1. A freezing cold morning with an intense pink horizon is a good start of the day.
2. We agree to go for a walk at lunchtime. A stop for juice and coffee and a friendly chat is exactly what I need.
3. Mom makes late lunch and I am more than grateful for this tasty homemade meal. Jay and Em think the bread dumplings are delicious, too.

1. After they leave for the day I take my backpack and go for a long hike. I know of a dozen things that I should have been doing instead, most of them related to housework, but they just didn’t seem tempting (and mind-occupying) enough to stay indoors on such a glorious sunny summer day.
2. At the restaurant on the top of the hill I set as my destination they serve me a lemonade in a smoothie jar with a yellow straw lid and I think that is just lovely.
3. Once the trail leaves the forest and I am out in the open again, in the full blazing sun, all I can think of is that I need to sit down. I spot a bench, hidden in the shade of trees and bushes, next to a cottage that is clearly uninhibited today. A perfect spot to drink some water and listen to the birds.

1. Em is really excited about her shopping spree. The yellow jacket she bought is a hit.
2. When I see the date on the document I panic. A few hours later I start working on the application and I am done in 30 minutes.
3. I am my own enemy the whole day long and it is only at 10 p.m. that I make peace with myself. Red nail polish is my reward and a reminder to take it easy on myself.

1. I can’t get enough of the smell of the undergrowth during the hike.
2. We stop by the river to freshen up. Our feet are numb and our skin is cool as we stand in the water in the shade of trees and the stone wall.
3. While my girls go for a swim in a private pool I have two hours to myself. It’s too hot to do anything else but to have an ice cream and watch a cheesy romantic Spanish series on TV.

1. I manage to get some bureaucratic things done in the afternoon. Then we go for ice-cream and a decaf to our favorite café and run into Jay’s music teacher and her boys again.
2. Playing badminton and tennis with Jay in the evening when the heat is down.
3. At the end of the day I feel bone tired and restless, with too much on my mind. I am grateful another day has come to an end.

1. Finding a parking ticket in the parking ticket machine, waiting for someone (for me!) to use it up for the last 45 minutes. That is really nice.
2. After clearing some things at the bank, I stop at the downtown park and have a sandwich in the shade of the trees, next to a white marble fountain.
3. A chat with Jay’s friend’s mommy. She is pretty cool to handle the kind of job that she has.

1. Jay is so looking forward to her friend sleeping over at our place tonight. She gives me a call to work, reminding me to buy potato chips for snacking in the evening.
2. Shopping for groceries at the mall in the city. It is nice not to run into neighbors and locals every place I go.
3. A walk at 9 p.m. I do some stretching next to the church on the top of the hill and can hear chirping of kids on the other side of the building.

1. A call from Em, attending her 8-day debate seminar. We miss her terribly but I am happy she has taken this challenge, knowing she will learn so much.
2. I pretty much finish reading the book about focus.
3. I take a break from housework, parenting and worrying – and go to cinema on a Sunday afternoon. I get nearly stuck in the traffic on the highway and have to violate traffic rules, without putting anyone in danger though, to make it there on time.

1. On my way back from the gas station I give my friend a call and we have a lemonade in her garden where it’s cool, fresh and most peaceful.
2. Somehow we manage to change Em’s mobile operator through their website at 10 p.m.
3. A breeze of cool air through the window late at night.

1. Em gives me a call from downtown after a school hiking in the blazing sun. I don’t have to think much to take my lunch break, get into the car and give her a lift home.
2. Jay and I spend a lot of time at the book store looking for a gift for Jay’s class teacher, and we both really enjoy going through books and notebooks and all the lovely things they have.
3. As we drive through town we notice a mommy with a pushchair and a small boy walking next to her. It’s Jay’s music teacher with her two boys, one born only 3 weeks ago. So sweet to see them and to talk with them.

Three good things over the last three days:

1. Friday. I am sitting in the car, thinking whether I should make those phone calls today or not at all. I am paralyzed with fear. I ask for a sign. Meanwhile I watch two girls riding one bike. They fall. It’s not a nasty fall but they obviously both hurt their knees. They sit on the ground – and laugh. They check their knees, laugh and then they get up and ride away. And I get my phone and make the calls.
2. Saturday. Digging in my vegetable garden. Tired in the evening but the good feeling about my hard work lingers.
3. Sunday. A rainy day is a perfect day for house cleaning. And napping and reading.

1. Third time this year that we are on our way to the Maribor hospital for a Jay’s check-up, and this time I take the right exit and we don’t miss the appointment.
2. Em’s exam at the music school goes well. Jay and Em return to the car smiling.
3. Picking blueberries while hiking.

1. I sign the contract. I feel empty. Sad. Lost. Homeless. I sit in the car and think to myself that I needn’t own the house to be able to take it with me any place and any time I wish to. It will always be a part of me.
2. I decide to do something nice for myself and drive to the spa resort to get a date for my therapies which I have been postponing for weeks.
3. Em’s relieved. Last test today. At 11 p.m. she gets an e-mail from her teacher – it’s an A. I am very happy and very proud of her. She has finished this school year most successfully.

1. I take some time to myself at an empty office to re-check the papers. Then I send the e-mail. There is no turning back now.
2. Jay reads her play out loud to me and I am amazed by her writing.
3. A pile of clean dishes and two loads of laundry pegged out at 11 p.m.

1. Finishing my morning exercise. As trivial as this may seem, it is a good thing.
2. A wonderful sight of Jay dancing with her hip-hop group at the end-of-school-year production.
3. I watch my mind trying to get out of it, looking for whatever distraction possible. It takes a long while before I get down to reading my mail and checking the new draft, but eventually I do it.

1. The crust on the grill-cheese slices.
2. We wanted to take our bikes to go cycling, but it starts raining. We look for the old tae-bo tape and do our exercise indoors instead. Jay laughs a lot and we have a  great time.
3. I am happy I have brought a book along so I don’t sit idly in the car while waiting for Jay.

1. At lunchtime I dash to the library then stop at the café nearby to have a decaf with a great view of the green on the other side of the river.
2. I ponder what to with this new information that I got a hold of. And then I do nothing and it feels good. They have done enough bad to me and I don’t have to respond to win.
3. Things I thought I had completed keep popping up. I force myself to check every single line all over again and send it out before midnight.

1. A good start of the day. As I wake Em I tell her she shouldn’t freak out but someone has cleaned her room overnight (of course, it was her doing before sleep), and that makes her smile even before she opens her eyes.
2. A call from a friend from the office just to ask me how I have been doing. I think that is most thoughtful and it brings tears to my eyes.
3. I usually only read one chapter to Jay at bedtime. But the story is so intriguing I go on and read one more.

1. Crazy scenarios in my head. Focusing on the breathing brings me back.
2. I speak to Jay over the phone. She wants to know if I am home when she gets back from her hip hop class.
3. Jay’s piano without notes spread all over it is a pretty sight.

1. Jay returns home from her cycling tour with a big smile on her face.
2. Having home-made pizza with my girls in our dining room.
3. Finally I press “send” and have it off my chest. I know it is just for a little while, maybe just overnight, but still.

1. I remember to call a friend for her birthday. Her voice is always cheerful.
2. There are many children on stage, all recipients of awards for their music performance within this school year, and Jay is among them. What a pretty sight.
3. We warm up the vegetable soup and have supper on the table within minutes.

1. My colleague's little daughter waves me good morning on her way to kindergarten.
2. Blow-drying Jay’s silky hair.
3. An interesting insight into the lives of women that the lady met during her travel to Iran a few years ago.

1. The church reminds me of a very dear friend, who is still very much alive in my heart. His ideas, his artistic skills and work can be traced all over the place. Thank you, thank you.
2. Jay’s face is all red from biking uphill, but she doesn’t complain too much. She is actually very happy with herself and does some more exercising in the yard.
3. Digging in my vegetable garden. An evening breeze from the forest.

1. I plant new flowers on his grave. It’s a beautiful morning and the view of the hill he loved so much, rising from behind the trees, is magnificent. I feel like that is where he dwells, still. He is also one of the guardians of my girls, I know he is.
2. We get a seat in the shade and have a good view of the choir of more than 150 people. I am impressed by the singers’ endurance to sing in full afternoon sun, most of them not even wearing sunglasses, like Em.
3. While Jay watches her favorite TV show with her dad and Em’s relaxing, I get to watch a movie of my own choice while exercising. It is a good one.

1. I could still remember my dream of A in the morning.
2. I run into an old classmate who also hasn’t attended the class of ’83 get-together a week ago.
3. The performance is lovely. Em is the last one to sing. The highlight of my day.

1. Em is overexcited showing me photos taken at the TV studios yesteday. I am so happy for her.
2. I help Jay go through the learning material once more, and then she seems more relaxed.
3. While exercising I finish watching the movie I started a few days ago. I would like to spend a week at an old mansion surrounded by vineyards in Provence, that I know.  

1. It is a nice gesture of theirs, to bring a small gift, the soap with sea salt, to the meeting.
2. I record my reading out loud and listen to it while driving. I’m trying my best to keep afloat.
3. Every time I wind the old clock I remember the kitchen in my grandparents’ house, and my grandfather, his strong hard working hands, his small figure, his energetic walk and sense of humor. I am so lucky.

1. I only had time to say if she was going to pick me up, and then her mobile phone went dead. A while later the cleaning lady shows up at the office and tells me they have come for me.
2. Jay doesn’t want to be alone in front of the house, playing with flowers and water, so I agree to do some shoes’ cleaning outside to be near her. There are raindrops and a cold breeze, yet enjoyable.
3. Reading another chapter at bedtime with Jay.

1. The moment I step out of the car it starts raining. I am so lucky the building is a few steps away.
2. I have time to borrow some dvds from the library while Em is at her singing class.
3. Reading at bedtime in Jay’s bed.

1. By the time Jay wakes up I have already returned from my grocery shopping.
2. My cousin comes visit with her little girl Naja. She undresses Jay’s dolls then dresses them up again, and it is so wonderful to watch her in action.
3. It stops raining in the late afternoon and we go for a walk uphill to the church and back. The view is not clear, yet beautiful as always.

1. I couldn’t sleep. I start my exercise at 6 in the morning.
2. While waiting for Em and her chorus rehearsal to end, I have time for a walk in the rain, a coffee with a friend and a chat with a former coworker I run into at the open market.
3. After my assumptions prove right I know I need to leave the house for a couple of hours. I go to the movies. Good decision.

1. Jay is the first one to wish me happy birthday in the morning.
2. I use up the gift card from my friend for a fancy brand of eye shadows for Em.
3. When we get home, they prepare many wonderful surprises for me. There’s colorful banner, a cake, singing and piano playing, kisses, hugs, and confetti.

1. The owner was not kind and eventually said he wasn’t even sure he was going to sell the place. But after having seen a house in a very bad condition a week ago I longed to see a beautiful one – like this.
2. I listen to their chirping in the bathroom. My girls.
3. Before sleep I play some of my favorite tunes.

1. I googled up a blog with their family tree and photos.
2. I am glad to not feel discouraged after the meeting. I stop at a fancy café to bring my adrenaline down.
3. I get through my exercise by watching Walter Mitty again, and can’t help laughing. It is a good end of the day.

1. We agreed on the price. We shook hands. Another milestone in my journey.
2. Shakira’s Try everything lifts me up.
3. I blow dry Jay’s hair. And after Jay’s in bed I check on Em and she is working on her math with a friend on the other side of the line. It is just a normal day. Amid all this craziness I need the sense of routine, the sense of stability, as momentary as it may be.

1. As I drive by I scare off the scarecrow sitting on the speed limit sign.
2. The management presentation is unexpectedly positive and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. I am glad I attended.
3. A lovely event at the cultural centre, marking the end of the reading club season.

1. My morning exercise stops the sickness from yesterday’s overeating at my aunt’s celebration. I should’ve known better. But I know the cure and that is a good thing.
2. Luckily we have umbrellas, Jay and I, and get shelter under the hayrack when it starts pouring rain while we take an afternoon walk. We still have to get back and that is an adventure that soaks our trousers and shoes and pumps adrenaline into our veins with thunder and lightning.
3. A late Sunday pre-sleep-over adventure: first we have to wait for my Mom to return from the gong session, then Jay remembers she forgot her doll and we have to drive back.

1. I am super calm when I get home so late I only have time to dress-up.
2. While I give Em a lift home so she can continue with her study of physics, I take a few minutes to hang the laundry, and then drive back.
3. The celebration turns out quite fine, relaxing, no big tension. The question I had dreaded didn’t pop out. We are home by 8 p.m. to watch Jay’s favorite show on TV.

1. As one of the most horrible meetings in my life is coming to its end, I look up. It is raining outside. I am most grateful for this peaceful sight.
2. My friend’s calm yet cheerful voice over the phone takes away a part of the day’s weight.
3. It is only after an hour that I notice I have been lying in bed, freezing cold, with the window wide open in my room. So lucky.

1. While airing Jay’s room in the morning I listen to the coo-cooing out in the woods. I am fortunate to start my day like this.
2. I can’t help but admire my coworker for all the things she had to let go off, and all the people she had forgiven. I am really glad I have spoken to her to remember this.
3. Watching a part of a movie about a really strong woman that changed history.

1. My Mom helps me with the pile of receipts, and with writing down some data that might come useful. I feel a little less burdened and my drawers are less cluttered and that is a good thing.
2. After Jay’s play-date we go for a walk in the rain. For a short while the sun penetrates the western clouds and we bath in the golden light. A stop at my cousin’s to greet his girls.
3. I don’t hesitate but make the call right after I get home. Now we just need to agree on a date to check this house on sale.

1. Em gives me a ring just as I reach the driveway of her friend's house to pick her up.
2. I am grateful she doesn’t come over for lunch or an afternoon chat because it would add up to my distress.
3. The weather is so bad we stay indoors all day and I create cards with Jay.

1. It is snowing.
2. It is snowing and I have the day off from work.
3. It is snowing and I get to spend the whole day with my girls.

1. A call from a friend, short but nice.
2. I have a hot soup waiting for me on the table at my Mom's. Grateful.
3. As I drive from work there is a big dark cloud above me, but there is light all around, and I can't seem to get out of the cloud's shadow. It's like a metaphor. The wind could be blowing the same direction as I am going, so the cloud is travelling with me. And if I just change direction, drive either against the wind or turn left or right and just keep going, there will be sunshine. It can't be dark and cloudy forever, can it.

Lots of firsts and seconds today:

1. Em arrives safely. We pick her up at 2 a.m., Jay and I. It was her first trip to the French countryside and she loved it.
2. A call from a potential buyer. It's the first time that we will have someone come over more than once. That should be a good sign.
3. A lovely postcard in my mailbox. The second time that I completed the Love Notes project.

1. Em texts me back that they have made a stop in Monaco and that she will be moving there. I am so happy that she is seeing all these new places and broadening her horizons.
2. I walk below the cherry trees and over the pink and white petals covering the edge of the driveway.
3. Jay has learnt to play Kabalevki’s Clowns within 20 minutes, says her teacher.

1. A lovely postcard arrives today. Today is a good day.
2. Em’s adrenaline and my stress and panic over her 5-day trip to France. We get to the parking lot by the school at the same time as the bus and before I know it, they drive off. I miss her already.
3. A hot shower at midnight. I am grateful for hot water.

1. I thought I’d still have to arrange for travel insurance with assistance for Em but then I call the travel agency to check and they tell me I have already paid for that.
2. Snacks to go on my to do list. Buying all in one place saves me time.
3. The story that I watch on TV late at night, about the lady going from doing nothing to completing a triathlon, is inspiring. It doesn’t matter what, as long as we push our limits, do what seems impossible and believe in ourselves again... that’s what I want for myself.

1. While doing my morning exercise I finish watching the movie, and really like the quote “it is never wrong to do the right thing”.
2. The sight of a woman trying to hide her tears, with two children sitting next to her, is one of those moments when I realize all over again how we are all in this together, joy, misery, good, bad. I am glad to step out my self-centeredness.
3. We hike up to St. Nicolas’ church again and back, Jay and I, and then we stop by the vineyards on the southern side of the hill and enjoy the view like Jay suggested.

1. A 2-hour digging in the vegetable garden on a windy morning, with birds singing and scents of spring, is a good exercise out in the open.
2. The girls have a great play date in and out of the house.
3. I bake a simple cake with some blueberries, and chocolate chips cookies.

1. Watching the sunrise outside out house. I take photos to freeze the moment, then drive off to work.
2. There was a nerve-wracking and time consuming situation at the office just as I was about to leave, but despite everything I manage to get to school on time and wait for the bus with a smile on my face. A big hug for Jay, returning from the 5-day swimming & activities class.
3. Jay reveals the recipe she used to get asleep while she was away from home: she imagined playing the piano. One early morning two of her mates were very loud and woke up the rest of the girls in the room, and Jay was mad because she had been right in the middle of a wonderful song.

1. It is after the rain that I step out of our building, late and tired, but the air is fresh and colors are live.
2. I almost finish reading the book while riding the train. I am so grateful I have dug out this one again from my bookshelves after a couple of years. There is a gradual shift in my perspective since I started it, and I can already see the effects in dealing with everyday situations, like today’s.
3. Em’s fighting a virus with a positive attitude and lots of sleep. I help with some ginger tea and cuddling.

1. My ultrasound check-up shows no change since my visit last April. No news is very good news.
2. I sit in the car in the parking garage and I listen to my favorite radio station. There is an inspiring interview with a former radio speaker and it brings tears to my eyes.
3. Em’s school chorus’ Spring concert with national songs warms my soul. On our way home Em says she won’t quit next school year either because she enjoys being a part of it so much.

1. One of my orchid has so many beautiful white blossoms that I can’t help but admire them in the morning as I put the pot back on the kitchen window.
2. I manage to do some bathroom cleaning with my left arm. Going well.
3. A call from Jay's teacher to reassure me about the kids after I have spoken to Jay on the verge of crying from exhaustion after a long day of activities.

Many firsts today:

1. Among the two ice-creams that I got directly from the producer this morning Em picks the Talking Angela strawberry taste with white chocolate and she likes it a lot.
2. Jay tell me everything about her first day at the one week school by the sea. She is sleeping up on the bunk bed.
3. I enrolled in online banking and created my first post on my fb page today.

1. The treatment gives me almost instant relief. Now I can actually get up from my seat.
2. I open the window in Jay’s room and we lean out to listen to the birds’ singing in the forest.
3. I take a slow walk down the road and back late in the evening. I am thankful to be able to move without pain and to be out in the fresh air, in the dark.

1. We have the most beautiful cherry tree in our garden in full bloom. Its treetop is round and wide and I can’t stop looking at it now that it is covered with blossoms.
2. Jay is worried about what will happen when she swims with her earrings on next week. I know what she means but I joke that she needn’t worry because her earrings are very light and won’t drag her below the surface. We both laugh out loud.
3. Jay’s invitation to her post-birthday celebration with friends is very well written.

1. Jay has her blood taken at the lab. To distract her I tell the medic she had her birthday yesterday and he asks Jay why she has not brought him any birthday cake of hers.
2. The patisserie is being renovated, so we go to the bakery shop a short drive away. We eat our breakfast there and it is nice to take time and not rush to work right away.
3. Lying in my bed with a gel heating pad under my lower back.

1. Ten years ago Jay was born. I kiss her on her cheek in the morning as she sleeps in my bed.
2. My coworkers’ absence adds to my workload but I find out I am more focused and efficient than usually.
3. Jay beats me at BrainBox World.

1. I have cold feet making this cake for the first time, but I think to myself it really can’t be that hard with Jay helping me and no audience to make me nervous. Once it is decorated it’s perfect. And it’s yummy.
2. Jay’s presents are wrapped and all is set for photo shooting. Big excitement, birthday wishes coming true one day earlier.
3. We have fun playing the new game with cards and questions, just the two of us.

1. Jay’s ears’ piercing doesn’t go too well, but soon the pain is gone and she keeps asking if her blue butterflies’ earrings look beautiful.
2. We pass the store with toys and I urge Jay to step in to check if that game she so wishes for, has already been delivered. And it has been and it is just perfect timing for her birthday.
3. The bouquet with small pink carnations turns out lovely, just the kind I wanted for my soon-to-be-10-yo girl.

1. My working day is spent in retail. It’s relaxing despite the physical part which clearly affects my hurting arm. It is good to be away from the computer screen for the fifth day in a row.
2. I say no to Jay’s play date. I think I need some more discipline with the boundaries, myself.
3. The parents’ meeting is long. I have a seat with a view through the window.

1. Anticipating bad things and hence a headache in the morning. But my girls wake up, and get ready with no fuss, and we leave in time for Easter breakfast at my Mom’s.
2. A long walk with Jay in the sun while Em is studying for school.
3. An unexpected lovely late afternoon chat with Irena and a play date for the girls.

1. The church is packed with people but one girl is very kind to make room so I can sit down, and have Jay sit in my lap.
2. I spot many new spring flowers in the forest and enjoy the sunset.
3. Jay and I watch her favorite evening show on TV.

1. We are always late but I enjoy driving my girls to school in the morning.
2. I remember to have one tiny task done just before leaving the office, the kind that would give me a headache tomorrow.
3. I am bed by 9.30 and read a little. What luxury.

1. A breeze of Spring when I open my bedroom window.
2. Jay suggests we go for a walk when I get home. It’s a walk in the moonlight.
3. Em's friend thanked Jay for the paper flower. She is now keeping it in the sun so it doesn't fade away. Jay and I both laugh at the thought of the paper flower in the sun.

1. I missed the right highway exit again. The good thing is that the Jay’s doctor still had a patient in his office so eventually we were not late for our appointment.
2. I decide to wait till the end of her hip hop class instead of rushing off to my Monday lecture and having to arrange for someone else to take Jay home.
3. The TV show guests’ story is sweet despite everything.

1. Jay can’t stop making paper flowers. It’s Palm Sunday!
2. Snowdrops in full bloom. I just love them and every time I remember the time I was Jay’s age and came with a classmate to pick them for Woman’s Day for my Mom.
3. I stop to take in the setting sun. I’m thankful for having time to take this long walk in the woods.

1. The fair is crowded and luckily the cash machine is working again so I can buy some goodies from local farmers.
2. Jay insists on baking something for my Mom’s name day. I assist her – and the cookies are really good!
3. I cut the ribbons Jay made, and staple them to the palm along with tying some additional paper flowers, and I am very happy with the end result.

1. I pick the apples from the farmer's for my colleagues at work, and earn two delicious pieces of fruit.
2. The lecture about the good effect of sleep on our brains is interesting. Em does an interview with her professor afterwards and it is nice to watch her in action.
3. A walk in the dark with lots of stars up above. 

1. My arm hurts so much I am having trouble sleeping. But I am thankful for this pain.
2. Many many yellow primroses growing under the trees that I walk by at lunchtime. Spring all around. Breathing deep.
3. While taking the train home I can make a call to a longtime friend.

1. Leaving the office at 3 p.m.
2. Jay is thrilled to tell me about all the new works she will be playing on the piano and to show me her photo on the Piano Room studio’s FB.
3. Em moves gracefully on stage, her reading the writings of young students makes my day.

1. It’s been a week now since I slightly changed my girls’ breakfast by including more fiber. So far it’s going very well.
2. Mom tells me that Jay will be going to a workshop with her to learn making paper flowers for Palm Sunday, and I am glad because I have to stay at the office a little longer again.
3. I can feel another wave coming down on me, and I look around to grab something and there is the book I borrowed from the library yesterday. I am saved.

1. I wait for Jay to give her a big hug before she leaves with her piano teacher. Her playing of one of the works she performed at the national competition a week ago will be recorded at a recording studio and that is a very big thing.
2. The orthodontist’s check-up of Em’s teeth is swift. We are in and out of the place within minutes, and I am not even late for the lecture about healthy food.
3. I find Jay sleeping in my bed when I get home. She is like a little angel holding her baby doll Jerica.

1. The baby sitting in her grandma’s lap is wearing a lovely pink cap.
2. Jay remarks that I can run faster. She still beats me, of course.
3. Primroses all over the place.

1. Jay and I spend most of the day at Celje. We go ice-skating, lunch out, then go to the movies to see Zootropolis and finally we pick up Em from her school chorus rehearsal.
2. I manage to serve a lentils soup within 20 minutes. Being hungry they both appreciate it.
3. I go for a late evening walk. I feel comfortable walking through the neighborhood in the dark.

1. The lady in the meeting is wearing a nicely tailored leather jacket in burgundy.
2. I push myself and send another few e-mails just before I am to leave the office.
3. I cut some Easter eggs out of paper so Jay can staple them to the garland she is creating. We hang it in the dining room and it is really nice.

1. A reunion at Taverna. It is nice to catch up and also to talk about the old times when we were coworkers.
2. Just as I start wondering about my car, I look down to my purse and my phone's ringing and it’s my Mom.
3. I tell Em, with a serious expression on my face, that she can’t spend tomorrow afternoon at her friend’s - "because she has to help with cleaning up the house a little". She looks up at me in disbelief – and she knows I am just kidding.

1. Chirping of the birds when I open the bedroom windows.
2. I put away appliances from the kitchen counter that I haven’t used a while, and fill a bag with books, DVD’s and CD’s to be taken to the local library. Decluttering is good.
3. I give up my little late night plan. I don’t know who I am anymore, but I do know I am not that person.

1. A walk at lunchtime. The air is crisp but I am really hot when I get back to the office.
2. A tick-off on my calendar. Thankful.
3. Jay creates two lovely cards for me for Woman’s Day. And I bring cakes for my two little women. Then Jay and I walk down to the main road and back in the dark at nearly 8 p.m., and we talk and have a really good time.

1. Jay is happy to get ready for her hip-hop dancing class again. A wide smile in her face.
2. Em plays the meditation music for me that she has been listening to in the afternoon. I find it really interesting that she would listen to anything while studying because she usually doesn’t like any noise and interruptions.
3. I decide to go to the meeting and listen to a lecture about proteins and do the group exercise afterwards. I return late, tired but happy for pushing myself a little.

1. I wake up and there is no sound in the house. That is really soothing, knowing I will get up and have the entire house to myself before the girls wake up. This is what I am looking forward to: silence, peace of mind.
2. Just as we get out of the house it starts raining cats and dogs. We almost decide to go back in and then walk up to the viewpoint to embrace the whole valley down below and the big big sky.
3. I am glad to see that the yoga room is not packed with ladies and I can have my usual spot and even some extra space.

1. The tension has been building up since last night. I had a long drive ahead of me, the kind that took nearly 3 hours in the bad weather on Monday when Jay had her rehearsal at a music school in the western part of the country. But then this morning it only takes 90 minutes to get there, to the National competition of young musicians. When Jay is finished with the third composition and starts playing the last one I feel tears running down my cheeks. I cry again when I let Jay take the call to my mobile phone at 8 p.m. and it’s her piano teacher announcing that Jay’s among recipients of the golden award.
2. We stop at my friend’s. It is a happy reunion with her and her family.
3. An evening show on TV and we watch it together, all three of us.

1. I am most grateful when Em’s texts me that her rehearsal with the orchestra for Saturday is cancelled.
2. A colleague from the office drops me off at the bus stop near our place which saves me the hassle of having to take a train.
3. I feel a little stressed out and confused, but I manage to prepare Em’s lunch for tomorrow and pack a few things for the trip to Nova Gorica.

1. It’s a beautiful sight. It’s snowing.
2. We all take a long lunch break. We talk about our kids and the crazy things that happen to us sometimes. It’s nice to talk about things other than work.
3. I attend the meeting of Kajuh town quarter although I don’t live there, but Em’s school is located in this district and there are always a couple of students participating in the event. I enjoy Em’s reading poems with her peer and her singing.

1. As I drive to work I switch to the radio station Rogla and they play music from the 80’s that makes me smile.
2. Jay and I go for a short hike up to Vimperk. Jay writes her name in the visitors’ record book, eats the wafer she brought along and then we walk back in the setting sun.
3. I have to struggle to get ready for bed, but then I do, and I even complete one Sudoku.

1. I promise to help her practice math. She sounds relieved.
2. I catch the train. I am out of breath, all sweaty, I just spent 11 hours at the office, but I’m fine now.
3. I watch the rest of The Piano. I love love the music.

1. After almost 2-hour drive no more rain showers, but a rainbow and a church at the rainbow’s end. I want to stop to take a photo of the light and the colors, and overall beautiful scenery, but I’m on a highway with only two lanes and have just missed the exit.
2. Once I leave the cemetery I feel better.
3. I watch a documentary about Malala and question the meaning of my own little average life. I think it is to bring up two more wonderful girls who have the chance to go to school and to develop their talents like every human being should, and for that I am thankful and hopeful.

1. I give a call to the agent. He says one family is very much interested in the house. That is good.
2. I am sent a link to this. Watching young talented people makes me happy.
3. I work late and get home at nearly 8 p.m. As soon as I walk in Em wants to sing for me and Jay plays the piano and it’s lovely. Then Jay asks me to do some paper crafts with her, and we work on some colorful Easter cards.

1. A pre-notice about a potential buyer coming over to check the house on Saturday. And then a call from the agent that there might be two of them.
2. I am grateful we have left-overs from yesterday to warm up for today’s lunch.
3. A music recital. The girl’s playing the flute brings tears to my eyes. And she is only 12 years old!

1. Freshly pressed orange and banana juice for breakfast gives me a sense of doing something good for my girls.
2. The lady at the bank is really nice. I get some things done and I feel more at peace afterwards.
3. Em has some wonderful news to share. Her performance at their Secondary School Info Day was well noticed and she has been asked to sing at another performance end of this week.

1. My new face cream makes up for a good start of the day.
2. I take a walk at lunchtime. The tension at the office is so high I really need to get out.
3. I return home late after the parents’ meeting, but I get to spend the rest of the evening with Jay and Em, and that is soothing. Before bedtime we end up watching an interesting documentary about changing the face of the Earth with high buildings.

1. We go for a short walk and luckily, we only have to open our umbrellas just before we reach the house.
2. When we come out from the music hall, Jay and her teacher are waiting for us, Jay with s relief on her face and the teacher with a happy smile. Today isn’t one of Jay's good days as she seems to be fighting a virus (so am I), and lacked energy in her piano playing, but she performed beautifully.
3. A call from Jay’s teacher at 8 p.m. Jay won one of golden awards at the regional competition of young musicians, in her category. She is so happy, she gives me a big big hug, and can’t stop talking about it.

1. I check the bookstore, then walk back to the office.
2. As I come up to the hallway, I hear a sound behind my back - it is Jay sitting on the upper stairway, waiting for me.
3. At bedtime Jay suggests we flip through the latest edition of NG. We both love the images from the national parks.

1. I go for a walk during my lunch break. It’s sunny and warm and it feels like spring.
2. Em tells me everything about her new haircut over the phone. She is very excited. (And she looks lovely indeed.)
3. I doze off during my facial. Just for a second or so. So relaxing.

1. Em gives me a call right after history class. She is furious even three hours later when I pick her up. But she smiles by the time we get to the third traffic lights.
2. After I am finished cleaning up and Jay is finished with her school work she wants us to start some craft project. We create a card for my cousin’s birthday. The flowers don’t exactly pop out like we were hoping, but it is nice.
3. I am in bed by 9.30 p.m. I need some beauty sleep.

1. I have a new company mobile phone, my first touch-screen. My two coworkers first joke about it, but actually it only takes me about one minute to know how to use it and access all my data.
2. Jay shows me their new hip-hop choreography as soon as she walks in and takes off her jacket.
3. I tick off another few tasks just before sleep. Changing passwords in all my social media accounts is one of them.

1. Colorful food on our plates: risotto with sweet corn, peas and diced red peppers.
2. An e-mail from an old friend from overseas, a nice surprise.
3. I get dressed to go out, and when Jay sees me she suggest we both go for a walk which is a lovely change. She is not very fond of hiking and usually needs a push. I think it is because she enjoys walking on fallen tree trunks so much.

1. Jay helps me put away the Christmas tree decorations and the nativity scene. We are finished really quickly and don’t feel sentimental about it.
2. Irena only stays a short while but I appreciate her moral support.
3. Jay plays wonderfully at the concert, same as all other participants of the seminar. Afterwards we go for cakes to Dobnik’s, just like I promised.

1. I can tell that Jay is very nervous before the seminar. But when she plays, she is calm yet passionate and eager to incorporate the professor's suggestions. He seems very pleased and agrees she plays so well she could perform any two works at the Saturday concert, out of four works they had practiced. Jay beams with pride.
2. New data in my company profile: I have the same number of paid time-off days as last year, good!
3. Tonight I started reading the poem about the Goldhorn by Anton Askerc to Jay like I had to Em six or seven years ago. It will take many bedtime readings before we are finished and I am looking forward to these.

1. I made lunch right on time. One of their favorites, pasta with gorgonzola.
2. Jay wonders about the pianist’s changing expressions on his face and I say he must have been talking to the piano while playing which makes her laugh.
3. I noticed that she was a little distant. I thought it was just school work. Then tonight she opens up to me. It is sad, but a beautiful moment, and I am very grateful I can be there for her anytime she needs me.

1. I plan out my lunch break really well: after taking the books to the library I have a lovely walk along the river, stop at the book store and then have a decaf at my favorite café.
2. At first I have mixed emotions when the neighbor shows up at our doorstep with some of Em’s bijoux that she found in the bushes along the road, where they had obviously been tossed away by the burglars, keeping the valuable stuff. But Em is thrilled and I take it as a good sign.
3. I do some decluttering, which is now a daily task written down in my Moleskine. Another pile of books for the local libraries, two nightstand drawers empty now, and a bag of stuff from the bathroom that will be taken to the waste & recycling centre.

1. I bought my first Moleskine to keep better track of all to-dos in my life. I am very excited.
2. Jay clings to me while we sit on her bed as if to pour some of her joy into my tired soul.
3. It’s pouring outside, rain and hail, with thunder. I stay up late, watching tv, to make my girls feel safe while one is studying French and the other is sleeping in her room.

It's been a hard weekend. Lots of bad things happened. Things got stolen, a virus hit. And yet there are many things to be grateful for once you clear your mind and remember your values and priorities.

1. Nobody’s been hurt and on the outside there’s little evidence of vandalism which makes is easier to go on with everyday life.
2. All computers and cameras in the house intact. Memories safe for now.
3. Jay feeling better now. And looking forward to her piano seminar coming up this week.