a club, or a newsletter, or agree to receive a lot of junk mail in your inbox. I thought I would try the search again today though and found a decent site where I actually can print coupons without signing up for anything!

http://print.coupons.com/CouponWeb/Offers.aspx?pid=13306&zid=iq37&nid=10

It's really amazing how much money you can actually save with coupons. I go through phases...sometimes I am very motivated and bring 10 coupons with me to the store. I might do this for a couple weeks and then can't be bothered. If I did it more religiously though, I would save so much more! It's really hard to remember all of the things you "should" do, isn't it. We're so bombarded with "great" ideas every day...it's impossible to do them all. But once in a while is good, too...at least we're trying!

Valentine's Day--What was I thinking?!

Yesterday I went to Target to go Valentines shopping. I generally buy about 10 valentines for various people in my family and also had to get some wrapping paper to wrap gifts for Chad, Charley, and Ollie. I went to check out...how is it possible that I spent $78?! Valentines now are around $5.00 each! There is something really very wrong with this. I sat in my car and looked at the receipt...I think I spent $40 on cards. That is just sickening to me. I was very close to taking them all back in and returning them. I thought "Why didn't I just make them?!" Well, there are a few reasons for this...1) No time, 2) No privacy, and 3) No energy. But still...I should have just made SOMETHING. Anything would be better than shelling out that kind of money. I vowed to be more resourceful in the future. This is not a time for frivolous spending like that. Just because I am overworked and overtired doesn't mean I have the right to waste money. The people I bought them for are totally worth it, but they are also worth having something handmade. And would probably like it better. I vow to be better! I do like Valentine's Day, but this makes me angry!!

Here are some tips for keeping costs down for Valentine's Day!:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17051768/

First Blog!

I am very excited! I've started a blog called "On Golden Pond" and this is my first post. I chose this name because I live on Locke Lake in Center Barnstead, NH...my very own "golden pond". This is sort of a dream come true for me because I remember the first time I saw the movie "On Golden Pond" and the location where it was filmed seemed like such a beautiful and magical place...a place in which I would love to live. Who would have thought that a girl who grew up in Los Angeles would actually end up living in the location of her favorite movie...in New Hampshire of all places!

Everything about this movie was fantastic to me, starting with the music by Dave Grusin, who has since become one of my favorite composers. This score is truly one of the most beautiful scores in the history of film music. Sometimes I wish moments of my life could have this soundtrack played in the background...it would make all of those moments even more beautiful!

Anyway, I'm sure it will take me awhile to get into the groove of blogging...to "find my voice", if you will. That is one of the reasons I decided to start a blog. I used to consider myself a fairly decent writer...I used to write all the time, but everything going on in my life seems to have taken me away from that. I am hoping to reunite with my voice...I really want to find it again and at the same time, I can fill in those who are interested with what is going on with my family and life in the slow lane known also known as Center Barnstead, NH.