Long Hollow

Five Things from La-La Land

Linking with A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday 

 

1. 

 

This card, full of words of love and encouragement and inspiration, waited for me in the mailbox earlier this week, a precious gift from my friend Rae. 

How could I not share them with you, because the words are true for all of us, aren't they? Take a minute to read them and believe them. You are very special.

Thank you again, sweet Rae!

 

2.

In a previous life, Jeannie was my kids' high school Spanish teacher. A few years ago she retired to follow her dream of becoming a missionary in Honduras through SAMSUSA.org.

I subscribe to her newsletters and in today's I found this note that made me really stop and think. I thought it was worth sharing with you, too...

 

Dear Mission Partners,

I’ve been thinking a lot about what we pray for. I hear so many people resolve their problems and say, Oh, if God would just.....let me pass the exam, give me the dream job I want.... everything would be good and I could handle it from there. We want Him to hand our desires to us and back off. We want the control back. We think we know what’s best for us. When he doesn’t answer our prayer we feel abandoned. God doesn’t care.

We often never consider that He has other plans for us, probably much better plans that we have concocted to solve our problems and make us happy. Usually he makes us wait for His plans and the waiting is very hard when we see our solution just within our grasp. The solution is so obvious! Why won’t He just give it to us?

His plans are so much more comprehensive than our solutions. We don’t see His huge map. Like Sara with Abraham, we tire of waiting and substitute our plans for His. But the true solution is His. What we have done in the meantime may only complicate things.

I’m pretty clear on what I want. I work toward it and pray I am in line with what He wants. But I am praying that His Will, not mine, be done. I am praying to be obedient. Because I know He’s in control. And I have found his plans to be much better than mine. For His Sake,

Jeannie 

Jeannie does amazing work there with the poverty-stricken, transporting children to doctor's visits, among tons of other things. If you're interested in donating to support her mission, send me an email and I'll send you hers.

 

3.

"If you're lost and alone...or you're sinking like a stone...carry on.
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on."

~ Fun

Speaking of inspiring and energizing things, Fun. was on the Today Show this morning. This song has been in my head all day. (I'm not complaining!)

 

 

4.

It rained all day today, and I didn't mind a bit because I had no where to go. That's one of the good things about not having a real job beyond writing and a fledgling photography company. (The bad thing about it is the lack of a paycheck, of course.)

Anyway, rain makes me pensive, so I flipped through a few of the journals where I noted details of our lives for about twenty-five years. 

There were some tough times, I'll tell you, but one thing I noticed was how I always ended with a positive note...using words like 'faith' and 'prayer' and 'blessings'. I remember some of those times vividly, the ache and the worry and the fogginess of the road ahead of us.

I love seeing it from this perspective, how the paths opened up and the sun came out again. I was reminded again that God has a plan, that he's got our backs, which is a helpful reminder right now when the road ahead has gone all foggy again.

Tom says I live in La-La Land, where there's always a silver lining and everything is hunky-dory. He says it like it's a bad thing.

But if we've prayed for God's guidance and truly trust him, how can we not think everything is hunky-dory, even if we can't see it from where we're standing at the moment?

 

 

5.

The proof of that hit home when I read through my notes written during my oldest son's heartwrenching high school years...and compare them to the joy and love I see on his face in the short video below of The. Most. Beautiful. Wedding. Ever. Amen. by amazing videographer Adam Grumbo. (I can't wait for the full video!) 

My prayers of so long ago have been answered. My mother-tears were not in vain.

(It takes a minute to buffer, so take my advice -  go grab a tissue while it loads...)

 

Five - ish Things on Friday

 

1. Today is my friend Debbie's birthday. I couldn't find the photo I wanted to post, the one of us dressed up like beauty queens, acting silly in her bedroom back in 1973. I've turned my house upside down and still can't find that photo anywhere! I used to be so organized...

That summer I was at Debbie's house more than my own. She lived right around the corner. We'd spend hours listening to her "Bread" album, watching and re-enacting "Ultraman" episodes, and talking on the phone to everyone we knew. Oh, those were the days.

Now forty years later, we're still friends. Even though there have been spaces in our friendship, this past year when my parents were having such a rough time, Debbie let me know she was there to pick up groceries or run them to the doctor or whatever they needed. Her mother volunteered, too. They both still live right around the corner. What peace of mind it gave me to know she was just a phone call from me and a few minutes from my parents. 

Friends like Debbie are such a blessing, so even though her card will be late (sigh) and I can't find that photo, I'm wishing her a beautiful birthday and a year full of her own blessings. She deserves them.

 

And I'll post this photo, probably taken at her birthday party forty years ago. That's her on the back row in the dark pink shirt. I'm the one with my chin in my hand.

I'm blessed to still be friends with almost all of those kids, and in my mind, that's still what they look like. 

 

2. I'm reading The Hunger Games series right now. It's a real page-turner...I'm already into the second book of the trilogy and that usually takes me months, not weeks. In fact, it's all I can do not to just blow off this post, settle on the couch, and read! 

But there's a see-saw love triangle that's driving me crazy. I'm sure there's a point, but it's making the story drag for me. Have you read it? Did you feel that way or is it just me?

 

 

3. I've been blogging for almost 5 years now! That's hard for me to believe. Along the way I've met so many fantastic writers and photographers, and made lasting friendships with people I've never even met in person. (Yes, that's possible!)

In general, bloggers are thoughtful, supportive, and generous, and I have two great examples: 

~Through a recent Valentine's Day Blog Hop, I met Vicki at LoNg OvErduE/BooK ReNewaL. She hosted a giveaway in honor of Valentine's Day and I actually won!  This beautiful Shappy Fabric pin she made from denim and silk arrived in my mail box early this week. (Did I mention most bloggers - except for me - are creative and talented, too?)

 

 

~Knowing I'm a wanna be drummer, my friend Bill ("A Few Clowns Short") sent me a link to a funny video: Mr. Bean playing the drums. It's hilarious!

~Thanks to another blogger/writer friend, Walker (A Woman's Page), I'm privileged to be a member of GenFab, a group "...for bloggers of a certain age looking for support, encouragement, information, blogging tips, and community." Many of these women have intimidating credentials and accomplishments, but on our Facebook page, we're all just "women of a certain age" who aren't finished yet, eager to help each other on our journeys. 

4. I watched two awesome movies this week, in the name of education. "A Man For All Seasons", about the struggle between Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII which resulted in More's execution, won the 1966 Academy Award for Best Movie. It's so inspiring, learning about this man who stayed true to his conscience, even to death, and in these days of political corruption and rubbery conviction, I think it should be required viewing for all politicians.

The second movie was "Something the Lord Made", an HBO movie starring Mos Def and Alan Rickman about Vivien Thomas, a black man without a degree who partnered with a white doctor to invent bypass surgery, but didn't get credit for his work until years later. It's a very uplifting, inspiring movie as well. 

The students had to pay attention to characterization and conflict and all of that literary stuff while they watched, and even turn in a paper at the end, but I was pretty much able to just sit and enjoy the movies and get paid for it! I love being a substitute teacher!

5. Besides the funny drum video I mentioned in #3, two other friends (one of them a blogger!) sent me priceless videos this week. One will get its own post tomorrow, but I'll share the other here.

This will be me in thirty years, God willing. Be sure you watch it till the end. I dare you not to dance while you're watching! 

                                                

 

 So kids, the lesson for today is...

Don't stop dancing as long as the music is playing.

~me

*********************************

Linking up with

A Little Sister, a Shower, and a Salt Lick

I taught her how to drive a stick-shift - she caught on fast, much faster than my kids years later - and when her brother broke up with me, she wrote me poems to soothe my broken heart. She was barely a teenager back then, two years younger than me, and so in our split-high-school district, we never even attended the same school, so our lives went separate ways.

But score another one for Facebook! We recently reconnected. So when she came to Austin to visit her daughter this weekend, we made plans to meet up again for the first time in decades.

In a cool little restaurant within walking distance of her daughter's apartment (Fabi and Rosi) we sped through the years over wine and yummy food. The hours went way too fast. 

It meant missing a writing contest deadline and getting up at 5 a.m. yesterday morning to get my part of my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower ready, but it was totally worth it. Those are the moments that make life sweet!, and you have to grab them while you can.

Here are a few more sweet! moments from the past week...

 

 

Monday: writing before work; realizing you can still work geometry problems; a roaring wind on a sunny day; getting hooked by a good book

Tuesday: soft birdsong on your morning walk; a friend calling you with a job tip; your son's wedding invitation waiting for you in the mail; playing your drums after work

Wednesday: a puppy waiting patiently and hopefully outside the door for you to step outside and cuddle with her; devoting time to your book two days in a row; a long overdue hair cut and re-blonding; quick hugs from your daughter; remembering to pay some bills before they're late

 

 

Thursday: friends who make adorable favors for your future daughter-in-law's bridal shower; clearance racks; your husband still awake to help carry groceries into the house and help put them away at 10:30 pm

Friday: time to run before work; a refresher course in World Geography; starting the second book in the Hunger Games series, while getting paid; catching-up decades over dinner with an old boyfriend's little sister; experiencing another eclectic Austin restaurant

 

 

Saturday: a bridal shower for your future daughter-in-law; a Saturday night at the Salt Lick with your kids and great friends

 

 

Sunday: sleeping in and going to late Mass; the stories on CBS Sunday Morning

 

I don't watch much television, but CBS Sunday Morning is one show I try not to miss. This morning they featured the story of El Paso student Mitchell Marcus. Perhaps you've already heard it, but if you haven't, do yourself a favor and watch this video till the end. 

I hope you have a week filled with sweet! moments...and may we all be like this high school student and make life sweet! for someone else.

My Pencils are Sharp Enough

 

I slept a full eight hours last night. And I cleaned my bathroom this afternoon. Two things I haven't done in a long, long time. That's about all I've accomplished today, but I'm okay with it. It's my day off and I've relished it.

Middle son, Daniel, is home for the weekend, mostly because it was time for him to do laundry again, but I think he also enjoys the break from the city and helping his dad with projects around the house. 

He's picking up pizza right now. After we eat, he'll be heading back home. Well, to his other home. I feel I didn't get to see him very much on this visit. The weekends go by so fast when you only get one day off. But I'm grateful for all the days I've been able to work lately while waiting for that Perfect Job to show up and sweep me off my feet.

I've let my writing motivation slip a little - it seems to be proportional to the amount of free time I have. For some reason it takes me so long just to get started that unless I have a big chunk of time, I make no real progress. I just keep reinventing the wheel. I've got to learn to jump right in and get moving no matter how little time I have. 

As Ze Frank says below, I need to realize my pencils are sharp enough and just start writing.

 

 

 

Discovering Ze Frank on my friend Walker's blog was sweet! Here are a few other sweet! moments from the past week...

Monday: getting paid to watch wonderful National Geographic videos; a whiff of wild onions in the woods; 80 degree temps in February; discovering The Louise Log

Tuesday: a cardinal singing to you and posing for a few photos; your puppy's overflowing joy at your return from work; your mom's recent bloodwork and health screenings revealing no major issues

 

Wednesday: an email from a friend letting you know you received two Posts of the Week from Hilary at The Smitten Image; getting two Posts of the Week from Hilary!; the gift of rain in a drought

Thursday: seeing your future daughter-in-law in her wedding dress; visiting eclectic Austin shops with your daughter; not getting stuck in traffic; crying over mother/son dance songs and finally finding the perfect one

Friday: that first sip of coffee in the morning; discovering someone you've known for a long time attended your elementary school at the same time you did; an afternoon walk with your goofy puppies; plump robins; working on your book

Saturday: fitting in a work-out before, um, work; warm February afternoons; hamburgers fresh off the grill; a sweet love story movie with your husband and son, instead of the usual shoot-em-up; another episode of old Dark Shadows with your son

Sunday: eight hours of sleep; coffee on the back porch; visiting with friends after church; a clean bathroom; veggie pizza

 

What were some of your sweet! moments this week?

I'm planning on watching the Academy Awards tonight. Are you? 

I haven't watched them in years, but tonight I'm going to settle on the couch with some popcorn and see all the good movies I've missed. I'm rooting for Silver Linings Playbook, but that's because it's the only one I've seen. Who/what are you rooting for?

Even if your favorite movie doesn't win, I hope you have a week overflowing in sweet!

 

Five Things on Friday

 

 

1. Our property is dotted with small iron crosses, marking the resting places of so many precious furry or feathered or scaly loved ones we've been blessed to know. I miss them all. The one above is Charly's and Frankie's.

 

2. I will never get rich monetarily through my blog, but the friendships I've formed because of it are priceless. I've met so many supportive, encouraging, talented friends, and two of them have recently published books. I didn't hesitate to buy them because they are both wonderful, evocative writers, and I feel confident touting them here even though I haven't had time to read either one.  

Love Always Wags Its Tail, by Kathy H. Porter, is a collection of short essays about the dogs in her life. Wolf Pascoe shares what it's like being an anesthesiologist in Breathing for Two.

Follow the links to their blogs and you'll find information about the books. (I received no monetary compensation for these shout-outs - only friendship and support for my own writing.)

 

3. The next time you go out to eat and the place is packed and you start to get irritated because you feel your waiter is ignoring you, please take a deep breath, realize you are not the only customer in the place and that he/she can only do so much at one time, and please, please, please remember your manners. Thank you.

(Oh. And if the website suggests reservations, either make a reservation or don't get upset if you can't be seated. Especially if you're bringing 7 of your friends.) 

 

4. Back at the beginning of January, I decided I would start getting up at 4:30 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. so I would have time to work out and/or write before heading to work, if someone happened to call me out. (That's the life of a substitute teacher - you have to be flexible!)

Well, I finally did it. Once. This week. Yay, me!

 

5. For the past week or so, I've spent hours tormenting myself, listening to one You Tube video after another of potential songs for the mother/son dance at the upcoming wedding.

I just sat here at my computer and cried and cried. It was beautiful agony, I tell you, reliving those mom memories. But here's one that made me laugh, even though I wouldn't do this myself..

(Actually, that theme from the Ninja Turtles brings back so many memories, I almost started crying in this one, too!)

 

Nancy at A Rural Journal inspired me to start my Five Things on Friday, although I mutilated her better-alliterated version, 5 Facts Friday, so I encourage you to read hers and add your own if you're so inclined! And I remembered Mrs. 4444 has a regular Friday Fragments hop, so I'll be linking up there, too. It's a great way to tie up all those loose ends from the week!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Why I Love "The Hobbit"

 

 

He was five, snuggled up close beside me on the loveseat for our ritual bedtime story, sucking his thumb.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "There aren't any pictures in this book. Just a lot of words."

He nodded, so I opened the worn paperback and began reading...

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

Every night I'd quiz him on what we had read the time before, worried he was too young to understand, but he always knew every answer and wanted to continue.  Middle Earth had come alive for him, so night after night, chapter by chapter, we journeyed through it together. 

It was my second, maybe third, visit. My brother had introduced me to Tolkien and his hobbits almost two decades earlier and I became obsessed, buying ceramic statues of Bilbo and Gandalf, pewter wizards, and tiny castles. I had dragon bookends and calendars depicting beautiful Middle Earth-inspired artwork. I embraced my nerdiness.

It was the artwork that hooked my young son. He wanted to learn more about that beautiful, adventurous world.

I traveled there again with my younger two, and many years later we watched the Lord of the Rings movies together. So when I heard about The Hobbit movie, I crossed my fingers they would all agree to see it with me, once again journeying together into Middle Earth.

And they did. This past Sunday evening, my Christmas wish came true.

 

 

But sitting in that theater I got much more than my Christmas wish. Watching the movie, I was reminded of why I became a Tolkien nerd so many years ago and still want to share it with my kids.

There's the obvious...the adventure, the magic, the intricate world he draws us into. His genius still amazes me.

There's the theme of good versus evil...with good victorious, of course. And the characters, who forge friendships by focusing on commonalities rather than differences, a great lesson for all of us.

There's Bilbo's story itself, how he ventures out of his comfort zone and discovers strengths he never knew he possessed. Now I can identify with Bilbo even more. Like me, he is middle-aged, settled, comfortable, and doesn't believe there is anything special about himself ... but he sets out on an adventure anyway.

He sticks with it even when others doubt him, determined to help the dwarves even though he doesn't really know them. Compassion is the key to his bravery and loyalty. As Gandalf says...

  “I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.” 

When you boil it all down, the elves and the magic and the battles between good and evil, that single message is what you're left with. It's the reason I love The Hobbit, and why I wanted my kids to know it and love it, too. Because even the smallest of us, the seemingly least remarkable, is capable of kindness and love to one another. And I do believe that is the greatest power of all.

 

 

 

Taking a quick break to share this with you...

I'm writing. For the second day in a row!

Actually making a little progress, too, once I managed to ignore the voices inside my head who kept telling me to give it up, just quit, that it wasn't any good.

After staring at the screen and out the window and at the screen again, I finally said "Who cares?" and started typing. 

(Those first words after a few days away from my book are always the toughest. I need to stop staying away for days at a time.)

As if the voices weren't distraction enough, for some reason, I keep finding myself scrolling around on Facebook, but it's not toally a bad thing, because I came across the video below that a friend posted. (Thank you, Gina!)

It made me laugh so hard I just had to share it here with you. Ah, the memories.

And now back to my book...

(No, really. I mean it!)

(Well, maybe I'll watch it one more time.)

 

 

Dark Shadows of the Soul (and Popcorn for Dinner Twice in One Week!)

Ah, Barnabas.

Almost every day, circa 1969-1970, I rushed home from school and plopped down in front of the TV, just in time to see what you and the rest of the cursed Collins family was up against in the next episode of Dark Shadows. Daddy joined me as often as his shift schedule allowed. We'd sit on the edge of our seats, grateful the sun was shining outside to counter the dark suspense on the screen.

I lost track of you after you scared me half to death in House of Dark Shadows. Perhaps it was a mistake on my part to sit on the very first row of the theater during a movie consisting mostly of blood. (Maybe there was more to the movie, such as plot and dialogue, but blood - lots and lots of blood - is all I remember, flowing right after the very beginning when a little boy follows his ball down into a crypt.) But those were the only seats left for me and my five friends.

The series was in black and white, the movie in full living (and dying... get it?) color. Just too much for my 11ish-year-old self.

But last weekend I gave you another chance and you won me back. 

Giving in to the eleven-year-old inside of me, I decided to ignore to-do lists last Sunday and go see the new Dark Shadows movie. I can't resist a Johnny Depp movie and I had already been clued that it was more funny than scary. Sure, I'm 53 now, but I like scary movies even less than I did when I was eleven. (No way was I going to traumatize myself again for you, Barnabas!)

TG and Daniel tagged along with me. Daniel had watched a few of the old episodes with me via Netflix, and enjoyed them, but TG knew nothing about it at all.

I don't care if it got a Rotten Tomato award or not... I absolutely loved it! And I think my kids enjoyed it just as much as I did. 

It made me laugh out loud, paying homage to the darkness and original story of the television series with tongue firmly in cheek. And it stayed true to the campy '70s era... macrame, hippies and hitchhikers, and even Alice Cooper has a cameo.

There's some blood, alas, but I guess you have to expect a little in a vampire movie. Johnny Depp was so good in it, I forgave him those scenes. Michelle Pfeiffer was great, too.

If you enjoyed the series as much as I did, I think you'll like it. 

Continuing the "Dark Shadows of the Soul" theme, later in the week I jumped at the chance to watch the new Jack Black movie "Bernie."  For one thing, it meant I got to have popcorn for dinner twice in one week!

"Bernie" tells the true story of Bernie Tiede, a mortician in Carthage, Texas in the late '90s who befriends an unpopular, mean and stingy rich widow, kills her, and covers it up while spending her money to help the townspeople.

Everyone absolutely adores Bernie, because he's so caring and generous, so when the murder is finally discovered, the townspeople defend him. It gets so bad that the DA (gorgeous Matthew) succeeds in getting the trial moved to another small town, just to keep it fair. 

Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine are fantastic. And despite the dark subject, it's hilarious. I watched it with a native of Carthage... her regular hoots of laughter testified to the accurate portrayals of East Texans. 

I believe this one has a limited distribution - we saw it at the local 'artsy' theater - but if it comes around near you, I recommend it, too. 

Now I'm craving popcorn again... any movies you've seen lately you'd recommend?

 

What Electrifies You?

Author Gayle Brandeis posed that question on SheWrites last month. “What electrifies you? What gets your heart pumping? What takes your breath away? What makes the hair on your arms stand up on end?”

I answered...

Dancing, which I do as often as possible, even to the extent that I missed talking to a lot of people at my high school reunion because I couldn't leave the dance floor. Also playing my drums. I'm not any good. It will never make me any money so no matter how hard I try I can't justify the time I spend on them, but I play anyway, because playing them makes me feel alive. (But only when no one's around. Unless I've had a few drinks.)

And guess what? My answer was the Grand Prize Winner! What a sweet surprise when I saw my name in a SheWrites newsletter yesterday, especially since I had totally forgotten about it. I won a copy of Brandeis' The Book of Live Wires, along with a copy of her Bellwether-Prize winning novel, The Book of Dead Birds.

Yay! Books electrify me, too! (Also winning Grand Prizes and getting things for free!)

Something else that electrifies me is seeing my friends follow their dreams... and trying to help them along the way. Here are a couple who inspire me...

 

Walking the Walk

When I first met Jimmie Jackson, he was a tow-headed golf-loving teenager, rarely speaking up in the Confirmation class I taught. Now he's all grown up with a degree in Electronic Media, living in Nashville, and preparing for the experience of a lifetime: a solo 2,178 mile long journey along the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine.

Only Jimmie isn't just walking it... he's going to film a documentary as he goes, focusing on the spiritual aspect of the walk as much as the physical. "Why do people hike? What is the connection between being outdoors and leading a spiritual life?" He hopes to find the answers to those questions along the way.

Go to his website, Walking the Walk.org to find out more, and please consider making a small donation to help him see this dream come true. He really is a sweet kid (and I'm not just saying that because I was his Confirmation teacher!)

 photo from WalkingtheWalk.org

 

Indie Friendlie 

Indie Friendlie is my friend Byron Tully's 'baby'. With his beautiful wife, Darlene, and friend, Weathorford Bradley, he created this site to support and promote great filmmakers and great films, the ones without huge advertising budgets, the ones that get stomped on by the bullies with huge marketing campaigns, the ones left shivering in the cold outside of the theaters.

If you love independent film of any kind, go to the site and watch the clips from wonderful movies, documentaries and shorts they're spotlighting in their effort to give them "a voice, a face, an opportunity."

I've only watched one or two, but they were great. "Validation", a full length short, just made me smile and "The Inside Out Project" made me want to stand up, cheer and grab my camera.

Also, if you're a filmmaker, you can submit your own film to be showcased on Indie Friendlie. Click HERE for how-to's and guidelines.

Tully's a sweet kid, too, although I guess "kid" is a bit of a stretch since we went to high school together. He's also very, very funny.

(Full disclosure: Tully promised me one free margarita for every 1000 visitors his site receives from mine. So what are you waiting for? GO! And tell your friends to tell their friends!)

Oh, wait, before you go... What electrifies you? Share in the comments below...

 

Kids, Jewelry, Birthdays, Weddings and other (belated) Sweet!s

A rumble of thunder and whisper of rain woke me in the night. It continues today, another steady, soaking rain falling from a colorless sky. We've had enough rain in the past few weeks that I almost take it for granted, despite the months of drought.

Almost, but not quite. Waking to the sound of rain is still a sweet sound, especially when I can roll over, snuggle deeper into my covers, and go back to sleep.

I would also almost start complaining about the soggy weather... the mud that gets tracked in, the slippery roads... despite those months of drought, but in between our frequent rainy days, we've had warm days with crisp blue skies (Saturday) and cool days with skies of rainless clouds (yesterday.)

I love it when things balance out that way! Very sweet!

Yes, I realize I'm running late with this post. I've been keeping up with my sweet!s this week... but my photos, not so much.

Well, I've been taking plenty, but all of them from the past week were still stashed on my camera until last night. I didn't have a chance until now to tidy my sweet! list and glance through my photos - it was one of those on-the-run weekends that I love, but that leave me breathless!

First, Daniel came home for a visit this weekend. His face is always a sweet sight, but I hadn't seen him since last year, when he moved out to his own place just after Christmas!

So you can imagine how happy I was to see him!

We spent Friday evening talking and watching a movie, just hanging out and relaxing. I was hosting my own Silpada jewelry party (one of my other "hats") the next afternoon, but thought I would have plenty of time Saturday morning to get everything done.

But after letting myself sleep in and then mentally comparing what I had left to do with how much time I had in which to do it, I realized I was wrong!

My kids were lifesavers, though, bless them... they pitched in and helped me pack up the last of our Christmas decorations away, tidy up the house in preparation and followed whatever other orders I barked at them. Such sweet kids!

Consequently, it was a relaxed open house. And what a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon... sitting around a table, sipping wine, munching on yummy snacks, talking to friends and looking at beautiful jewelry!

Tom and I headed out right after the party to help my dear friend Darla celebrate her birthday at Z'Tejas. (It was my first time there, and oh my gosh, it was soooo good! Great twists on traditional Tex Mex... I got the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas.)

(Again, my kids were lifesavers... they helped clean up from the party for me! I just hope Daniel will come home again some day... I don't think he was counting on all the extra chores!) 

Just getting together with these longtime friends from high school is a sweet way to spend a Saturday night, but we were joined by a face none of us had seen since graduation day. We reconnected with Wayne via Facebook and discovered he'd been living in the Austin area for the past fifteen years or so, too. We've probably passed him on the highway a zillion times...

After church Sunday morning, I met my future daughter-in-law in town for another day of wedding venue sightseeing. There are so many possibilities, it's mind-boggling! I'm glad I'm just a tag along and not the one having to make the decision!

I can have fun snapping photos...

And now for my belated list of Sweet! moments from the past week...

Monday: walking at sunrise; checking out wedding venues with your son, his future bride and her family (photos HERE and HERE); one of your blog posts listed on Pioneer Woman's sidebar links

Tuesday: frost sparkling in the caliche road like tiny diamonds; working on your book for hours, even if it doesn't feel like you made much progress

Wednesday: almost getting caught up on your email; a friend pinning a link to your blog on Pinterest; not burning the chicken legs on the grill even though you were distracted with writing; catching a movie with friends; extra-sweet... the movie starred George Clooney and was set in Hawaii ("The Descendants")

Thursday: the excitement and joy of puppies on a morning walk; words flowing onto the page without effort, for a change; a phone call from your sister; your kids helping you take down the Christmas decorations

Friday: fresh morning sunlight; bumping into a friend at the grocery store; the Epiphany; photos of your husband's aunt ziplining in Costa Rica in honor of her 74th birthday!; the sight of your middle son for the first time in two weeks

Saturday: your kids pitching in to get your house ready for your jewelry party; finding out one of your photos was chosen for FlickR's Explore; friends gathered around your table, chatting; a friend putting in an order for jewelry even though she sells it herself, just in hopes you have a good party; celebrating a dear friend's birthday and reconnecting with a friend from long ago

Sunday: kneeling and praying next to your sweetie in church; checking out more wedding venues with your future daughter-in-law; hearing from your oldest, letting you know he made it safely to Arizona for a business trip

(Monday: I didn't plan to add Monday on here, but first thing this morning, I received a message from a friend I've been praying for that he's met 'someone'. It made me smile, inside and out, so I had to add it here.)

I hope you had tons of sweet moments this past week, too. I confess, there are days when I have to think really hard to find one, but I always manage to... and often it triggers recollection of a few more. If you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to!

 

Ben's Story... When the Fantasy Ends and Heaven Begins

Ben Breedlove, an Austin teenager, died Christmas night. 

I didn't know him personally; in fact, I had never heard of him until this week. 

But after watching the videos below, I know I won't forget him or his sweet smile.

Ben had a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; according to his videos, he had cheated death three times. The first time, when he was 4, he says he saw a bright light and felt a peace he never forgot. The second time...

...well, Ben tells it much better than I can. I urge you to watch these - the total time is less than 8 minutes, but if you're like me, it will be 8 minutes you'll carry with you the rest of your life, whether you remember the name Ben Breedlove or not.

(You can read Ben's obituary HERE.)

What's Halloween without a few Zombies?

It just doesn't feel like Halloween to me.

We live a mile down a dirt road. There are no small children living nearby, and even if they did, their parents would skip our house and head for a real neighborhood in town where the little goblins can trick-or-treat door-to-door, collecting a lot more loot in less time with no driving.

That's what we always did.

So I have no Halloween candy stashed in a cupboard for tonight. No Jack-o-lanterns grinning on our front porch or ghosts dangling from the tree branches.

Tom and I didn't even dress up this year; I worked Saturday night, the traditional Halloween party night. Tonight we'll be working on projects. 

But Daniel showed me this video last week and, in honor of Halloween, I'm sharing it with you. If you're a movie buff or a Christopher Walken fan or just enjoy a good spoof, I think you'll enjoy it. Otherwise, you'll probably go, "Huh? I don't get it." 

I cracked up. That tells you a little bit about my sense of humor.

Whether you watch it or not, dress up or not, go trick-or-treating with little goblins or not, I hope you have a Happy Halloween!

 

"I hope." ~ Red, Shawshank Redemption

"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,

and no good thing ever dies."

~ Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption

I've seen Shawshank Redemption a zillion times.  And last night I had two zillion things to do. So when TG started watching it, I tried to ignore it and focus on what I needed to do.

Along about the second half, I quit trying. Instead, I poured a glass of wine, plopped into the recliner beside her and forgot about my to-do's. This is why:

1. She'll be heading back to school soon and there won't be many more opportunities just to hang out at home like that, watching a movie together. Especially with the boys gone!

2. I love the movie.

3. That's all it took. I didn't need a #3.

I wasn't trying to analyze why I love Shawshank Redemption last night while I watched. But I kept thinking about it today and had to gather the thoughts, of course. Here they are (spoiler alert, in case there's actually someone who hasn't seen this movie!):

Hope... Andy holds on to hope despite life's best efforts to smash it out of him. Talk about bad luck! His hope is contagious; he and Red get to begin their lives over at middle-age because they dared to hope and believe that one day it would be possible. According to the movie - and I believe it whole-heartedly - it's never too late to live out a dream.

Integrity... I love how the movie illustrates what integrity is - the twist on how the criminals can have more integrity than the warden or the guards. And I love how Andy holds on tight to his integrity and inspires others to rise higher than they thought possible, to be better than they thought possible. To find the good in themselves.

Justice... Good overcomes evil, justice prevails and hope is justified.

Nothing says it better than Red at the end...

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.

I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.

I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.

I hope."

 

When work doesn't feel like work.... and Saturday's "Sweet!" Report

Never, ever did I dream of being a waitress. And yet, here I am, spending a Saturday dressed in black, small apron neatly tied around my waist, order pad in hand...

Life is so funny.

I've stumbled into a job that feels like a hobby.

Don't get me wrong... I work at it!  I sweat from being on the move the whole time... besides waiting tables, I also bus and wipe them, clean windows, do laundry. I even cleaned a toilet one day. And electronic cash registers can be tricky, especially when you have split tickets. So much to learn!

But I'm not complaining. For some reason, I love it! Mostly the learning and social parts, but even the cleaning.

How could I not? After a drive through the hill country, I arrive at this... (taken through my windshield, but I think you can get the feel of it.)

And then there are the random samplings of smoked duck, fresh polenta, chocolate torte and tastes of estate wines...

How did I get so lucky?

It's not a full time job, but it's a wonderful weekend break, even if you're working there. Dining there would be even better.  I urge you to visit if you're in the area: Flat Creek Estate. (You won't regret it - people have actually told me they were tempted to lick their plates. It's that good!)

And now for a few of my Sweet! moments of the week...

Monday: a red-tailed hawk swooping silently above your head; soft mornings; chocolate cake for dinner; calling a friend you haven't talked to in a year to wish her a happy birthday

Tuesday: revising two chapters of your book; Mexican hats beginning to blossom again when you thought they were all dead.

Wednesday: discovering a new purple blossom along the road; a call from your oldest son; grilling chicken breasts to perfection, despite forgetting about them a couple of times.

Thursday: Belle lying calm and still enough to rub her tummy (in other words, without her twisting and kicking and gnawing affectionately on your arm.); revising another chapter in your book and finally getting around to posting photos of the old truck you took weeks ago.

Friday: HP x 2 (Harry Potter and Half Price Books with your kids!)

Saturday: a soft morning breeze blowing down the deck; work that doesn't feel like work; fresh polenta, carne guisada, and watermelon from the chef's garden; a good ending to a movie when you keep expecting something to go wrong.

 

I hope you had a week packed full of sweet moments!

"The End" of an Era (and my Friday Favorite Photo)

This is the book that was the beginning of the end.

Each evening for years and years, Daniel, TG and I would huddle around a book on the couch, taking the adventure together, a chapter at a time. I would read out loud, relishing the warmth of my two little ones cuddled up against me.  

Tommy had broken away on his own when he discovered the Goosebumps series in 3rd grade, devouring them one after another as fast as he could. Speed is addictive: he couldn't slow back down to our pace, savoring bites of the story, a little every day.

TG, Daniel and I were usually each reading something else as well on our own. But every night we'd come together for a special book. We'd take turns choosing it. This is when I introduced them to the Lord of the Rings, Call of the Wild, Black Beauty, Tarzan, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, the Wizard of Oz series... 

And then Daniel won a drawing in the school book fair. He got to pick any book he wanted, up to $15 value. We hadn't heard of the one above, but it looked promising. It had a cute cover, interesting-enough story line, and the kid on the front even looked a little like Daniel to me.

I didn't expect much from it, but I hadn't gotten through the first chapter before I felt jealous of the writing. The kids were irritated when I would stop reading in the middle of a critical scene to comment on some gem of a phrase or description. 

That, plus they didn't want to wait 24 hours to know what happened next. It was mutiny on the couch. What could I do?

They drew straws to see who got to read it first. Within a couple of days all three kids had finished it and I finally got my turn. I'm sure I was through it within a day or two, also.

There was no going back after that. We tried to rendezvous over a book a few more times, but they'd had their taste of independence: our Reading Hour fizzled to an end.

All because of Harry Potter.

With each new HP book, the scenario repeated itself... drawing straws, all-night reading sessions, keeping your lips sealed until everyone had read the book. (You could hear the sigh of relief after I closed the book - I was always last.)

Meanwhile, my kids grew and grew and grew. HP movies were made and we'd dutifully buy our tickets and watch them, but we were never satisfied. Admittedly, I always enjoyed them because I've never been able to remember details of books as well as my kids - they're harsh critics, let me tell you! I raised a fine litter of critical reader-geeks!

With that in mind, we didn't rush to be the first in line to see the final HP movie. It was one excuse, at least. Can you guess my other excuse? I hated to say goodbye. 

Yes, the book was finished long ago. I shed my tears back then, said goodbye to the characters, but I knew this movie was really the final goodbye to that era - an era of faces buried deep into books and kids who were shorter than me... of long summer days full of discussions about plot and character, good and evil. 

But I couldn't resist any longer - today I sat with my two twenty-something-year-old kids who'd known Harry and company half their lives... who'd grown up with Harry and Hermione and Ron... munching tons of popcorn and Milk Duds, reliving the last decade while watching the end unfold before me... the end of an era.

(Guess what we did after the movie? Dropped into Half-Price Books, of course!)

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And now, my Friday Favorite Photo, totally unrelated to Harry Potter. My crape myrtle is getting closer and closer to blossoming... I feared it had changed its mind due to lack of rain, but then I noticed this bud... I think it's going to make it!

 Hope you had a wonderful, magical Friday!

 

 

 

Just Three Things (and a Friday Favorite Photo)

I'll be traveling today, driving miles of highway in my air-conditioned car, singing along to the radio, probably dancing in my seat and drumming on the steering wheel, perhaps swerving off the road to capture something in my camera (because I can do that when I travel alone.)

(Don't worry, Mama I promise I'll be careful.)

But there are three things I want to share with you before I leave...

First...

Have you see the previews for Larry Crowne, that movie with Tom Hanks as a middle-aged college student and Julia Roberts as a teacher? I really want to see it because I've been an "older" student off and on for 20 years. (Currently "off" because we don't have the money right now.) I get the feeling Tom Hank's experience is a little different than mine has been, but I still want to see the movie, because, well, it's Tom and Julia.

Plus I haven't been to the movies in quite a while and I'm craving it. I enjoy watching movies here at home, but there's just something different about sitting there in a theater with that big screen in front of you, speakers blaring so loudly you (hallelujah!) can't hear the couple behind you talking.

Okay, actually I crave movie popcorn. But I really do want to see this movie.

I discovered two bloggers who might make that happen for me, and if not me, then maybe you. If you're interested in winning tickets to see Larry Crowne, then go to MidlifeBloggers or The Fifty Factor and follow their directions. Pretty much, you just have to leave a comment and later a winner will be picked by random selection. I hope it's me. Or you. (And if it's you, I hope you take me with you.)

Even if you're not interested, you should go read Joanna's blog post at The Fifty Factor that leads up to the giveaway. Hilarious!

Second...

This one is for all you movie-loving, screenwriting, film producing readers out there. A few months ago, my creative and multi-talented high school friend Byron Tully, along with his friend Weatherford Bradley, created Indie Friendlie, a site that showcases filmmakers and films who don't have the budgets or marketing departments to get them into theaters. There were a few glitches with the initial site, but I'm happy to report Indie Friendlie is back, even better than before! If you're a film lover of any kind, go check it out!

Third...

You need to go read this post by Gail at Louisiana Belle that I read yesterday. It's a wonderful post about graciousness, as in being gracious to someone even though you'd really rather throttle their neck, based on Gail's personal experience with a certain person. It teaches a great lesson, but besides that, it's an honest and funny post, one of those that will stay with me, especially when I want to throttle someone's neck.

Here's the link: Noreen Update.

Go check it out, but first, take a look at my Friday Favorite Photo of the week...

There are only a scattered few of these stubborn yellow flowers continuing to bloom against the odds. I don't know how long they can hold out, so I chose this photo of one especially bold bloom as my favorite of the week.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Going Greek and Meeting Bacon

As a college drop-out, I had no personal experience with sororities - just my fraternity of chemical plant technicians ... a fraternity of hardhats and steel-toed boots, you could say.

So I confess to a case of the jitters this past Friday night as I headed downtown for a Wine and Cheese Social. I would be meeting other moms with daughters in TG's sorority. I had worried over what to wear... jeans or dress slacks? What does "modern casual" mean, anyway? I opted for nice jeans and heels, with a dressy blouse and more jewelry than I normally wear. But I just knew I'd stick out, that my social deficiencies would be obvious.

With relief, I noticed I hit the halfway mark between the most dressy and the most casual. And I believe I blended in with the rest of them quite well. I met some of TG's friends and their moms, then she and I drifted out by the pool and had a good chat, all by ourselves. That was the best part.

She's a doll. A smart one.

I'm a lucky mom.

That was Friday night, just the beginning of a Mom/Daughter Weekend...

The next morning, after coffee and danishes in the sorority house, and a fun non-buying shopping excursion at the Domain, we nabbed Daniel from his apartment and headed to downtown Austin. In a Living Social-newbie frenzy back at Christmas, I had bought three half-price meals at Mongolian Grille ("$20 worth of food for $10"!), and they were about to expire.  We couldn't let that happen...

We ate our money's worth for sure, but I think we walked it off afterwards. First we headed in the direction of an Art Festival we'd heard about, but made a U-turn at the $8 per person entry price. Instead, we meandered through downtown, finding plenty of free art and interesting things to see everywhere we looked.

Santa, for instance...

Wall art...

 

Our feet (reflected)...

(Note to self: even out your britches before snapping next time.)

 

A herd of segway tourists...

 

And Bacon...

I'm so glad TG spotted her! I walked right on past, oblivious. But at the mention of a baby pig, I hurried back, introduced myself to Matthew (Bacon's daddy), snapped a zillion photos, asked a half-zillion questions (she's one month old; she'll only get a few inches bigger; when she needs to go potty, she lets him know by pulling on a rope attached to a bell with her mouth ... and she's only a month old!)

...and then begged to hold that sweet baby pig. Matthew's friend offered to take some photos...

Isn't she precious?

Tempting. Very tempting.

I reluctantly handed Bacon back to Matthew and we finished up our walk and dropped Daniel back home. The Mom/Daughter weekend finished up at a boutique, where we munched on quesadillas and taquitos from a nearby restaurant while ogling clothes we couldn't afford, which was actually fun because few of the others bought anything, either. And we got goody bags. Goody bags make everything fun, but then, it was fun just hanging out with TG a little longer.

I made it home in time to watch a movie with Tom - Stone of Destiny, which apparently got a Rotten Tomato award, but I liked it. It's based on a true story, I think more than most "based on a true story" movies are.

Sunday was a 'try to catch up' day, but we managed to squeeze in a game of ping-pong. I let Tom beat me this time - just so he won't get tired of playing, of course.

(Not really. Now I feel guilty. He beat me fair and square. I'll get him next time...)

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

P.S. Please continue to keep my sister Brenda in your prayers as she recovers from her hip surgery, as well as my parents who are caring for her. She's already had to battle a stomach virus and now she's back in the hospital with a bladder infection. Thank you in advance!

 

Indie Friendlie

If you're interested in film - especially independent film - pay attention...

One of my creative friends, Byron Tully, is part of a new project,"Indie Friendlie", a weekly television program "created to give independent filmmakers an outlet for their work to be seen and for the public to learn about them", according to the website, http://indiefriendlie.com/.

The show is for those filmmakers who work on a shoestring without the benefit of an advertising budget or marketing campaign - it's an opportunity to give them the publicity they need and expose the rest of us to talent we wouldn't otherwise know about.

Tully and his Indie Friendlie partner, Weatherford Bradley, both have years of experience in the film industry and are using that experience now to help other creative filmmakers. 

The show will begin airing on May 1 in a very limited area. Go to the website to find out where and how you might be able to see it wherever you are. (Click HERE.)

While they've shot several episodes, they're at the tough part: fund raising for post production - all the editing, graphics, and music to polish them up for broadcast.

If you feel this is something you can help with, take a look at their Kickstarter page to find out how. (Click HERE.)

Here's a short video with more information... 

 

Indie Friendlie Promo from Indie Friendlie on Vimeo.

Way to go, Tully! Good luck!!

Weekend Arrivals

After a rowdy, adventurous beginning, Spring Break opted to slow things down with a hammock-napping final weekend. (Just a figure of speech - our hammock met its demise, with the help of Belle, last spring or so. I need to remind Tom to put that on his Craig's List, um, list.)

So we didn't actually nap in the hammock, but we did rock on the porches, play lazy ping-pong, take lots of walks with the dogs, and watch tons of movies. A perfect weekend! (I've listed all the movies we watched at the bottom, if you're interested.)

Besides Daniel and TG, look what else made an appearance in the Hollow this weekend...

Crape Myrtle buds, colorful promises...

...beautiful Blue Gilia...

...the kids' collections of porcelain, handpainted Easter Eggs, treasured gifts from my mother ...she didn't paint them, but for more than 21 years tracked down artists who would...

...and the Super Moon, like a bright orange cherry smack dab on top of this perfect weekend (more super moon photos HERE at Confessions.)

And now, the movies...

Thursday night , we watched "Zombieland" ... definitely not for weak stomachs (it's about zombies, after all) but creative and my kind of goofy-funny spoof ... which is why I can't figure out why it triggered the first nightmare I've had in years!

Friday night I snoozed through "Lord of War", a depressing Nicholas Cage movie. (He's an arms dealer, depressing enough, but I felt the end had a mixed message.)

We watched a few gems though. Have you seen "City Island" with Andy Garcia? According to IMDb it came out in 2009, but I don't remember hearing anything about it. I thought it was sweet and funny. We watched that Saturday night, then I stayed up with Daniel and TG to watch Kurt Russell battle "The Thing" (TG had never seen it.)

Okay, I confess I snoozed a little through it, too, but stayed wide awake all the way through the next feature (a triple feature night!) - "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" with Neil Patrick Harris. (Among other things, this is what I love about my kids, how they introduce me to funny stuff I'd never know about without them!)

If you haven't yet seen Dr. Horrible - and you like creative, slightly silly stuff - you need to watch it. It's short, only about 45 minutes. In fact, it's so short, we sat through it one more time Sunday night, after watching "Time Bandits". (Dr. Horrible is much better and a third as long. No offense, Time Bandits groupies.)

 

 

My Cup of Tea

Growing up in Texas, my memories of tea don't involve delicate cups and saucers, but instead revolve around Mama's fresh brewed sweet tea, served ice cold in tall jelly glasses.

The only thing I drank hot from a cup was coffee or hot chocolate, and any knowledge of "tea time" came from one of my favorite scenes in "Mary Poppins", when Julie Andrews pours while teetering around Uncle Albert's floating table (If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, do yourself a favor and watch the clip at the bottom of this post.) 

Anyway, despite my inexperience, I've always had a weakness for vintage china and teapots: the delicate artwork, the originality, the shapes. And thanks to friends and relatives, I've accumulated a wonderful collection. I have music box teapots, silver teapots, and novelty teapots, china sets handed down from grandmothers, and (bless her!) Tom's mom's collection of teacups. Or, at least I think they're tea cups. How can you tell the difference between tea cups and coffee cups? Oh, well, they're pretty and unusual and that's all that matters to me.

Here are a few others, treasured heirlooms, not because they're worth anything monetarily (they probably aren't!) but because of their connections to people I love...

my wedding china, and yes, I've used it...

But as much as I admire them, this is what I prefer for my coffee... it's pretty, but the important thing is, it's BIG!

Here are few other things on my Cup of Tea list besides tea cups, teapots and coffee:

• time with friends and family (especially Tom and the kids!)
• dancing
• the beach (all seasons, all weather, all times of the day or night)
• reading and writing
• rocking on my porch, watching the birds
• walking the dogs
• watching movies
• scratching things off of my to-do list...

...and that's what I'm planning to do today. In fact, I'll probably fit all of the above in today, except for the beach. But maybe I can slip down to the lake for a bit - that should be on my list, too, anyway.

So, tell me ... what's on your Cup of Tea list?

Oh, I almost forgot this one ... as promised, here's the laughing/tea scene from "Mary Poppins" - it's definitely on my Cup of Tea list! If you can watch this without at least one chuckle ... well, I'd be very disappointed in you, and we might not even be friends anymore! So just don't tell me - I'd hate to lose you.

 

This is my contribution to Jillsy Girl's Prompt Me! (Did you guess the prompt is "My Cup of Tea"?) Jump on the Blog Hop Below, or just click on the images to see the other contributions.

 

"I don't want to work. I just want to bang on the drum all day." - Todd Rundgren

I spend a lot of time on things I enjoy ... walking through the Hollow, writing, photography, running, dancing, watching movies, reading, connecting with friends ... 

But there's one thing I do purely for fun. 

 

It benefits no one but myself. It's not something I can do with anyone else, like walking or dancing or watching Glee.  

It's not part of any goal or dream, like writing or photography. I don't harbor any fantasies of ever being any good - much less playing in a band one day! I'm starting to wonder if I can even improve at all!

 

Although it would seem to have some health benefits (it can be a pretty good workout and it's a great stress reliever!) they're canceled out by the racket that I'm sure is damaging my ears (and yes, mom, I wear ear plugs.) 

I don't learn anything from playing them.

No, wait. I do learn something.

 

I learn that even if I don't get any better, even if I can't multi-task while banging the drums, even if no one benefits from the time I spend on that little black stool, it's okay. 

It's okay to play just for the fun of it.

 

 

This is my contribution to Focus 52, a creative project sponsored by Jan at twoscoopz. This week the word is Play. Easy one for me! Banging the drums is pure play for me - I've tried, but can't think of any other motive with which to justify the time!

Click on the link HERE to check out the other contributions, but first (just for fun!) take a look at this great video sent to me by my friend George. I only hope to be this good one day. But if I never am, that's okay, too... (will someone send me some blue drumsticks?)

 

Pink Skies, Random Thoughts

Pink clouds, pink skies have greeted my ascension to the dirt road the past two mornings ... a nice change from the woolen grays and mist that have been waiting up there for me lately.

I've noticed that a pink sky or one filled with clouds that look dipped in pink-orange paint lighten my heart and make me feel like anything at all is possible that day, and even if the day doesn't turn out quite as great as I thought it would, the memory of that sunrise gets me through it.

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"The King's Speech" is an awesome movie! If I had ten thumbs, they'd all be UP! You'd think a movie about a speech therapist and his patient would be boring, but this one kept me hooked the whole time.

There are no glitches in the screenplay whatsoever - it flows so smoothly you forget it's a movie! The acting , photography, dialogue, everything ... flawless!  

Add a pre-movie dinner with dear friends, a bag of fresh movie popcorn and a few pieces of chocolate, and you've got yourself one fantastic Wednesday night!

Well, I had myself one fantastic Wednesday night, anyway...

 

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Hubby's having surgery for a deviated septum tomorrow morning - the result of his accident back in '98 wherein his face was split open and this amazing plastic surgeon welded his nose back together.

We're hoping the surgery helps with Tom's headaches. Please say a prayer for him.

 

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Life is unfair. I already knew this, of course, but I had a fresh course in the lesson today. Briefly... a couple of years ago a dump truck slammed into my sister's car. I mean slammed, as in he wasn't paying attention and didn't see that she'd had to stop and he didn't apply any brakes at all.

Miraculously and thankfully, she wasn't hurt. But instead of checking to see if she was okay or apologizing, he immediately started trying to squirm out of the blame - his business was at risk, after all.

Well, thank goodness witnesses were around and he had to pay for the damages, etc.

His trial finally came around today, but the prosecutor (a volunteer! have you ever heard of that?) didn't present the accident report or bring up the fact that the driver's insurance had paid for my sister's car. He didn't have any evidence ready at all - he just used my sister's photographs!

To the jury it was a "he said - she said" case, so I can't really blame them for finding the guy not guilty, I guess. But shame on the driver and shame on the prosecutor. And let this be a warning to all of you in Houston that thanks to the prosecutor and the jury, this guy is still out on the road. It makes me wonder how many other cases go through the court system like this, where a volunteer prosecutor doesn't feel a case is worth the time it takes to do it right.

 

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Remember Mam-ma's piano?

It turns out my mother isn't that eager to get rid of it - she just wants it out of her livingroom, but didn't want to impose on anyone by asking us to move it back into Mam-ma's room. (deep sigh.)

So next time we're there, we're moving it. And I've asked my mom to make a list of everything else she would like done - I think I've convinced her we'd love to do whatever we can and help out however we can and it would make us happy and we won't feel imposed upon at all.

But I might have to come out with a "you never let me...!" to get my way. (It always worked when I was growing up!)

 

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Okay, what the heck is up with mascara these days? Is it just me? I have tried every brand, every type (within my budget, that is) and no matter how much they proclaim not to clump or flake, I can't find one single tube of mascara that doesn't do one or the other or both. This latest one I bought makes me look like Liza Minnelli, for goodness sake, it's so thick and clumpy, despite promises on the package to do neither. Any suggestions out there? 

 

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Today is my sweet friend Darla's birthday - Darla, my Secret Santa from last year, deserving star of "Late Love is from Heaven" and gracious hostess of my best birthday party ever, and I missed celebrating with her tonight because of another obligation I had to fulfill - attending a city council meeting, of all things.

Yes, instead of toasting my friend with a yummy margarita, I was sitting in a small room listening to small town politicians twist facts, but at least ultimately (thanks to an important clear-headed few and the democratic process) the vote went our way, which made me feel a teensy bit better about missing the celebration.  

And the margarita.

But just a teensy bit.

Happy birthday, Darla! I'll celebrate with you soon! (When you're over 50, it's okay to keep celebrating all year long...)

 

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And now here are a couple of videos I feel the need to share. The first is "Phoenix Burn" by Alpha Rev, a group from Austin. It's just the lyrics set to music - I couldn't find a real video. Sorry! But the song has been haunting me for a few weeks - thank goodness it always lifts me up! But I love these lines: 

I wanna push through the undiscovered
Find my answers, leave them uncovered
I wanna speak out what I believe in
That love will heal us, give us our freedom
I wanna see what's on the horizon
Change directions, stop the fightin
I need to find a way of letting it go
When everything falls apart...

 

 

And this is one Tom just showed to me - it's a single dad and his daughter. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face! 

It's Christmas Eve-Eve

Up until today, I've managed to miss out on all of that holiday stress that's hitting so many people.

We're not really doing gifts, so I haven't worried about that. Lord knows we don't need all the calories from fresh baked cookies, so I haven't started baking yet (we'd eat them all, and I'd have to bake more and more and more...) I haven't had time to work on Christmas cards, so I gave myself permission to procrastinate on those, too.

But now my time's up. There are zillions of things I want to do and zillions of things I need to do, and I've barely touched any of them!!

Even though there aren't many gifts, they still need to be wrapped. And it's now or never for the cookies and cards. I had big productive plans today, but they turned into a crumbly mess, so I did what any card-carrying procrastinator would do in such a situation -  just swept them all onto tomorrow. 

Because 2/3 of the kids are here now, and the third is on his way. That's all I wanted for Christmas, and I'm getting my gift early.

Daniel is grilling chicken while I play here at the computer. After dinner, my top priority is watching "The Jerk" with the kids. I discovered quite by accident the other day that Daniel wasn't familiar with some of the key scenes! How have I been so lax in my parental duties?! So I'm making up for it tonight. (Besides, I'll have better luck getting them to watch "The Jerk" with me than "It's a Wonderful Life", and that's what it's all about, you know, being with them.)

After the movie, if there's time, I'll finish up the Christmas cards, so tomorrow, I'll just need to hit the grocery store, bake cookies, mail the cards (the post office will be open, right?), wrap gifts ... and finally, attend Mass, where I'll be reminded that all I really needed to do was give thanks and not dwell on all of this stressful stuff.

So Peace and Merry Christmas Eve-Eve to you! I'm including this video, A Social Network Christmas, in case you haven't seen it yet ... hope you enjoy it as much as I did! (Where do these people find time to do things like this?)

 

 

 

I Love Boxing and other confessions

I love boxing.

There. I said it.

I'm a pacifist - I hate arguments, much less fighting, but for some very strange reason, I've always loved watching professional boxing matches. When I was little, I watched every match that came on TV. My favorites were Cassius Clay and his alter ego, Mohammed Ali, as well as Sugar Ray Leonard.

Now here's another confession. Tom and I discovered tonight that we have two copies of Cinderella Man for some reason, but neither of us remembered watching it.

Turns out, we hadn't. So we did. And oh my gosh, I love this movie! Have you seen it? Of course you have, because it's been out for ages! 

But bear with me because I just saw it for the first time. It's my new favorite Russell Crowe movie, knocking Gladiator to second place.

I love it because it gives me hope - Tom and I are broke, but this reminded me how bad things got for people during the Depression...at least some people. I think my relatives were already pretty broke and they were farmers, so they tightened up a little, but it wasn't such a drastic difference.

And yes, I realize this is just a movie, and I'm sure it's dramatized, but it's based on a true story, and I appreciated how Jim Braddock and his wife stuck together, didn't let the bad times drive them apart. They held on, stayed optimistic, did what they could to make it through each and every day.

I also appreciate what a wonderful screenplay this was, written by Cliff Hollingsworth; I had heard of Max Baer (remember Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies? He was Max Baer's son, and I was a champion at Trivial Pursuit back in the '80's) but I had never heard of Jim Braddock. The screenwriter counted on this and led me down several realistic paths even though I know the usual tricks of the trade, so I was biting my nails, wondering how it was going to end.

And then there was the boxing - I had forgotten how much I like boxing matches. They never show them on TV anymore, at least not regular TV, and I couldn't tell you who the champs are today. I'm still stuck in the 60's and 70's. But tonight I questioned myself...why the heck do I like to watch guys pounding on each other in front of an audience so much? It just doesn't make sense...but I do. There you have it.

Is there anyone else out there who is a pacifist at heart, but enjoys watching a good round of boxing? Let me know, and also let me know what you think about this movie, if you've seen it (and of course you have!)

Gettin' my squint on...

Tom and I did it. We finally dressed up for Halloween after so many party-pooper years.

Now, mind you, we didn't spend a lot of forethought on these costumes...

But today I was grateful that I'm a procrastinating hoarder; I was afraid I had thrown away the shoe box full of Halloween makeup, a collection gathered over two decades, now that our nest is empty. But I scrounged around and found it in my storage room, on top of the glue sticks and beside the crayons. (Cleaning out that storage room is on one of my to-do lists lying around here. I'm glad I haven't gotten to it, either!) 

So with a copy of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on the counter beside me as a model, I grew myself a black beard, mustache and matching heavy eyebrows with black creme colour, donned a western shirt my grandmother made me in the '80's (still hanging in my closet), pulled on my skinny jeans, some Rocket Dog boots, the serape/pancho from yesterday's post, one of Tom's hats, added a good squint, and Whoa! I was the spitting image of Clint Eastwood. Sort of. With blonde hair.

But it's pretty dang close, don't you think? (I'm clean out of cigars, so I chewed on a pencil. 'Cause I'm a writer. Get it?)

Tom just had to dive into his closet and scrounge a bit in one of the kids' rooms for a whip (the kids may be mostly gone, but not all of their stuff) and Holy Ancient History! he turned into Indiana Jones!

So, dressed (warmly) as two of Hollywood's most famous leading men, we ventured out into the dark to a Halloween Party in the woods, where we took a "haunted" hike up the hill, visited with other characters, ate lots of chocolate and then slipped away part way through Paranormal Activity because, it turns out, Clint Eastwood doesn't like scary movies. Who knew? 

Happy Halloween from Indy and Clint, everyone!

(You know, squinting is harder than it looks!)

So...what will you be for Halloween?

Do you still dress up for Halloween? 

On our first Halloween together, Tom and I dressed as Frankenstein (Tom, of course) and a little girl from the village (me) for a co-worker's party. His was a recycled costume from a previous Halloween, but he went all out...he even had platform shoes to make him tower above me. EEEK!!!

My costume was just what I wore for high school Senior Kid Day...yawn...

Another year, for another party, we dressed as devils. Not so cute. No pictures, thank goodness. But we made a comeback another year as Indiana Jones (me) and a native (Tom). No pictures that year, either....we had kids by then. 

We always scrounged for costumes, recycling old clothes. Too cheap and too lazy to rent anything for one night.

We haven't dressed up in years. Just the idea of trying to think of something kind of tires me out!

I'm trying to remember the last time I donned some sort of costume for Halloween...I think it was when I manned the city library booth at the elementary school Fall Festival. I threw on a sombrero and serape (garage sale find and vacation souvenir, respectively), and that was that.

I was so hot! No, not sexy hot, but sweaty hot...imagine wearing a wool blanket in a gym full of excited little kids. See?

Gosh, that was over a decade ago! 

We've been invited to a Halloween party in the woods this weekend - costume optional. I'm trying to decide if we're going to dig around in the dress-up box for alter egos or just be party-poopers.

 It's supposed to be chilly tonight - maybe I'll go find that serape. I could throw on a cowboy hat, some jeans and boots, and squint like Clint Eastwood...

If you're like me, still trying to decide, take a look at this hilarious video, sent to me by my costume-creative friend above, Kim...

 

Something's wrong here...

Our oldest, Tommy, and his girlfriend, Kirby, came in last night. We had a fun evening - spent some time talking on the front porch... Tom fixed fajitas... Tommy mixed up some "Red-Headed Bitch" margaritas (the mix was one of Kirby's graduation gifts) that tasted a lot like cherry sno-cones... and then we watched a movie (The Men Who Stare at Goats... it was entertaining, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price at the theater to see it.)

But then today...I'm not sure how this happened, but it's a beautiful Saturday and the kids are all off tubing the San Marcos River while Tom and I are left at home puppy-sitting  and doing chores!

We made sure the pups had a fun day, anyway.

Breakfast (our grandpuppy Josie, Belle, Max)

Taking a break in the shade (Max and neighbor Haley, Belle and Josie)

Playing at the "water-park"

A tired walk home

If the time ever comes, I think we'll make good grandparents.

 

 

It's Wednesday Eve!

It's only Tuesday, but it feels like this week is lasting forever! Just when I thought I had everything all organized in my head, a schedule figured out, a game plan in place on how to tackle my to-do lists AND my book AND get some sleep (AND have some fun!), life reminded me that survival is all about flexibility. Glass balls shatter when they slip out of place - rubber ones bounce.

I am going to bounce, baby. I'm not giving up that easily!

But I am so happy that tomorrow is Wednesday. It's going to be jam-packed, but I will get to bed on time - that's a promise to myself.

Thursday will be another busy day, but it will be Weekend-Eve... the day before I get to see all my kids (actually they're kind of iffy on it, still, but I'm staying positive and hopeful.)

I'll still have some work to do around here (and don't tell them, but I think their Daddy has some projects he needs help with) but I'm hoping to fit in some funny movies, walks on the property... maybe I'll get lucky and it'll cool down enough for ping-pong or just hanging out on the porch, talking.

What would really be fun is to make a funny video like the one below - I discovered it on my friend Juana's blog. It's her nephew, his wife and their teenage girls - they have a whole series of them on You Tube!

My kids would never do this, and especially not with me and Tom. The closest thing I have is a video of TG and Daniel's energetic lip sync performance to Livin' La Vida Loca several years ago (move over, Ricky Martin!) complete with costume changes, dancing, you name it. It's hilarious, but unfortunately, I can't show it to you here, much less post it on You Tube. Another one of those promises. In fact, I have to keep the tape highly guarded - there have been threats to its life!

But I can show you this one by the Longostatikz. I'm not even related to them and I think it's funny! (Click here to see more of the Longostatikz on Juana's blog, or check them out on You Tube!)

Happy Wednesday Eve!

 

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Belated Friday Favorites...

This day has just been a repeat of the whole week, trying to cram as much in as possible. And without revealing too much (I'm saving it for another post), I'll just quote Bert in "Mary Poppins": "Wind's in the east, mist comin' in. Like something is brewin' about to begin... " That's how my life is feeling these days. Exciting. Ominous. Confusing. Exhausting. Hopeful. Depressing.

I refuse to let it bring me down, though. I'm keeping the faith and even now, right this minute, I have a smile on my face.

Back to this day, though. There were the Pre-Work things... then there was Work... then after work the Girl and I finished up our Sorority List Scavenger Hunt; I think we finally scratched the last items off of the list. I didn't stay in college long enough to join a sorority, and I probably wouldn't have anyway, but I keep an open mind about them and can see the positive aspects of being a member. Then there are times I have to just bite my tongue, play along and remind myself I'm not the one paying for it.

Anyway, despite the frantic searching and long hours we've spent chasing bargains, I've enjoyed this time with the Girl. When you're with someone you love, it really doesn't matter what you're doing, right? It's all about spending that time, having those conversations, sharing the private jokes.

I made a bee-line for the bathroom and the refrigerator when we got home, in that order, then she and I carried our plates downstairs to watch a movie with Tom: Kiss-Ass. It's one Daniel recommended at Walmart last week, but I really didn't have an interest in watching it until Tom told me he thought I'd like it. He already watched it once, but liked it enough to sit through it again.

And he was right - I did like it! It's a cross between Mystery Men and Kill Bill. Yeah, a strange combination, but it has innocence woven through the violence. Definitely violence, and I could have done without so much, but the screenplay is tight, the world it creates and the characters living in it are believable, original and sympathetic... I enjoyed it!

And that's my excuse for posting my Friday Favorite Photos on Saturday morning. I was busy with Life.

But here they are now... ("they" because I can never pick just one!)

First, this one of Belle. She hops through the tall grass, springing around like Christopher Robbin's Tigger, but it's so hard to capture it with my camera. She's so fast! This was close, this one of her standing up like a prairie dog, looking over the top of the grass toward Max...

Then there's this one of Max, with the big grin on his face. He's still limping big-time, poor puppy, but this week he's been so frisky and happy, and whatever is making him limp doesn't keep him from running and playing with Belle and Haley. It warms my heart when I see him smile like this, and makes me feel we did the right thing getting him a puppy...

I finally captured another shot of a butterfly! We have them darting around, but they won't stay in one spot long enough to get a picture. This one acquiesced; I didn't have my zoom, so it's not a great photograph, but I'm still happy about it!

And of course, this one of me and Daniel is a favorite of the week. It's not very good of either of us, but that's not the main thing. What it reminds me of is a weekend with Daniel, hanging out, watching movies, walking the dogs, just talking. Priceless.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend full of beautiful moments, frozen or not!

 

Truths

I've been busy all afternoon, taming the piles of laundry and bills that were taking over the house. I'd much rather have spent the afternoon writing or watching movies with the kids or taking the dogs for a walk, but even procrastinators have limits of what they can ignore.

Tom is laid out flat on our bed - he pulled something in his back during a team-building exercise for work on Friday: bowling! Thank goodness his back waited until the end of his last game to rebel. At least he had a little fun!

I thought I'd take a break from bills and laundry to share this, though. I'm not sure who originally wrote it -  my friend Cliff emailed it to me... he's kept me laughing since our first DuPont days - but I thought it was too funny and true not to pass on. Hope you enjoy it!

 

                                            TRUTHS FOR MATURE ADULTS
 
- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.
- Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realise you're wrong.
- I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
- There is great need for a sarcasm font.
- How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (actually, if you're not sure, watch the video I included below.)
- Was learning cursive really necessary?
- Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighbourhood.
- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
- I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
- Bad decisions make good stories.
- You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
- Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again.
- I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.
- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.
- I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
- I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
- I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
- I disagree with Kay Jewellers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
- I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.
- Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realise I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
- I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
- The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.
- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?
- I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!
- Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.
- Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber and dumber every year?
- There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.
- Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
- Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Now, for those of you who don't know how to fold a fitted sheet... watch and learn! 

While I was on vacation...

Just as I suspected, I spent several hours catching up on e-mails last night. (Or trying to, at least. I was behind before I even left for vacation last week.)

Two of them really stood out - enough that I decided to share them here, before I start boring everyone with vacation pictures and stories.

The first was from my friend Jeannie (Spanish teacher turned Honduran missionary)... her latest newsletter. I intended to create a page for all of her newsletters, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Nevertheless, please take the time to read it here: Download Jeannie's July 2010 newsletter. The work she is doing, and witnessing others doing, is amazing and inspiring. 

The second was from a friend whose sister-in-law, a neonatal nurse named Lorna Scott, has been nominated to be Mitchum's Hardest Working Person in America. He included a short video about her, inviting us to vote for her. I'm including the video here, but invite you to go here and vote for her by clicking the 'thumbs up' symbol under the video. (I can't imagine taking care of babies this small! What a blessing to them and to their parents that Lorna can and does.)

It's Memorial Day

Like many other Americans, I've been zipping around this weekend, celebrating graduations and friendships. This afternoon I'll be relaxing lakeside and sipping on a frozen margarita. But over it all, I'm trying to keep in mind the Big Reason for this holiday - remembering those who gave their lives to keep our country free, or to aid other countries in their quest for freedom, and those who currently serve, putting their lives at risk for the same reason.

A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook. I felt it was a good visual reminder of what Memorial Day really means. Please take a few minutes to watch it and say a prayer of thanks with me. 

Goodbye to LOST

 

It's sad - very sad - but I made sure I left my parents' house by 1:30 this afternoon so I could be home in time to watch the whole LOST finale. 

My son Tommy doesn't understand our fascination with LOST - he says it's silly, that they never answer any questions, just keep creating more, and I can't argue with him. I've said the same thing myself. 

So why am I so hooked?

Well, for one thing, I'm a geek. I'm a sucker for the mysteries, the allusions, the symbolism. I'm a Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Ender's Game fanatic. Add Sawyer's cute dimples and shirtless scenes, and there you go. 

But here I am at the end of the series, and I'm so disappointed. The last 30 minutes were like a flush of a toilet. Like the writers just got tired and said to hell with it all, we can't fix it.

But I forgive them. It's just a television show, after all. They gave me so many hours of entertainment, kept me on the edge of my seat, had me wondering what the heck was going on - for years now - so I'll cut 'em some slack. 

Because when it's all said and done, they gave me characters - characters that were layered, layered, layered. Characters that were believable because they were so flawed. That's what's kept me coming back every week, waiting to see what happened. Despite their weaknesses, they learned to pull the best out of themselves. They loved each other, they connected, they believed in each other. They learned to believe in themselves. To forgive themselves.

It's been a lesson in writing...  a lesson in characterization, story and plot. 

But more than that, it's been a lesson in life.

Loose Ends, Apologies and Clarifications

I owe my kids an apology. I implied in XOXO Nina Barbara that they were slackers in the Mother's Day department. I didn't intend to, but nonetheless, reading back over it now, I understand why my sweet Tommy slipped a pressed flower into the card he sent me with a note explaining "I couldn't let Nicole out-do me, so here's a flower."

It's a pretty little flower, but the gesture was totally unnecessary; he, Daniel and the Girl chipped in for something I've been yearning for ... another pair of Chaco sandals. I splurged on a pair in Gruene two years ago (our anniversary served as the excuse that time) and have practically worn them out. Chaco Flips don't look like anything special, but they fit and support these old aching feet of mine perfectly ... and match my wardrobe! If you have plantar fasciitis, you need to try a pair. Trust me.

Thank you, sweet kids!

I also felt, after writing yesterday's post  about the hospital time warp, that I should mention all of the wonderful caretakers we met there ... the nurse who scrounged up a pair of scrubs pants to make my dear one more comfortable ... the emergency room doctor who thought outside the box when test results weren't fitting together ... the admitting surgeon who did all he could to avoid surgery, covered all the bases and seemed reluctant to let us go without knowing for sure what it was ... the "mother nurse" who came by to visit, to answer questions and put my dear one at ease about the potential surgery and ended up inspiring both of us with her story: she suffered a stroke several years ago - wasn't supposed to even be able to walk again - and decided life was too short to not go after a passion. She took a class in making jewelry and started a business.  Scrambling for a name for her new business, the perfect one hit her: MySCAL (My Second Chance at Life). She wore an example - a beautiful fused glass pin. 

Some other loose ends ...

*At the Texas Music Awards in Marshall last weekend the Shake Russell Trio won Vocal Group of the Year. I still believe Shake should have also won Entertainer of the Year, but I'm happy the group was at least recognized. Click here to see all of the recipients.

*My sister sent me this link about Guinea Fowl after my last post about Frankie and his strange behavior. If you're a Frankie fan, you should read it. It turns out, they mate for life and can die of broken hearts. Poor Frankie.

*Don't forget BlogHer has these fantastic give-aways where, just by commenting on a post, you're entered into a random drawing for hundreds of dollars in gift cards. I have one on my reviews/contest blog right now! Click here and tell me who in your life is the yin to your yang for a chance at a $100 Visa gift card. The contest ends June 3.

*As if taking care of my family, working, blogging, writing a book and practicing my drums weren't enough to fill my spare time, I've joined a Flickr group - "The Blog Camp 365 in 2010 Project."

What that means is I'm taking photographs, playing around with the editing, and uploading one to the group page every day. Oh, and I'm looking at everyone else's photos, commenting on them and learning tons and tons about photography while I'm at it. I'm trying to figure out how to add a link to my "One-A-Days" on this blog, but for some reason, I just haven't had time to do it yet. Keep an eye out for it, but in the meantime, I'll just post a few of mine here ... 

  

 

*The latest edition of my missionary friend Jeannie's newsletter arrived this week. In it she writes "...without electricity I eat cold food, take cold showers, have no internet or TV - in short, nothing in my house works but my cell phone, which I keep charged up, just in case. I also shower at night if I have electricity, to avoid a possible cold shower in the morning if there's no power. I've learned to do things at a slower pace and to adjust to a life with uncertainty." She goes on to say "... we're in what's called a false winter here. That means the weather is acting like the rainy season, even though it's a month early. Farmers have to decide whether to plant now or at the traditional time. They're both risky, but they have to make a decision. Many are out of food provisions for the year and an early start means they will have food sooner, if the rain keeps on. If it doesn't, the newly sprouted corn will dry up and die and they will lose this year's crop..."

I've tried getting her to convert her newsletter into a blog format, but she has too many she needs to mail it to. Plus, she's kinda busy ... So I'm trying to figure out a way to post her newsletter on my blog, just to help get the word out about her work. Keep an eye out for it, too!

*And last but not least, I spotted this on the news this week - a 94-year-old woman earned her college degree. That means there's still hope for me!

     

I Will Not Think About Food Today

I will not think about food today.

I will not think about the crunchy, dry-roasted peanuts I always have mid-morning ... or the healthy salmon salad and triscuits I'd probably have for lunch ... the Sweet 'n Salty Almond granola bar ... the sweet Clementine oranges ... the almonds  ... the banana ... the slice of cheese ... the steak, chicken or pork chops Tom would grill for dinner ...

That's what was already running through my head on my morning walk with the critters. I tried hard to switch my brain over to my surroundings - to the sunlight stretching from one horizon to the next over my head, leaving the Hollow bathed in soft light ... to the clear blue sky above, tattooed with a half moon ... to the new reddish-orange wildflowers joining the ranks of the yellows, whites and purples ... 

I've probably said it before, perhaps even in another season, but right now, today, this is my favorite time of year. Cool mornings that require a light jacket and warm afternoons that remind you of beaches. Clear skies, sunshine, soft breezes.

But even in the midst of this beauty, my stomach already started grumbling and my mind turned back to food and what I won't be able to eat today.

I'm not good with not eating. I eat all day long, every two or three hours. I keep a bag of almonds with me because when my hunger pangs hit, they hit hard. I feel sick. I need to eat right then, and that's all I can think about.

No, I'm not looking forward to today, this day of preparation before my Happy 50th Birthday Colonoscopy. The test itself doesn't worry me. I'm grateful for this technology, for the chance to catch a potential problem. It's this not eating bit and the "internal cleansing" that I dread with every pore of my being.

Today, when thoughts of food pop into my head and my stomach feels like it's turning on itself, I'll try to think instead of all the people in the world, way too many, who never have enough to eat, who would be grateful for the broth I'll be having for lunch, and I'll say a prayer for them.

Tonight, when I'm catching up on all of my bathroom reading, wink-wink, I'll also spend some time thinking and praying for my friends who are at this minute fighting colon cancer; I'll give thanks for the advances in medicine that help catch and treat cancer before it gets a good toehold, and for our health insurance that makes it affordable.

I'll also give thanks for friends who are helping me laugh about the whole thing. Mary reminded me about Dave Barry's classic, "A Journey into My Colon - and Yours" and Kim shared the clip below. Think of me as you're laughing ... (and if you're over 50 but haven't had your colonoscopy yet, schedule it now!!)

Have I mentioned that I'm hungry?

A Two out of Three, Lazy Weekend

I needed a weekend like this with days that weren't overfilled, but not so open that I simply drifted through the hours, finding myself on the other side with nothing whatsoever done. 

The weather the past few days has been perfect, just what I hope to find in heaven - blue skies ... temperatures warm enough for shorts but not for sweat, and dropping enough to need a light jacket once the sun goes down. 

Daniel came home this weekend; it was time to do laundry, but I think he also just likes being home for a change ... playing with the puppies, reading in the hammock. I picked him up Friday afternoon and on the way home, we made a quick run into Target to get the "Crazy Heart" DVD. So you know what we did when we got home ... (I love that movie ... it was just as good the second time.)

This past week I started getting up at 4 AM again to work on my book; I gave up trying to squeeze more time out of the day anywhere else. Consequently, I slept later Saturday morning than I have in months. I cannot describe how wonderful that felt. The only thing on my agenda was taking the Girl shopping - almost always a fun way to spend the day if I'm not rushed for time and we manage to find what we need on clearance racks. I'm blessed with frugal kids who know how to sniff out the bargains and sales and know their way around a discount store. 

We had time to stop for an early Mexican food dinner and later she introduced me to Yo-Yo's frozen yogurt: first you get a taste of everything in these teensy sample cups, then fill a large cup with the cheesecake- and strawberry-flavored yogurt (we agree they're the best), topped with chunks of real cheesecake and mini-chocolate and caramel candies. Decadent, but so good!

Six hours later, both of us exhausted, I dropped her back off at her dorm. She had found what she needed, more or less, and I had found what I didn't really need but couldn't pass up because it was so cheap!

Back home, I settled down to watch the last half of Avatar with Daniel and Tom, but started snoozing before it was even over. I guess I hadn't quite caught up on my sleep.

Sunday was late Mass and the grocery store and planting color - calla lilies not far from the pond ... a deep pink blooming miniature rose bush, pink periwinkles and geraniums in the bed at the top of the walkway. (I'm a lazy gardener - I dig a hole and plop them in with a prayer and a can of water - but I hope these live. Periwinkles and roses remind me of my grandmothers; geraniums remind me of my mother. I even went back to the calla lilies today with the watering can.)

Sunday was also a little dose of "Flight of the Conchords" with Daniel - one of those shows you need to share with someone who enjoys it as much as you do. I only watch it when Daniel's home. Tom just doesn't appreciate how funny it is!

This morning, the alarm went off again at 4 AM - another Monday so soon? I rolled out of bed, trying not to disturb Tom, and stepped out of the bedroom. Moonlight splashed across the living room floor, rewarding my determination and dedication. It was almost as if the moon was cheering me on, encouraging me, giving me a pat on the back for sticking to it. Not a bad way to start a Monday after all. Even if it's starting at 4 AM.

Scavenger Hunt!

Back when I was in junior high, no slumber party was complete without a scavenger hunt, when you divided up into teams going door to door through the neighborhood gathering up things like safety pins and matchboxes from Taco Bueno. The first team to gather everything on the list won.

One specific scavenger hunt stands out in my mind ...

 ... It was Colleen Walker's slumber party. My team was working our way down Grant Street, I believe, when our knock on one door was answered by Quentin from Dark Shadows. I swear it was Quentin. It looked just like him, sideburns and all. 

 

 

We all gasped and took a step back. He just gazed at us; we were entranced. One of us gathered up the nerve to ask him for a bobby pin. (Probably not me - I was numb from fear. I believe this was shortly after a group of us sat on the front row of the theater watching House of Dark Shadows, the movie based on the scary soap - still one of the scariest movies of all times to me ... mostly because I can't remember anything about it except lots of blood and being scared!)

Anyway, Quentin just slowly shook his head "no" and we wasted no more time (after all, we wanted to win!) - we ran off to the next house for the bobby pin, probably screaming all the way, because that would make it more fun.

Well, now you get to participate in that scavenger hunt fun - without the fear of meeting up with Quentin from Dark Shadows! You also get a chance to win $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to this link (click here and let me know if it doesn't work! You might have to register with BlogHer, but it's free!)
2. BlogHer will present a fact, along with links to two different BlogHer profiles (mine is one of them!)
3. Visit each profile, find out who the fact belongs to and then move along to the next question.
4. When you finish the entire form, you will be entered to win one of 10 $100 Visa Gift Cards.

Good luck and have fun! 

You know you're over 50 when ...

... you find the paperwork for your scheduled colonoscopy mixed in with the birthday cards in your mailbox.

Oh, man ... I really, really dread that test. Well, not so much the test itself as the "preparation" for the test. But I can't very well spout off about eating healthy and exercising if I don't take care of other necessary evils, like the Big C, can I? Although I did manage to procrastinate on it all year.

Other than being forced to think about that, I've had a wonderful birthday ... also despite having to work when I had my mind all set for a day off. To appease myself, I went in late (I took time to walk the critters, finish my blog, work out and play my drums first) and left early (no reason except it was my birthday!) Before heading home, I drove to a nearby church and took pictures of the bluebonnets. No need to buy me flowers for my birthday - nature provides abundant bouquets everywhere I look!

Thanks to others, the rest of my day felt like a celebration: all of the happy birthday phone calls, emails and Facebook messages reminded me how blessed I am to know the people I know ... my bosses served me a slice of chocolate pie topped with a question mark candle and sang "Happy Birthday" to me ... Tom and I stuffed ourselves on Mexican food and margaritas ... we made it home in time for LOST and a great "what the heck is going on" Facebook discussion with two other addicts fans. 

Fifty-one isn't so bad after all. I am truly, truly blessed ... and, strangely enough, I find myself looking forward to fifty-two!

A few shots of my birthday bouquets...

 

   

Gratitude

Another birthday has rolled around somehow. Fifty-one just seems anti-climatic, doesn't it? Not nearly as exciting as fifty, but still just as unreal. Age really is just a number ... now I understand.

For years I've taken my Birthday-Day off to spend as I please, a gift for myself. Tom often takes the day off, too, and we go adventuring, usually a drive through the Hill Country checking out the wildflowers. Last year we explored one of the areas my memoir-writing grandfather lived and I think the year before that we took a ride on the Hill Country Flyer.

This year, we're both too busy at work to skip off into the Hill Country today - not a bad thing, of course, having jobs, and our free day is just postponed, not cancelled. So today will be like every other Tuesday - critter care, hours planted in front of a computer, and an episode of "Lost" - with perhaps some laundry or other chore squeezed in there somewhere.

No complaints from me, though ... this past weekend was a gift in itself: warm days, cool nights, and if there was a cloud in the sky, I don't remember seeing it. Flowers are blooming everywhere - our road is lined with yellow and purple ... the woods are splashed with pink from awakening redbud trees ... and bluebonnets crowd along the sides of the highway. 

The best part - my house was filled with kids. I'm so grateful that Tommy's girlfriend got a job in San Antonio - it means we get to see both of them much more often. 

Tom picked up the two youngest from college on his way home from work Friday night. The Girl promptly crawled into bed and fell asleep, poor thing. Daniel and I tried to watch Sherlock Holmes with Tom, but neither of us made it all the way through; all of those nights of just four hours of sleep finally caught up with me.

But, oh, sleeping in on a Saturday morning ... not needing to be up for anything in particular or be anywhere at a particular time. Glorious! It feels so good to be lazy sometimes, although by "lazy" don't think I wasn't busy. I made muffins for everyone, fed the dogs and the bird, probably straightened the kitchen and did some laundry before heading to Wales with Rick Steves and then working out - but it was my state of mind, not needing to rush, just taking my time. I love days like that.

Tommy, Kirby, and Josie arrived in the early afternoon. Josie is just an older version of Belle, a Rottweiler Terrier mix, and Max adores her. No, more than that ... he's obsessed with her! I'm sure the fact that Belle looks so much like Josie scored the puppy some points with Max. He probably thinks she's their Love Child. She looks like she could be!

Thanks to Tommy and Kirby, I finally visited Flat Creek Estate, a winery not far from us. It will soon be celebrating it's 10th anniversary, and yet I'm embarrassed to admit I had never been there! We sat at a small table in the tasting room, sampling several different wines and just talking, in a way I haven't had time to talk to them before. No rush, no interruptions, just me, them, and time ... and wine, crackers, chocolate, and beautiful scenery outside of the window.

Back home, we took all the critters for a walk, ate hamburgers, played board and card games, and watched movies.

It was such a wonderful day, but then Easter Sunday morning as I'm getting ready for church, I hear on the television that a 21-year-old college student disappeared Saturday while racing some friends across Hamilton Pool, a natural swimming hole outside of Austin.

For my family, Saturday was a beautiful day. For his, it was a tragedy.

I thought of friends of mine who have lost children this year, who must be feeling that loss even more keenly on Easter morning. I think of other friends who are separated from their children by miles ... or by hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and all of those other walls that somehow come between loved ones.

Easter Sunday is when we celebrate a Father being reunited with his Son - a promise to all of us for an end to our own separations. But we all want time in this lifetime, and that's why I consider the time I spent with my children this weekend a gift. A blessing.  I realize circumstances can change in a heartbeat, so I ignored the kitchen and the laundry, my blog and book, and soaked it up while I could, stockpiling memories for days I know will come when I won't be so lucky. 

Once again, I started the week on a sleep deficit. I know it's not good for me, but it was worth it. Sleep I can catch up on, sooner or later, but time here and now with my kids ... it's just not guaranteed, is it?

"What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

(Still) Taming the Beast

Sigh. I feel better. The monster isn't tamed by any means, but he's a lot smaller and not nearly as menacing. Somehow I managed to stay focused on the biggest fun-suckers, like cleaning my house - the part of the monster that was casting the biggest shadow on everything else. Even when Rick Steves came on, I folded clothes, clipped coupons...I just kept snipping at the beast while keeping one eye and an ear on Rick (we traveled to Iran...pretty interesting!)

The house isn't completely cleaned - and I don't even have all of the coupons clipped! But at least I got started. I'll keep working on it this week and (I know I've said this before) I won't let it get that out-of-hand again.

Today, however, there will be a much-needed trip to the grocery store, some desk work and a trek downtown to retrieve one of my children. It's Spring Break! Tom will bring the other one home tomorrow. The washing machine will be doing double-time!

I did manage to squeeze some fun into the weekend yesterday. I mixed some dancing in with my dusting (even cleaning house is fun when you're listening to music!)... we watched an old movie last night ("10 Things I Hate About You" - kind of a silly high school version of "The Taming of the Shrew" with a few really funny parts and a young Heath Ledger)...and we took the boys for a long morning walk through the woods with a stop at the "neighborhood pool"...evidence of spring was all around us...

 

    

 

How was your Saturday?

Decisions, Decisions...

Frankie the Guinea Fowl usually escorts me to my car every morning, then runs alongside until we reach the property line. I have no idea why; it's just what he does. For some reason, he feels this is his duty and therefore, I'm honored.

This morning, however...no Frankie! I finally traced his chirps into the woods, where he was settled into a hole in the dirt, like a hen sits on a nest. He looked mighty comfortable, but I could tell he was torn, trying to decide whether he should escort (chase) me down the road or stay put. He would lift up an inch or two, then settle back down.

"That's okay, Frankie. You don't have to chase me today."

Ah, conflict. Despite my assurances, I could see him struggling under the weight of the choices. I watched him as I started the car and backed up, curious to see which would win, duty or pleasure. 

It was pleasure; he stayed put, comfy in his earthen nest.

Like Frankie, I found myself struggling to make a similar decision these past two days...duty or pleasure? Should I stay home, finally clean this filthy house, get some work done outside (it's going to be a beautiful weekend!) and catch up on writing and to-do list items?

Or...should I head to the coast, to Galveston, to a birthday party of a friend who's guests will also include George Strait's Ace in the Hole Band and friends from high school I haven't seen in a long, long time?

I hate having to make decisions like this...I know no matter what I decide, I'm going to have regrets.

On the one hand, Galveston has always been a special place to me ...a calming place that would pull me into its arms and soothe me when life threatened to overwhelm me. History, the beach, the sea and sun...ah, my idea of heaven. Then there are the friends I haven't seen in close to a year...I was really looking forward to spending some time with them, walking along the Strand or the seawall before heading for the party. And of course, with the Ace in the Hole band playing, there would be dancing...

On the other hand, and you might not realize this unless you're a first-class Procrastinator like me, but I've discovered something: if you ignore a to-do list long enough, it swells into a huge, hulking monster that looms over you, sucking the fun out of everything. And right now my house is splattered with so many lists morphing into monsters, so many scraps of paper with random thoughts scribbled on them that even I don't comprehend - like my brain exploded or something - that my house now resembles the setting of a Stephen King novel.

So, reluctantly, I'm choosing duty over pleasure this time. I need to be a grownup, damn it. I hate that! I can't believe I'm choosing staying home to tackle chores over a party in Galveston!

But I realize if I don't stop and breathe and tackle this mess it will consume me. Nothing will hold pleasure for me until the biggest monster has been tamed. I'm realistic enough to know this guy isn't going to disappear in one weekend, but maybe I'll be able to at least clean him up like Harry on Harry and the Hendersons. I love that movie! Maybe this will be a fun weekend, after all!

 

 

Second Chances

 

 

I'm a LOST addict. I'll just get that out of the way right now. My son got me hooked sometime late in the first season, despite my scorn and cynicism and efforts to ignore it. 

Now, I'm not an expert and I don't spend hours ripping all of the clues apart for hidden meanings or discussing theories with other LOST fanatics. Minutes, maybe...okay, maybe one single hour a week, but not "hours". Jeez. However, this is mostly because I have a terrible memory.

But I enjoy revisiting the Island every week. I'm invested in the characters; I love them because they are so intricate, so layered, so flawed. So human. Every single one of them.

One of my favorite characters is Ben, despite the fact that he has shown himself over and over to be a power-hungry, lying, cold-hearted murderer. Nevertheless, there have been glimpses of good in him over the past few seasons, like tiny flecks of gold in gray, cold rock. Michael Emerson is the actor behind Ben - he's phenomenal...somehow portraying Ben as a despicable yet sympathetic character.

Tonight's episode rewarded my faith in Ben and my belief that change is possible in everyone. Everyone can reform...everyone deserves a second chance. Ben finally confessed and expressed regret over many of his actions...and Ilana forgave him for the grief he caused her. Her forgiveness and acceptance of him, despite all of his previous sins and faults, opened the door for Ben's redemption and he stepped through, turning his back on the "dark" side. 

A great lesson for everyone on both sides of that door, I believe.

Love is...(continued)

I realize Valentine's Day is behind us, but a chat with my mom, a movie, and an email from a friend have kept me thinking of Romantic Love and the different ways it can be expressed...especially those ways you don't anticipate when New Love first sets your heart on fire.

My mother's Valentine story made me laugh. My diabetic Daddy gave her a large box of Millionaire candies - delicious milk chocolate, caramel and pecans. Knowing Daddy has a terrific sweet tooth, Mama gallantly ate the majority of the box so that even if he snuck into it, there wouldn't be enough left for him to OD on sugar. Sometimes self-sacrifice for love can be sweet...

Saturday night my Valentine Tom and I watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"...the movie  where Brad Pitt plays a character who is born an old man and dies a young baby. On the outside, anyway...on the inside he ages just like everyone else. But as interesting and creative as the reverse age concept was, that wasn't what got me crying near the end. No, what touched my heart were the scenes where the wife is dealing with her Alzheimer's stricken husband...caring for him so tenderly. She is the one I cried for, thinking of a friend who is caring for a husband with early onset Alzheimer's right now and remembering the sweet, loving notes she writes about him on Facebook...

I cried again today over an email from another friend, Jean. She told me that my recent blog posts, "What This Heart Holds" and "Love Is...", made her think of her own marriage and the tough, heartbreaking ways she and her husband ultimately showed their love for each other.  She gave me permission to share her story here...

"Late in July, 2003, Bill had his stroke.  He deteriorated fairly rapidly.  He had the stroke on Sat. morning and by Wed. night the doctor was advising me to sign a "do not resuscitate" statement.  It was the hardest thing I ever had to do and haunts me to this day, but I knew how he felt about feeding tubes and about keeping people alive when there was no hope for a meaningful life. He was no longer able to move or to talk.  My children wanted me to do it, and my son was with me when I did; he couldn't watch, though, walking over to the window, sobbing.  As I think back on it, that was my "love is" for him.

 

Nine days after his stroke, I had gone home at 9:30, exhausted.  Soon after I arrived home, they called me from the hospital and said he was very restless and threshing around in the bed and would I like to come.   Of course, I went in immediately.  When I got there, I picked up a Bible on the way in and went over to his bed and started to read to him from John:  "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions. . ."

 

He got very still and drifted into unconsciousness.  He died the next night, not having moved a muscle since I read to him.  The nurses at the hospital told me that they had seen that happen before, but never to that extent.  It means so much to me that he just refused to die or even to slip into a coma until I was with him.  That's love!"

 

Not what any of them expected when they first fell in love, but love just the same.

 

 

 

 

 

Crazy Heart...Who Dat!

Sometimes it amazes me how a weekend, as it's depicted on a calendar, can have so much white space on it, yet when it's time to live it, it has become a too-small suitcase that you've over-packed and now you're sitting on top of it, bouncing, trying to get it all to fit.

Needless to say, I didn't get many things scratched off of my dusty to-do lists this past weekend. But thank goodness happiness doesn't depend on "getting things done."

I know it doesn't because, other than finally cleaning our shower (it had moved to the top of the list and was screaming at me...otherwise it would have been ignored again) and grabbing some groceries when I took the Girl shopping, I didn't get anything on my list done! Tom even made the brownies for us to take to the Super Bowl party Sunday afternoon. (I'm such a slacker sometimes.) But I had a wonderful weekend anyway!

It started Friday...Daniel came home for the weekend. I only had time for a quick hug and kiss, though, because it was also another movie/dinner night with the girls to see "Crazy Heart" in celebration of my friend Cheryl's birthday.

Ah, Crazy Heart. My new favorite movie. The big question on my mind is: why, why, why wasn't it included in the Academy Award "Best Picture" nominations? Granted, I haven't seen all of the nominees, but I have seen three, including "Up in the Air" and (in my opinion) "Crazy Heart" has it beat all the way around.

It's just a beautiful movie...it has tragedy written all over it...yet it's hopeful and uplifting. It's a glass of wine and a visit with an old friend...a laugh and a tear. It's a song on the radio....tender, heartbreaking. It's faded photographs in an old album. Bittersweet memories. It's a quiet sigh, a smile and a kiss on the cheek good-bye.

No one applauded at the end. It was one of those you just don't want to end. You have fallen in love with the characters and don't want them to leave. They are people you know...friends, relatives...real people you care about despite their human frailties. Maybe because of their human frailties.

Saturday was when my suitcase started bulging. First, a relaxing lunch with my cousin Patricia, long overdue. Despite living so close, we hadn't seen each other since this time last year! We have vowed to spend a weekend or two this year exploring cemeteries and courthouse records in hopes of digging up more family history. There are still too many irresistible unsolved mysteries.

After lunch I headed downtown, scooped up the Girl and spent a few hours shopping...just groceries and some college supplies this time, but it was fun just spending time with her. A bonus...she showed me around the sorority house and introduced me to the house mother. (Is it wrong to live vicariously through your children?)

Once I delivered her and her bags back to the dorm, I headed for my friend Darla's house. Our mutual friend Annie (the author of Objects of Reflection) was in town for a quick visit and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her...and get my copy autographed! The three of us feasted on shrimp and asparagus, drifted from the past to the present to the future and before I knew it it was midnight.

Sunday was, naturally, late Mass. It's impossible to squeeze eight hours of sleep into my routine during the week, but it's a priority on the weekends! Afterwards I caught up with Daniel, did a little writing and laundry and cleaned our shower while Tom baked the brownies.

What a perfect way to end the weekend...gathering with friends to watch the "Who Dat" Saints win the Super Bowl.

Yeah, it was a fast and furious, over-stuffed weekend and I'm STILL working on Chapter 8 and behind on my to-do's...but I'm smiling! 

Anticipation...LOST

Do not call me, for I will not answer - at least not tonight after 7, Central Time. Physically I will be nestled on my couch with eyes glued to the television. Mentally, I'll be an imagination away on a remote, mysterious island trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

My name is Barbara Shallue and I am a LOST-aholic.

I don't pretend to be an expert; my memory isn't that sharp. I just enjoy the ride! The twists and turns of the story line that annoy many people - I love them! For a long time I suspected the writers were making it up as they went...but that didn't bother me. I envied them and their creativity! I really didn't care if they ever tied it all together.

It reminded me of a writing exercise in one of my classes, where we worked as a group to create a story...each of us beginning where the previous teammate had left off. I had the honor of gathering all of the loose ends and random facts together into a grand finale - it was the most fun I've ever had on a writing project. Probably some of my most creative work!

I love the characters in LOST - multilayered, complex, full of surprises, each one good AND bad in their own way (in other words...human.) Each is seemingly completely different from the next - culturally, morally, etc. - yet they connect.

I love how far-fetched the whole story line appears to be...and yet the writers have managed to create a world where it fits. Now, with each episode, I am even more impressed with the details, the background, the way they are beginning to fit the puzzle pieces together...how they weaved these characters and each of their individual stories into this one huge epic tale.

Tonight is the beginning episode of Season 6 - the Final Season. It's not too late to become a LOST aficionado yourself...Entertainment Weekly will run you through the "10 Essential Episodes" (click here.) (Yes, like all junkies, I'm trying to create other addicts.)

For you comrades who are already LOST...check out LOST Season 6, a website totally dedicated to this season. And see if you agree with Megan Smith's  "The 25 Best Moments of "LOST"on Blogher.

I hope you all join me in this last trip back to the island. Those of you that choose to remain behind, remember...don't call me after 7!

It's a Girlfriend Thing

Let me first say that I love my husband...I have fun just hanging out with him, he makes me laugh, we have great discussions, I can talk to him about anything, he's my best friend, blah, blah, blah...

With that out of the way, let me second say that I love my girlfriends, too...and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like...

...which is why last Saturday I jumped on the chance to spend the day with my friends Mary Kay and Karen...attending a University of Texas women's basketball game, dinner and a movie ("Up in the Air" with George Clooney...good, but not as good as I expected) with a little shopping squeezed in between.

...and it's why, even though I was heading out of town the next morning, I left my poor, sick husband home alone this past Friday night to meet my friends Darla and Leslie (and Larry and Roy, but this is about GIRLfriends...no offense, Larry and Roy) to hear the Rhythm Dawgs play in a smoky Round Rock bar. Darla is in the first days of a new relationship and I just had to see her floating on air with my own eyes. (I wasn't disappointed.)

Thank goodness Tom understands about girlfriends - and even about non-girl friends like Larry and Roy. Many man don't. But that's one reason why I'm so crazy about him!

My trip to Pasadena was all about family this time, not girlfriends. I spent time visiting, remembering, laughing...watching "Inglourious Basterds" with my parents, brother and niece...being entertained by the squirrels and birds who have taken over the backyard and keep my parents hopping...

...but I did slip in a quick detour to meet my sister and her husband at my friend Rae's Mexican Imports garage sale on my way out of town Sunday...I needed to drop off a plastic container she had left at my house in October when everyone came for our friend Ann's birthday celebration. (I only bought the two pairs of earrings at the garage sale to be polite. Okay...it was also because they were gorgeous and such a great deal!)

While we're speaking of girlfriends...specifically Ann...I am so excited that my very own copy of her book Objects of Reflection was delivered today. It was a girlfriend thing that made me cheer her on the past few months as she worked on it...it was a girlfriend thing that I ordered it and spread the word about it here on my blog...but after flipping through it, reading some of her magical poetry, believe me...it will not be just a girlfriend thing that makes me read it.  It's a beautiful piece of art in itself. Way to go, girlfriend!

Going backwards...

I'm a proud owner of Objects of Reflection!

Me, Darla and Leslie toasting new love, new beginnings at the Roadhouse Bar and Grill...

 
Me, Mary Kay and Karen having fun even though our team lost...

Discovering Temple Grandin

I've discovered a whole new world that I didn't even realize existed.

Until about a year ago, I knew nothing about autism. I was aware of it...I personally knew children with it...but I didn't have a clue how complex it could be until I became involved with Jobs4Autism, the nonprofit website my employers sponsor.

Since then I've read numerous articles, subscribed to newsletters and joined communities on Twitter and Facebook. I've met mothers and fathers of children with autism. I've met mothers and fathers who themselves are on the autism spectrum, along with numerous founders of organizations dedicated to helping and supporting the autism cause.

What I've learned is...there is a lot more to learn. Autism is broad, layered, connected by similarities but separated by differences. And it's a lot more common than most of us realize. I've enjoyed working on the website because I can see that one of the biggest problems is just lack of understanding about autism; I feel we are doing a little bit to erase that ignorance...to help close the gap between "neuro-typicals" and those on the spectrum.

No matter where I turn, one name keeps popping up: Temple Grandin. Over the past year, I've come to know enough about her to understand why her name is mentioned whenever people begin talking about autism. She is a barrier-breaker, although she didn't set out to break barriers - she just had a dream and refused to let anyone stop her from achieving it, whether it was because she was a woman or because she was on the autism spectrum. She is an inpiration to everyone that has ever had a dream and had to overcome obstacles to reach it.

On Saturday, February 6, a movie based on two of Grandin's books (Thinking in Pictures and Emergence, co-written with Margeret Sciarano) premiers on HBO, starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin and directed by Mick Jackson. For those like me who haven't read Grandin's books, it's a great opportunity to see her story.

Last week on Jobs4Autism I blogged about an interview with Grandin by author Chantal Sicile-Kira published in the Huffington Post. Our website is focused on employment for those on the spectrum, and in the interview Grandin shared some great advice that applies to anyone trying to get a job...not just those on the spectrum.

Grandin also mentions the importance of mentors in her life - she credits them with giving her the guidance, support and confidence she needed to move forward and accomplish all that she has accomplished. Isn't that true for anyone? I've certainly had mentors help me along my way. I sure hope in my days as a librarian and volunteer I was able to have a positive influence on the kids that crossed my path.

You can read my Jobs4Autism blog post here, but I encourage you to read Sicile-Kira's entire interview here and especially, I encourage you to watch Temple Grandin.

(above photo credit: HBO/Van Redin)

Not on my list, but just what I needed...Popcorn and Sherlock

When you have a stress knot in your neck and to-do lists are popping up all over the house and you're wondering when you're going to have time to do all of them, is it really sane to head off to the movies after work instead of trying to scratch things off?

Who cares? Yeah, I know I've been complaining about not having enough time in the day...I realize I have to be up 5 am again in the morning...I can see there are still a few ornaments waiting quietly on the kitchen table to be boxed and shelved for another year...but I turned a blind eye to it all and treated Daniel and Kendall to the movies tonight. I love sitting in a dark theater, sharing the movie experience with other people, stuffing that salty, unhealthy popcorn in my mouth by the handfuls...Tom hates it. So I have to take advantage of having the kids here while I can. Gotta get my movie/popcorn fix!

Tonight we saw Sherlock Holmes. I wasn't sure what to expect...some critics loved it, some hated it, and the one viewer review I read said "save your money." But I've read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection...I'm a big Guy Ritchie fan ("Snatch", "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels")...and you can hardly go wrong with Robert Downey Jr. or Jude Law.  It was worth the gamble.

I loved it. It isn't a film...it doesn't make you think or feel. So if that's what you're looking for...yes, save your money. But if you enjoy action and popcorn-munching mystery, like I do...if you want to laugh or just be entertained for a couple of hours...then I think you'll love it, too. Two thumbs up!

On Christmas Day

Christmas is different when your kids get older...instead of staying up late wrapping presents on Christmas Eve, you tell them goodnight and hope you wake up early enough to make sure Santa has done his job before they wake up. Even after they're older, you still want to play the game.

We shared Mass with a church-full of people last night - many I didn't recognize. Were they all visiting? Or were they the kind who only attend church on Christmas and Easter? It doesn't matter - I know from experience that even a visit here and there can touch your heart.

We watched movies with the kids after Mass and stayed up late...therefore we slept late...but not as late as our kids. Tommy got up relatively early because he's puppy-sitting his girlfriend's dog Josie - I don't mind...I couldn't ask for a sweeter "grandpuppy". So he, Tom and I ate breakfast together...a huge breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast we only have three times a year...on Christmas, Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Daniel and Kendall finally woke up (with a little help from Tommy and Josie) but no one was in a hurry to open presents. Tom, Tommy, Josie, Max and I went for a walk - Max doesn't know what to think of Josie, a Rottwieler/terrier mix...she's a little tornado, running and spinning in circles around him. He's smitten.

It has been a beautiful day...full of sunshine and blue skies. We didn't buy many presents, so I spent the day in the kitchen, trying to fulfill wishes...baking a turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, broccoli cheese casserole...all the things they asked for, but so out of character for me. I have cooked more in the last month than I have in two years! The boys were wonderful...Tommy chopped veggies for me, Daniel hung around ready to do whatever I needed, from sauteing celery and onion to playing a quick game of ping-pong before it got too dark...one of the things I'd hoped for for Christmas.

Dinner was traditional turkey and dressing, on my rarely used wedding china and crystal, followed by pumpkin pie and everyone crowded on a couch downstairs to watch the new Star Trek movie.

Tommy slipped out early to visit with his longtime friend Graham...we took over watching Josie for him, so she ended up on the couch with us for a little while. We figured it was our job to spoil her just a little more.

It's time for bed, but I glanced at Facebook just to check up on all my "people" and came across this note by my cousin Joanna, which I thought was a wonderful reminder for all of us about what Christmas is all about; we are all angels if we choose to be...

"Now I don't claim to be a writer but I am a thinker. I have family members who are writers, my daughter Ashley and my very talented cousin Barbara.
But I do want to share an interesting thing that happened yesterday on the way home from my parents. We stopped at a new little country store in Buna, Tx. I am recovering from bronchitis and not feeling a 100 % and truth be known, blue from having to leave my parents home on christmas eve to go back to work. Anyways the family went in the store, I stayed in the van with the grandson. I guess I must have looked sad, sick or something because I looked up to catch a man's eye. He mouthed Merry Christmas, I smiled and mouthed back Merry Christmas. He smiled and mouthed Its going to be okay, and pointed to the sky and smiled the most perfect smile that lit his whole face up. Well I smiled backed and thanked him. That perfect stranger made my day so much brighter and reminded me that Jesus is the reason for this season. Not presents, nor not getting to spend the day of Christmas with my parents, but because of his birth and everything his life became. I get so bogged down in silly things that I forget that reason ALOT!! Well I never claim to be perfect.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I hope this new year brings happiness and healing to all those who need it. This past year has been really hard and trying on alot of friends and family members. I will continue to write down my thoughts, so bear with me, because I am a thinker not a writer... " 

I beg to differ on the "writer" part...and to think I used to babysit this girl...! Her note reminded me of this quote I read in Catholic Digest magazine...

"I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses." - Taylor Caldwell, American writer

We are not alone because Jesus is God but he was also a man...he experienced what we experience...friendship, family, love...loss, disappointment, loneliness...there is nothing we can feel that he hasn't already experienced himself.

No matter what we feel, he understands. That's almost the best Christmas gift ever. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Sweet Kisses and Skipping

Christmas is the season of joy, but it's easy to let that joy get buried by to-do lists, exhaustion and financial stress.

Yesterday I re-discovered a sure-fire way to bust that joy back out of the rubble...skipping!

I really have no idea why the notion to skip entered my brain, but there I was on our morning walk, returning from the bend, and something inside of me said SKIP! So I skipped.

Do you remember that scene when little boy Forrest Gump is running from the bullies ("Run, Forrest, run!") and his leg braces come loose and get left in the dust behind him? That's how it felt when I skipped...the to-do lists and the stress and the worries just broke loose and got left behind...once again, I was ten years old. At least for a little while, anyway.

I'm sure anyone looking on would have thought, That is one crazy lady! There I was, this fifty-year old woman skipping along the dirt road, with a guinea fowl and a giant German Shepherd trotting along beside me.

But it was FUN! Joyful! It made the gray sky disappear, made my heart feel lighter and brought a smile to my face! I skipped again this morning and plan to do it every morning from here on out, as long as I am physically able. (It's also great exercise!)

I told Tom he should try it at work when he's feeling frustrated, but he pointed out that it might land him on the "lay-off" list, and I guess he's right. They would think he had flipped. Perhaps there are times when skipping wouldn't help, after all...

Max enjoys my skipping, but I think Frankie's a little annoyed: he doesn't have as much time to snack on our walks anymore (I can move pretty fast!)

I can tell Max still misses Charly, so every morning I linger after he eats to cuddle him. He gives me hugs (he wraps his leg around my leg) and "sweet" kisses...little nibbles on my arm which sometimes result in tiny blood blisters, but he's at least trying to be gentle!

I know he must be lonely - Frankie is a chatterbox, but Max knows he can't even give Frankie "sweet" kisses, much less play with him. I don't see us getting a puppy any time soon, but then, we never know what's going to wander up out of the woods and adopt us. God might have another surprise visitor out there waiting right now for the right time to make an appearance. I'd rather let him pick out our puppy...or whatever...anyway. He always knows just what we need.