Stay Gold

Today was a perfect fall day. The weather was cool, there were leaves on the ground and I was feeling so blessed. I have my children with me, my husband is working on the house and I am shopping with my mom! How much better does it get???

I found a really nice comforter set for our bedroom at the new house. Our room is going to be chocolate brown and blue so I wanted something nice but not to feminine. That was my husband's only requirement. I found just the thing today and being that I was shopping with my mom, and it is close to my birthday she bought it a little early. I love shopping with my mom! The only bad part is that they only had one curtain set to match and I needed two.
After shopping I returned home with kids and I am not trying to get motivated to fix dinner. I went grocery shopping this morning and it is amazing how well I do without kids in tow! I used ALL my coupons, got several things free, and ended up saving 46% total! Over $80 at the grocery store was saved using my coupons! WOO HOO! That always makes me feel happy when I can save money like that.. just means more money to spend on something fun.

I guess I have procrastinated long enough and my oven is definitley preheated. Scarlett has banned me from the living room since she is "fixing" me a present. So far she has came through and got a pink gift sack, some blue tissue paper and the tape gun! I hear her singing and wrapping. The pull of the tape gun has been heard ten times already. A packing tape gun, so my present is going to wrapped really tight. She told me that "I will love it", and I am sure I will. How could you not love something your kids do for you out of kindness. Even if it is wrapping up your perfume you have owned for a year... and I do love that perfume!

Every year this exact season brings to mind one of my favorite poems. I absolutely love poetry and I hope I instill a love of poetry and literature in my children. Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" has been my favorite poem since I was 11 years old. I think it helps that it was featured in one of my favorite movies "The Outsiders".

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
so dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay."

When I was younger the poem was so appropriate for the changing of the seasons. Fall being my favorite time of the year, I always thought of this poem as the leaves changed.

Once I got married I thought about how it could apply for love. Young and new love is so exciting, that fades into what I now call "real love". But I also think there is not reason for it to "sink to grief" and not "stay gold".. so this poem always reminds to keep the excitement fresh in our marriage even on those days when I feel anything but excitement.

Once I had kids I noticed how aptly the poem applied to the life cycle. Cherish those times in your life that you think it just can't get any better! Cherish your children being small, it passes quickly. Cherish your husband, your mother, your father, cherish your family.

I just really love that poem and it seems no matter the stage in my life it applies and reminds me of something. I think I may have to get out my DVD of "The Outsiders" its been a while since I watched the movie. :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and are having a great night! I HAVE to go fix dinner.. Hubby will be home soon and I haven't even started cooking.

UPDATE: I realize now why they are in the living room making me presents. While I was in the kitchen cooking they came in singing Happy Birthday to me! HA! They heard my mom say Happy Birthday when she bought the bedding for me and so they thought it was my birthday. How sweet are my kids! They came home and got right to work on something just for me. I feel special.