How this Began.....

As they sang in the Sound of Music..."let's start at the very beginning."

I am  Leslie, a mother of 5--son Jack is 18, daughter Anna is 16, son Timmy is 14, son Matthew is 12, and daughter Lily is 7.   Married to Chris.   We all live in an old house outside of Philadelphia that is cluttered, chaotic, and crazy--and we all seem to love it (not so much Chris, who really wants a clean house--that is something I am working on!).

I am starting this blog because, well, honestly, I have been hearing for years "Leslie, you really should be putting these stories down in a blog!"      So, now I have started that blog.   I hesitated for years because I am not very computer savvy (which means you won't have any crazy web design pages until I learn) and because I really never thought that I had all that much that wasn't out there in the general public, and that most people wouldn't really care all that much about what I have to say.

Then something happened....my oldest son is leaving in a few weeks to go to a fabulous university in the middle of the country that is well known for its football team (I can't say any more than that about what college it is because my son wouldn't be happy about it--he doesn't like other people to know that we are related!).    Fabulous school, but it is really far away from our home--about 11 hours the way regular people drive, about 15 hours the way we drive (we seem to stop way too often!!!).    And don't ask about why don't we fly--flying 6 people anywhere is expensive, and this university is located 2 hours from the largest major city, so we have to rent a car, etc, etc.   So, while it is something we will definitely do for him to come home for longer breaks, etc., it is unlikely that the other 6 of us will go out other than to drop him off as a freshman,  and then go back out to his graduation as a senior in 4 years.   I have been told by other parents that this university makes a big deal about having an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for its students because so many of them come from all over the country (at my college, which I love dearly, they locked the doors to the dorms at 6 pm on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving and didn't open them up again until the following Sunday!).  Frankly, I would have wanted to stay at my college for a fun Thanksgiving dinner with all my freshman friends, so as I see it, I may not see my oldest son from the end of August until Christmas break!!!

And so, the push for this blog.   This gives my son a chance to catch up on what he may be missing at home (he will probably not be missing it, I know!), and it also gives me a chance to start talking about all those little things in my life that all these people always say I should start a blog about!!

Which is where the title of this blog comes from--one day, years ago, I was talking to an older friend, Carol,  about how I am always battling the clutter in my house with 5 children, and she told me she went into her uncle's house to clean it up after he had recently died.   Carol's uncle was a little bit of a stockpiler (the name I prefer over hoarder!!), and one of her favorite discoveries was a bag of little pieces of twine and string in an old Stroehmann bread bag.   On the bag, this uncle had written in black marker "Little Bits of of String too small to use."    For some reason, I loved it---this man had saved those little pieces of string because he couldn't bear to part with them in case he, or someone else, ever should need them.   I loved his dedication to that string...little pieces of string that the rest of the world probably would view as worthless.    I thought it was touching.

Hence, this blog, and its name.   What I have to say is probably not much use to the rest of the world, but something which I feel like I should save (these moments of time, so to speak).     Which gets to what I will be talking about.   I imagine that at first I will be blogging about typical stuff--what I did, what I enjoy, and my family.   I am also a big lover of Target, clearance and coupon shopping, true-crime murder shows, Rosie O'Donnell (there, I said it--I am thrilled she is coming back to the View!!) , Zumba,   and sadly, for now, the Philadelphia Phillies (although that love has taken a bit of a backseat these last few years!).  

 As I said, I'm not very good with computers.   I am going to hit the publish button, and I think that will mean I am now a blogger.   I hope you enjoy what I have to say...or my little bits of string!!