Michelle Grayum
Lately, but especially this past week, Aaron and I have been making a mad lot of trips to our drive-thru Goodwill carting them our excess, the build up and residue of stuff that has been clogging the arteries of our home for some time now. We still have much more to go, but so far it's been a truly carthartic experience. I actually cried as we drove out from one donation as I watched my handmade stepstool float away. My Grandfather made it for me for my 10th Christmas/birthday. I've always cherished it and never thought of parting with it until recently when I realized... I'm 36 years old and I have this child's stepstool with big fat MICHELLE carved in the front... but there's no little girl in the house with that name anymore to keep it in her little girl's room. It really makes more sense for it to be just that: in a little girl's room named Michelle, even if it was made by my grandfather and not theirs. And though it actually caused me physical and emotional pain to let go, I'm so glad I did. Now someone else has the chance to cherish it and create new, wonderful memories around it.
On a similar note, I technically "closed" my business of Zoë Tops (don't panic... please, keep reading). It's really only a business restructuring, if you will. Soon Aaron and I are looking to incorporate and have one main umbrella company from which all our other ventures can sit neatly under and operate from. We'll be sure to let everyone know when they can expect the unveiling of the new company and the new website.
And along with these changes, I have a new phone number (on my swanky new iPhone). Can you say addictive boys and girls? The iPhone is simply amazing. Oh, yeah... the number.... my new number (drum roll please) is 1-615-752-0196. Update your records, write it on the bathroom wall... you know, whatever...
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Michelle Grayum
I know I'm nowhere near a perfect parent, but...
Last night Aaron and I grabbed a quick dinner at Snappy Tomato before picking our Sebo up from his Granny's and we were a bit freaked out by a scrub-clad DaDa also dining at the same time, same place, same bat channel. He walked in with his little baby in her car seat carrier, paid, and proceeded to set down the diaper bag... and leave his little bundle of joy and car keys atop a table while he trotted off to the bathroom all the way at the back of the building.
To try to give him the benefit of the doubt, he may have asked a woman who was cleaning tables nearby to watch her while gone... or she may have just thought like us... "Whoa, what the heck?" She looked around a little puzzled and kind of hovered near the table before goo-gooing at the little one until Papa was done bathrooming. He did posture a slight wave to her from across the restaurant after he emerged, so he was perhaps either thanking her for watching as asked or thanking her for stepping in. To us though, her body language read as if she was a bit confused or unsure which made us wonder.
Next, he was off for some pizza before finally returning to the baby. "Finally," I'm thinking to myself, "whew, he's back and can stay with her now." Well, along with what seemed like the normal taking-care-of-the-kiddo-type-business, and watching the bigscreen, this Daddy continued to go back and forth to the buffet over and over and over... and over. Once, maybe twice, while in line he would glance over his shoulder in the baby's direction.
I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm being overly cautious with saying... "WHAT the heck was he thinking?" I mean, number one, you're not even technically supposed to put those things on tables though everyone does. And as long as you're actually within arms reach so if your baby wiggles and you could catch the thing on its way to the floor, then most of us would assume all is good. But when you're across the restaurant, not likely there would be any catching action if something slipped. Then secondly, there's the whole... "What if someone walked off with your baby?" thing. I mean really! I hope he's got some secret ninja skills we don't know about... because right now, I wonder about her future safety... and "Does Mommy know Daddy does this when he's out with the little angel?"
Aye yi yi...
Michelle Grayum
Tonight on the way home, I saw a vehicle a little ahead of us in the next lane over with his gas cap cover open as we pulled up to the traffic light. Then out of the vehicle right next to ours sprung this guy who went right up to the first car, waved, told them about the open cover and closed it for them. Such a small thing made me so proud of mankind and put a smile on my face and my heart: a complete stranger went out of his way looking after his fellow man. Now that's what I'm talkin' about. :)
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Michelle Grayum
Just wanted to reiterate how thankful we are lately for the kindness of friends. Not only did we get some shelter from our little heat storm from our friends Mark and Diana, and a great tip off to a solution from our friend Lee, but late last week, out of the blue, there was a knock at our door and to our surprise, there stood our friend Dez with a little gift baggy for Mr. Sebo. It was some much needed "sucking pads" for our ERGOBaby Carrier! Sebo was all smiles and running around happily with one in his mouth until bedtime afterwards. It was such a sweet and thoughtful surprise.
I urge everyone to commit random acts of kindness. It just makes the world a better place.
xoxo.
Michelle Grayum
Whew! Lots of thanks going out this morning to our friend
Lee's AC guy.. who just replaced our exploded capacitor! John said he sees them go bad all the time, but rarely does he see them all out and explode!
It was 92 flippin' degrees in our little upstairs condo last night! So more thanks need to go out to Mark + Di who graciously let us bunk at their pad last night. So our little guy and the doggies got some welcome relief from the heat and a good night's rest.
Thanks too to everyone who wished us well. We very much appreciate all the well wishes and offers of fans and the like. You guys are amazing.
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Michelle Grayum
Woo-Hoo,
Aaron's new
art rep is rockin' out!
Aaron's work can now be found in
Saffire Restaurant in
The Factory at Franklin!!
Yum!!
