I am recovering from surgery and flew my mom from California to help out for a week. The entire time she kept saying how useless she felt. Our kids aren't little anymore- they're almost all teenagers- and they get themselves ready for school in the morning and pick out clothes to wear, and take showers on their own (sometimes after much encouragement). I'm not a single mom, or have a husband that works all hours of the night and day. Some might think I didn't really need my mom to come, but they would be wrong.

Not only did my mom do endless loads of laundry- managing to pair up 80% of the hundreds of our wayward socks- she washed dishes every day, swept and vacuumed floors, attended basketball games and kept me company. Usually my kids have chores to do each day, but while she was here, she assisted them and I heard very little complaining. I was unable to attend my daughter's basketball games, and my youngest's games to watch her cheer, but my mom went and took video and cheered them on. She relieved my husband of extra duties so he could go to work without worrying about me.

And while my mom did all of these household and family tasks, she sat and watched stupid TV with me and talked with me about the news and told me stories from home, and listened to me grunt and groan as I moved around. She got me glasses of water, and helped me put together Valentines for the kids. She made me laugh ( a lot), and I didn't even mind that I had to hold my stomach and take pain pills afterward.

My mom was the best after-surgery helper in the world and we were all sad to see her go home.

Thanks, mom- you are one in a million.

This image was borrowed from Orchard Farm Soaps' Etsy page.

I think I have found my new favorite soap. I love homemade soaps and am always looking for the right fragrance and moisture. Today I think I found it from a local seller. Orchard Farm Soaps are inexpensive, fragrant and leave your skin feeling oh so good. I sound like a commercial, but really, this is the real deal. The bar I bought was Calendula Lemongrass. Orchard grows the calendula themselves on their Moscow, Idaho farm.

Jon and I came upon this soap while at our tiny mall today. WSU is having their Mom's Weekend so the mall was full of local vendors. Orchard had set up a table and had displays of bar soap, lotion bars, soap balls, fragrant spray, lip balm, baby bum balm and other great items. What really solidified my, soon to be, devotion was the way I paid. I didn't have any cash on me and their credit card machine wasn't working so, through the miracle of iPhones, she sent me a Paypal request and I paid her on the spot from my account. Okay, that is pretty cool. Plus, it didn't hurt that she was super nice as well. She may be my new friend, she just doesn't know it yet.

So, what I'm getting at is: buy from her. She has an Etsy shop and everything — Orchard Farm Soaps

I wrote this column for the Arts section and thought it was a lot of fun. Feel free to add more of your life lessons.

Robert Fulghum wrote that all you really need to know in life you learned in kindergarten. He included things like play fair; warm cookies and milk are good for you and share everything. While this poem rings true for most times in a person’s life, it doesn’t cover some of the things students encounter in college, specifically at the University of Idaho. So, to demonstrate the concept here is a new list:

Some of the things you need to know about college and life you can learn at the University of Idaho

·        Warm cookies and milk may be good for you, but they’ll cost you more than $5.00.

·        Fifteen minute parking really means 15 minutes.

·        Elevators, no matter what you may think, are slower than taking the stairs.

·        Bullies aren’t just found in grade school.

·        You don’t think you could possibly make more than 500 copies in a semester and then you do.

·        Throwing away your garbage takes a Ph.D.

·        It’s possible to alienate all your friends and co-workers with social networking sites.

·        Just because some one is legally an adult, doesn’t make them a grown-up.

·        Going to WinCo on Sunday is like trying to part the Red Sea.

·        Women’s centers aren’t just for girls.

·        Drinking copious amounts of caffeine doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay awake during class.

·        When the ad says the apartment is 800 sq. ft., only about 300 of it is livable.

·        Sometimes you wonder why “Animal House” is not considered a documentary.

·        Projects that require you to work in a group don’t always promote good relations.

·        Uggs and leggings are not a fashion statement — they are a necessity.

·    

·        College students couldn’t communicate without their opposable thumbs.

·        You should look both ways before crossing the street, even in a crosswalk.

·        Covering your mouth, washing your hands, using hand sanitizer and staying home when you’re sick   won’t always prevent the spread of illness.

·        It’s okay to miss your mom. 

      Happy cows can come from Idaho, even if they have holes in their sides.

·        Just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it isn’t important to someone else.

·        Paying for classes you don’t attend is a waste of money.

·        College doesn’t really prepare you for real life, real life prepares you for college.

·        No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to get an education.

·        Getting the mail can be the most exciting part of the day.

·        Some textbooks were never meant to be read, they were meant to make someone money.

·        You might need notes from your waitress one day, so make sure you tip.

·        The word ‘orientation’ is a misnomer.

·        Misnomer means giving something a wrong or inappropriate name.

·        You don’t care what a misnomer is.

·        Home-cooked meals are cause for celebration.

·        You’re not as smart as you think you are.

·        Having money left in your wallet at the end of the month is an amazing feat.

  And…

  No matter how hard it gets or how overwhelmed you become, you will get through it.