Do:  Pick up, clean and take care of what God has given you in terms of housing.

Don’t: Assume that the paint color you just purchased from the paint store is an exact match.  It probably isn’t and you will be seeing spots on your walls, which is only slightly better than thousands of dirty finger prints.

I knew it was a strong possibility that this would happen, but I was hoping against hope that it wouldn’t.  I am going to let it dry overnight and see if others notice it the way I do.  

It is always good to be prepared to laugh at yourself and your many, many mistakes.  I do have some GREAT calm and peaceful music playing so I am peaceful in the midst of unending spot-age.

Living and learning!  Peace to all painters today!

**** Update - Yeah,  the paint dried out over night and not a spot in sight:-)  What a pleasant surprise to wake up to****

Do:  Clean and organize your home.  Take care of what you have been given and nurture the space within which you live. 

Don’t: forget to read the tags on whatever you wash.  Especially rarely washed items like 100% DRY CLEAN only shower curtains.  In your exuberance you may just shrink your shower curtain to the size of a tea towel.

At least the kids don’t take showers yet so we can live without one in their bathroom for awhile.  I do plan to recycle the newly shrunken shower curtain and possibly turn it into a curtain for the boys room.

Do be friendly with the people who help you out with your groceries.  Especially the sweet, old Grandpa who was born in Cuba but became an American Citizen in the war in 1952, where he served our country in Korea.  Listen to them and smile at their enthusiasm as they tell stories of the Sargent who made him a citizen and how we “young” people need to do the best we can to make this world a better place for our children.

Don’t absently throw the milk in the back of the van as you listen away.  It may just puncture and spill all over the van and make a horrifying mess.  If this ever does happen, pray the sweet grandpa is “with it” enough to double bag the milk just in case this scenario occurs thereby preventing a total catastrophe!

Do go out with all of your children.  Enjoy the weather and your community pool.  Interact with the neighbors.

Don’t leave your keys at home, thinking oh I don’t need them, lest your two year old runs back home before the rest of you and locks you out! 

Then you will not have to hear the impish laugh behind the locked door, “Mommy you are locked out! hahahahahah”  Rest assured, there is little coxing that will persuade a 2 year old to open the door when he knows he has the upper hand.  Be sure to have a tricky 6 year old handy in this event who knows how to disarm said 2 year old and claim victory for a weary Mom!

Oh yes these are Good Times People!

Do stretch and learn and try new things…that you will surely fail at thereby learning volumes.

Don’t ever call tech support that is outsourced in India, because you will get the shaft!

Do always call  your fabulous husband to help you with a minor question before you try to do it yourself.

Don’t ever try to be the hero!

If you follow these simple rules, you will save yourself tons of reconstruction time!

Do - read stimulating and engaging material.  Read as much as you can as often as you can.  Let great work inspire you to dream, laugh, cry, or maybe even get angry.  Learn to love to think.

Don’t- read the above mentioned material after 11:00pm.  You will be up for hours thinking and thinking and….thinking, and wake the following morning a bit groggy.