Recipe for a Happy Summer, and some encouragement for Hillary

Sally’s school year is dragging on endlessly, which is fine with me. We’ve been house-hunting for months, but now that the weather is fine, my requirements have changed from 1) good neighborhood, 2) open floorplan, and 3) four bedrooms to 1) fenced-in yard, 2) fenced-in yard, and 3) fenced-in yard. In fact, since even with the housing slump we’re still poor-ish, next week we’re going to start looking at empty lots and tents.

In the meantime, here’s my recipe for a Happy Summer:

Now that you’ve got the kids occupied, it’s time for mom to have some quality time. If you get tired of reading blogs (I know, like that could EVER happen), put your computer to some good use. On sites like PrimeTimeRewind and Hulu, along with the network stations sites (nbc.com, fox.com, etc), you can catch up on all your favorite shows.

You might be thinking that TV is just so … so … shallow. But there are lessons to be learned and inspiration to be gotten. Tonight Hillary Clinton is (probably) (maybe) realizing that she is not going to win the Democratic nomination. Other women have faced similar setbacks, though, and I’d like to offer some encouragement to Hillary, inspired by Phyllis on The Office. In the season finale, Goodbye, Toby, Phyllis faces her toughest assignment: party planning. As she gets overwhelmed at the enormity of it all, she shares:

When I was a little girl, my mother told me I could be anything when I grew up: teacher’s aide, nurse’s assistant, some sort of volunteer. But now, I just don’t know.  

Despite these discouraging thoughts, Phyllis goes on to throw “the best party” ever. Complete with bouncy castles and fair food. I think Hillary probably needs a big hug, and to remember that she can still be anything she wants to be: teacher’s aide, nurse’s assistant, some sort of volunteer.

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And that’s how I responding to “Mom, I’m bored” this summer.

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