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| Learning to Breathe |
| 06.28.04 (10:32 pm) [edit] |
Had a ridiculously lovely weekend. On the spur of the moment, we spent the weekend with Doug's parents. We went to a park, a petting zoo, grandma and grandpa M's, ate pizza, caught fireflies, played games and watched Katie entertain us. Katie got to spend some special time with her grandparents and Doug and I got a few hours to ourselves. It was a great time to just sit back and breathe. Granted, the cat yelled at us when we came in "Where have you been!" but after getting his treats he's curled up and snoozy again. There were tons of things we shoulda done this weekend but every once in awhile you have to put the "shouldas" on hold and just breathe. Now I feel recharged and ready to face the slightly-shortened work week. Of course, if I thought I could finagle another day off tomorrow, I would ;) |
| Oldies but Goodies |
| 06.25.04 (9:32 pm) [edit] |
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I'm watching "The Long, Long Trailer" with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. I love old movies like this! I don't know if I could pick a favorite but high on the list is "Arsenic and Old Lace" with Cary (swoon) Grant. What are some of your favorite old movies? The ones that make you stop surfing and settle down in a comfy chair? |
| Insanity is Hereditary |
| 06.24.04 (10:44 pm) [edit] |
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Was going through the usual night-time routine tonight, made more challenging by the toddler declaring "I'm not sleepy" 10 times even though it was already 30 minutes past bedtime, when the phone rang. Doug answered it and with a chuckle in his voice, calls me to the phone. "Your Dad's done something crazy and wants to tell you about it." Hmm. Just how many flips can your heart do when you hear that phrase? Turns out it's not so bad... he's bought himself a new Mustang GT with bits and stuff that mean nothing to me but had that 64 year old giggling like a schoolboy. My questions, in order, were: "what color is it?" "was Mom with you?" "Is she still speaking to you?" The answers were enough to assure me he wouldn't have to sleep in said Mustang tonight. Next thing I hear is "and I'm enrolled in a motorcycle driving school (giggle)." I blinked. What? My Dad has ridden motorcycles all my life, so that's not new but ... he's doing what? "Well", he says, "I was given a free racing weekend with Harley Davidson and they won't let me race until I pass the driving test, so I'm in school." and he giggles again. Now I'm starting to wonder about his sanity. Then came the statement that lets me know I am indeed his daughter. "They told me about the next weekend class and I told them that since I'm a minister, I might be a little busy that day" and he outright laughed. Did you see my "I love to make people do a double-take" comment earlier today? There you go. He went through a phase of wearing a clerical collar (Presbys can do that, they just don't very often). His favorite outfit was a blue shirt, white collar, black leather jacket, and to ride the motorcycle when doing hospital visits. He said watching the valet parking guys eyes bug out was well worth it. But I digress. He explained it all this way... "I'm going to die someday - although I'm in no hurry - and there are simply things I want to do before I go." Well, why not?! Wear your helmet and have a blast, daddy-o. Crazy son-of-a-gun :) |
| Havin a Lil Fun |
| 06.24.04 (10:44 am) [edit] |
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I wish you all could see what I'm wearing to work today. It's a matching top and pants -- oops, now Cyberpal is going to think I'm in my undies -- top and slacks... cottony soft... with a really wild print. I've been asked more than once today if these are my jammies. I just went to the cafeteria for lunch and forgot all about what I was wearing. At first I was a bit thrown off by the odd expression of a guy's face as we passed in the hallway. When I realized it was the blaze of pink, blue, yellow and purple that was addling his brain, I burst out laughing. I do love making people do that double-take... |
| My little love |
| 06.23.04 (12:03 pm) [edit] |
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I thought I'd spend my lunch hour doing something productive, like ... making a slideshow! This is my little love, Kathryn. Most of the pictures are taken via the daycare's webcam and are a bit fuzzy, but the Awww factor is still pretty high :) View my slideshow! |
| The Accent Got me Again |
| 06.22.04 (9:38 pm) [edit] |
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I'm sitting here thinking about what I'll say about my dr.'s appointment earlier today. I've got PBS on in the background and the show is about Scotland. I can't possibly talk about anything serious with all those lovely voices! Ahhhh..... I come by it genetically. (Not my fault, honey!) I've talked before... Edinburgh... ahhh.. where was I... I've talked before about climbing my family tree. My brother asked me long ago which are we, Scottish or Irish? I found the answer - we are the Melting Pot :) Scottish, Irish, Welsh (hi Andy!), English, German, a touch of Cherokee - but mostly American. I say that because on all my main lines (except one who stubbornly refuses to let me advance past 1849) have been in Pennsylvania or Virginia since the mid 1700s. To our UK friends that's like yesterday, but for this side of the pond that's ancient. I can't imagine the fortitude it took to travel the ocean in those tiny boats (I'm reluctant to fly across it in a matter of hours, but sail it for weeks?). To leave the shelter of the established towns along the coast and continually press inward into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, cutting trails, building homes, farming difficult land, -- National Library of Scotland - covet covet - LOOK AT ALL THAT GENEALOGY DATA -- where was I? Any way, I complain if our air conditioning is out or having to deal with only one vehicle while the other is in the shop, etc. Immersing myself in the history of my family gives me strength and perspective that these issues really aren't quite so big as I might first think :) That said, I'm so grateful for modern day medicine. I started Zoloft today in hopes of regaining some control of my head. As I stood in front of my closet this morning struggling to decide what to wear, feeling that none of it mattered, and frustrated that it was taking me TEN MINUTES I realized - as long as it's not buckskin - stinky and full of fleas - anything would do. I pulled out an outfit and got on with it. I don't know where that inner strength keeps coming from - the well should've run dry years ago - but I'm thankful for it. Maybe it started 300 years ago on some rocky islands in Western Europe ... |
| Like my Kitty? |
| 06.22.04 (8:55 am) [edit] |
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I added "Genie" the kitten - isn't she cute? I love how she bats at the cursor. I'm also glad she doesn't leave hairballs like my cat, Toby. Click the bunnyhero labs link to select your own pet! |
| Random Acts of Kindness |
| 06.21.04 (8:11 am) [edit] |
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Ever have one of those moments where a perfect stranger did something especially nice for you and it really made an impact? One day (20+ year ago, oy) I was sitting in the student union waiting for my ride. I'd had a rough day and was slouched down in the chair, eyes full of tears, hoping nobody would notice. Someone came up, hugged my shoulders and said "Don't you worry, it will get better" and walked off. It gave my spirits a real lift when I really needed it. |
| Good Grief, Charlie Brown |
| 06.19.04 (11:30 pm) [edit] |
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Why didn't anyone tell me my blog looked like the wedding in Steel Magnolias? Like somebody threw up Pepto Bismol? Ugh... I went back to my old computer so I could actually see what's going on. Sorry about the plethora of pinks! |
| Yard Sale! |
| 06.19.04 (9:43 am) [edit] |
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Here it is, a Saturday in the summer months - yard sale heaven! What is it that is so compelling about yard sales... the potential bargains? The chance to legally poke through someone else's stuff? Ebay is fun in a similar way (and is the only option during the colder months) but there's something about driving up a street and nearly causing an accident because of the sudden braking and U-turns to get a sale in a "good" neighborhood :) Any other yard sale junkies? |
| Yay for New Toys! |
| 06.18.04 (12:27 am) [edit] |
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I went to Microcenter at lunch today - just to look and touch laptops. I've been wanting a new one ever since my old one broke 2-3 years ago but couldn't mentally justify it. Well, I've been drooling a lot lately and decided to mosey through the laptop section and see which keyboards I like, etc. Guess what happened next? I'm presently typing on my new Toshiba M35-S320 and I love it. The screen is gorgeous and it's SO fast compared to my diplapitated homegrown-duct-tape-and-b aling-wire desktop. It's wireless so I can (and do) roam around the house. But that's not the best part, nosiree. The BEST part is that after mail-in rebates, various discounts and a suspected typo by the cashier that rang me out, it's going to cost less than $1100. Woo hoo! That's about $650 off list price. So, see? It was my Density to buy it today. (I love that line from Back to the Future.. Be my density...) When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping!! |
| Ugliest Bridesmaid Dress? |
| 06.15.04 (9:38 pm) [edit] |
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Enough serious stuff for awhile! Aliciarose's http://aliciarose.tblog.com recent pictures got me thinking ... what's the ugliest dress you've ever had to wear - for a wedding, prom, or whatever? What did you do with it afterwards? I'll add my story. If there were contests for ugliest wedding, I think my ex-sister-in-law would have won. Everything was red, white and black. That alone isn't so bad, it could have been very tasteful and elegant… but Noooooo. Here's the ensemble that 7 attendants were obliged to wear: A haircomb covered in red, white, and black silk flowers - about 6"x4" (HUGE) A tea-length dress made of... of… words fail me. Imagine a red shimmery fabric with 1-2" blotches of white with black "stems"… all over. It's either popcorn, cotton plants, or exploding sheep. I'm going with exploding sheep. Black shoes (finally, something I can reuse) And if that didn't grab your attention enough, we carried bouquets of the same flowers as the hairpieces. When we lined up for the pictures it all blended together into a mass of muck. You can't tell the heads from the dresses from the flowers, it all swirled together. What did I do with it? I kept it. I figured no one would ever believe me if I didn't it. It's still in a closet and I pull it out once in awhile and get a good chuckle. |
| Quiz Time - Depression |
| 06.15.04 (9:42 am) [edit] |
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Not much funny down this road, but since we're talking about it lately, here are some tests re: depression Short 12 question test: http://www.lessons4living.com/depression_test2.htm" title="http://www.lessons4living.com/depression_test2.htm" target="_blank"http://www.lessons4living.com... Longer, more involved test that also looks into anxiety: http://www.depressioncenter.net/depressiontest" title="http://www.depressioncenter.net/depressiontest" target="_blank"http://www.depressioncenter.n... There, wasn't that fun? I've just called to set up an appointment with my doctor. I think 3 months is enough of trying to handle it on my own... |
| On a positive note... |
| 06.14.04 (10:01 pm) [edit] |
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For my daughter's 3rd birthday (a month ago), I got her a new swingset. It was delivered and set up today so I rushed home from work to see her face when she saw it for the first time. One of the swings is called "Adult-Child Lawn Seat". I don't know of any adult's behind that would actually fit onto it, but it's a fabric covered 2-seater with a canopy. It's red, so hereafter it's called the red swing. Katie made a beeline for the red swing and made frequent visits back to it throughout the evening. She soon figured out that if she laid down and draped her legs over the side and closed her eyes, it was like flying. I pushed her for about 30 minutes, her eyes closed, wispy blonde hair blowing in the breeze, and a look of absolute rapture on her face. I had a flashback to a few years ago when she was in an infant swing with much the same look on her face. She was so very tiny then, compared to the grown up girl I see now. Happy sigh. My mood took a marked swing for the positive this afternoon. My friend Andrew called me - he's from Wales but is in Sweden for a few days - just to say hi. It cheered me up immensely - not only was my friend thinking about me, but cmon.. that accent would melt stone :) A few minutes later the phone rang again - this time, our friend Jaan from Finland (also in Sweden) and also with a spiffy accent. Now - how could a gal possibly have a bad day after THAT!?!?! Unfortunately I had a meeting a few minutes later and spent most of the time beaming foolishly and saying things like "uuuuhhhh teehee! wooo.. yummm.. ahhhhh". Last but not at all least thought for today - a very happy birthday to Antal! He's in the Netherlands and could use a few well wishes sent his way :) (who wouldn't?!) |
| Rainy Days and Sundays Always Get Me Down |
| 06.13.04 (10:41 pm) [edit] |
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Nothing particularly earth-shattering happened, it was just one of those days where I wanted to stay in bed and mope. Unfortunately I was awakened at 6:24 by a whack on the back TIME TO GET UP, MAMA, CLOCK SAYS 6! I felt sad when I woke up and those little daily tribulations seemed 10 times heavier than usual. I crawled into bed after church, leaving Mom to take care of Katie for a couple of hours while I napped and tried to restore some energy. Thank goodness Mom was there. Every time I have a blue day, the undercurrent fear is that it's going to be "permanent". I've had my bouts with depression - horrible massive lows that took months to dig out from. It doesn't matter that it was 6 years ago, I still fear that it will come back. I don't have much more to say about it now, only that I hope tomorrow will be a stronger day. |
| GOOD for her! |
| 06.11.04 (9:31 am) [edit] |
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Teacher Suspended for washing child's mouth with soap http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/No... I pray she's reinstated quickly. I'm tired of kids having more power than the teachers. Maybe I'm prejudiced because my mom is a retired teacher. In the last 15 years of her career it was the unruly, violent children who had the control. Mom's shins were bloody from one boy and when she put her hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down, he told his mother and she came in and complained ... and the principal admonished my mom! She resigned within a year or two - to have no ability to defend yourself and to not have the backing of the principal was just too much. Ironically, the teacher in the news story was trying to keep the boy from getting another suspension and SHE wound up "suspended". What's THAT about. |
| Brother and Bother - only differ by an R |
| 06.09.04 (10:52 pm) [edit] |
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I used to call my brother "my bother" - he's 7 years younger and IS one. Now that he's a minister, I feel I owe him slightly more respect - but it's hard to when you know he's the one that nearly set the house on fire, that cut his hair to look like Kevin Bacon in Footloose, etc. For my daughter's birthday, Rob's gift was rather simple. A pad of paper and a few tubs of fingerpaint. It's the best $5 he ever spent of his life. Some background notes for the picture. My mother is a clean FREAK and there was paint EVERYWHERE Katie was gleefully raising her hands as high as she could then letting out a yell as she SPLATTED her hands onto the paper (counter, whatever). I didn't know whether to watch Rob (who was laughing his butt off), Katie (who was nearly maniacal) or my mom, hemorraging in the corner. As you can see from the pic, I enjoyed watching Rob most of all. It took the painting THREE DAYS to dry thoroughly, the paint was so thick! I learned later that Mom bought a frame and framed the picture. It's hanging in Dad's office now. It was a GREAT memory! Thanks, bro! (we'll paint at YOUR house next) |
| Dads and Books |
| 06.07.04 (10:53 pm) [edit] |
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I mentioned before that I loved to read mysteries when I was a kid. I loved reading ... and reading ... and reading. It was one thing to go to the library and check out books, but to actually own a book - that was special. We didn't have much money. As my Dad says about his own childhood "I didn't know I was poor until somebody told me" - it was just the way things were. Clothing usually came from cousins and a favorite place for books was Goodwill. I'd save my coins and eagerly await the next trip to the store, hoping someone would have brought in a "new" book. Even if they were old and tattered when I got them, they were mine and they were precious. They were also all over my room! My dad decided to build me a bookcase. It's quite simple - 8 boards and a piece of backing - but I love that bookcase. I've moved a dozen times in the past 20 years and I always find a place for it. It was just the right size for my Nancy Drews, then paperbacks, now VHS and DVDs. Dad's embarassed by it, I think. He says he never meant for it to last this long or he would've made it better (you have to wedge something under it and lean it against the wall so it doesn't topple over on you) but I love it. It has simplicity, it has charm - and it's from my dad. How sweet is that? My parents live a few hours away. We see each other every month or so but they really don't get to be a part of our day-to-day life. I was looking for a way they could be more "present" for Katie. I found a picture of a bookcase and fell in love with it. It's in the shape of a house with lots of oddly shaped compartments. I wanted one for Katie's room so badly, but couldn't afford it. I showed it to my Mom and she got really excited - seems "Grandfadder" was hoping to do something special, too. He designed it and built it entirely himself. It's gorgeous and should last for years to come. The coincidence didn't escape me that now she, too, has a bookcase made by the same man, especially JUST for her, and made with absolute love. Thinking back on it... I think it's a tribute to my Mom and Dad that even when we had virtually nothing, there was always an emphasis on expanding your mind. Experiencing something new, even if only through pages of a book. I'm so grateful they stirred that love inside me. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to finish the book I'm reading before I go to bed. Night! |
| Happy Nev Year! |
| 06.06.04 (7:33 pm) [edit] |
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A little out of season, but DaisyMae and Jenns's recent road trip reminded me of a little story... January 1998 - my pal Judy and I decided to take a road trip to West Virginia just after New Years (no alcohol was involved). She'd just left her husband and I was about to leave mine (#2 if you're keeping score) and we thought we'd take a little R'n'R. We wound up in White Sulphur Springs for the day. She cajoled me into going to the Greenbrier. Now.. I'm from WV and am in awe of who all has been there and what all is rumored to have taken place below ground. I also could tell by the swanky vehicles in the parking lot that we were WAY out of our league. She convinced me that EVERYone was allowed into the gift shop and we should get some sort of souvenier. So in we go, me cringing all the way. I am absolutely terrified that I'm going to bump into a display, knock it over, owe millions and get thrown out. She's sauntering around like she owns the place. Finally she asks me what's on my mind. On my mind? I'm standing here in 79 cent underwear from Kmart next to a woman in a cajillion dollar fur coat with a diamond on her hand so huge it's obscenely ugly. What's on my mind? Get me the HELL out of here! Finally, we left so I could start breathing again. On our way back to the car, we walked into the "garden" where they had a big ice sculpture - each letter was about 2-3 feet high spelling out HAPPY NEW YEAR. She posed for a picture, then my turn. Remember all the terror I felt in the gift shop? That was NOTHING. I stand between the W and the Y, and barely.. teensy weensy tiny bit.. touch the W. Crrrraaaackkkkk... CRASH! The lovely sculpture no longer says Happy NeW Year, it says Happy NEV Year! We fled. I've never been back. The aftermath: |
| What's your Heart Really Made of? |
| 06.05.04 (6:32 pm) [edit] |
I thought this was cute - but now the Neil Young song is stuck in my head. Oh well, could be worse - could be the Wiggles "Fruit Salad"... oh DAMN... now I've done it. Heart of Gold What is Your Heart REALLY Made of? brought to you by Quizilla |
| Favorite Stories from Childhood |
| 06.05.04 (4:22 pm) [edit] |
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What were some of your favorite books or stories? Last night, I was talking with a neighbor -age 8- who asked me this question. It's hard for me to choose a favorite, though I loved Louisa Mae Alcott's "Little Women", "Little Men", "Jo's Boys", and "Eight Cousins". I realized, when searching for names for my daughter a few years ago, that all my favorites were characters from these books! My biggest addiction? Mysteries - Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were favorites. I still have all my Nancy Drews. Some were old when I got them, umpteen ages ago. I recently read for the first time "A Wrinkle in Time" by L'Engle. Oh my gosh, I couldn't put it down, reading well into the night even though I had to get up at 6 the next morning. I hopped on Amazon the next day and ordered the rest of the set, I really enjoyed it! What were some of your favorites? |
| BB Butt |
| 06.03.04 (9:25 pm) [edit] |
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I'm wrapping up my day at work - getting ready to zip home, grab dinner and the baby and head up to my friend Judy's house - when my phone rings. "Sheryl?" "Yes?"' "This is Jude." (Uh oh). Something told me she was about to say a phrase you don't hear very often. One time it was "my dog's eye just popped out" another it was "Aaron lost a toe"... I was not disappointed. " Matthew just got shot in the butt with a bb gun. " First I asked if anything vital had been hit, and after she said no... THEN I laughed. I couldn't help myself, the idea was so silly. The bb apparently went in right where the butt cheek meets the thigh. After a few x-rays and several hours at the dr's they decided to leave it in there rather than cut through the muscle and hope it works its way out. So now he is BB Butt, or B-cubed for short. Her oldest now has "shrapnel" in his behind, the youngest son only has 9 toes, the middle one has survived thus far but has to be nervous, and her poor pug's eyeball looks like it's about to go any day. It's a very interesting place to visit :) Just don't be standing behind Matthew when he farts - never know when that bb is gonna come flying out. In a nice twist of procrastination - Matthew graduated from high school last week and I hadn't mailed his card yet. So tonight I slipped some $$ in and signed it "good luck with your butt!". I also found a spare copy of a book I've been hanging on to for just the right moment "The Day My Butt Went Psycho". They stopped by the house on their way home from the dr's so I had the pleasure of watching his face when he opened it. Maybe the long day of people staring and moving his body around had worn him down, but the usually sullen teenager cracked up, said we were both nuts, and looked genuinely thankful. He even spoke! Tis been an oddly satisfying day! |
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