If I was feeling greedy (which I am) I would ask for crisp, cool air and the scent of harvest, with a promise of moisture. A spray of salt water would be sublime.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Less Words, More Colors
Sometimes I get tired of words and just want silence. Silence in my head and peace in my heart. And green. My soul aches for some green, with shades of red, orange, and yellow...and a slice of blue.
If I was feeling greedy (which I am) I would ask for crisp, cool air and the scent of harvest, with a promise of moisture. A spray of salt water would be sublime.
If I was feeling greedy (which I am) I would ask for crisp, cool air and the scent of harvest, with a promise of moisture. A spray of salt water would be sublime.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Warming the Cockles of My Heart
Last night my sister called me a "crazyass comedianphilosopher." That's the most heartwarming compliment I've been given in a long time. I think I'm going to cry.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Labor of Love
Everybody shows and accepts love in different ways. We tend to see love as passive, but in reality it takes action (and sometimes hard work) to keep loving someone after that initial spark. Whether it be that moment when you realize, "Yes, this is the person I want to grow old with," or the first time you look into your new child's eyes, if you don't keep accepting and trying to show your love for that person, it can tarnish and fade. I truly believe that loving is a choice.
Each of my children need different things to feel loved, but filling their tummies is an essential first step for all of them. Sometimes the task is easier than other times. It's always gratifying to cook for Davis, he will generally eat whatever I've made, and always tells me "Thank you." Clark is a picky eater. Although he has learned to be gracious, he would rather starve than eat something he doesn't feel is palatable. Isaac is somewhere between the two.
Yesterday I decided to show Clark my love for him through Whoopie Pies. They are yummy soft chocolate cookies sandwiched in the middle with a decadent lard filling. We all love them, but Clark begs for them, he negotiates for them. "Mom, if you'll make Whoopie Pies I'll clean the bathroom, including the toilet, mop the kitchen floor, clean up the dog poop in the yard, be nice to Isaac, fly to the moon, and pay someone to take care of you when you're an old lady."
As delicious as those cookies are, I really dislike making them. They are three times the work for half the cookies. Yesterday, without negotiations, without being on a waiting list for two months, I made a double batch.
All three of those boys better know how much I love them!
Each of my children need different things to feel loved, but filling their tummies is an essential first step for all of them. Sometimes the task is easier than other times. It's always gratifying to cook for Davis, he will generally eat whatever I've made, and always tells me "Thank you." Clark is a picky eater. Although he has learned to be gracious, he would rather starve than eat something he doesn't feel is palatable. Isaac is somewhere between the two.
Yesterday I decided to show Clark my love for him through Whoopie Pies. They are yummy soft chocolate cookies sandwiched in the middle with a decadent lard filling. We all love them, but Clark begs for them, he negotiates for them. "Mom, if you'll make Whoopie Pies I'll clean the bathroom, including the toilet, mop the kitchen floor, clean up the dog poop in the yard, be nice to Isaac, fly to the moon, and pay someone to take care of you when you're an old lady."
As delicious as those cookies are, I really dislike making them. They are three times the work for half the cookies. Yesterday, without negotiations, without being on a waiting list for two months, I made a double batch.
All three of those boys better know how much I love them!
Boys in the Band
Isaac has the opportunity to take band and learn how to play an instrument in school this year. I played the clarinet throughout junior high and high school. Aside from percussion, which is always the coolest section in any band, I remember the brass boys as being the hottest in every band that I was in, so I was more than supportive of Isaac's decision.
Last night Isaac got his instrument. His teacher says he's a natural. He can blow those notes out clear and strong.
I'm now wondering why I didn't consider the acoustical qualities of our home when this decision was being made. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, and an open floor plan all make it feel like we're in a concert hall.
I was blinded by fond memories of Mark, Dean, and Germaine. How could I forget that a trumpet is a HORN? If nothing else, the shape should have tipped me off. It's made to project sounds to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, so it easily permeates each and every corner of our home, no matter how many walls or pillows are between my ears and the melodic notes.
Is it too late to convince Ike that flutes are girl magnets, and with all those keys, it's really much easier to play than the trumpet with its three valves?
Tonight we're going to get some exciting accessories for Isaacc's instrument. Heck, I might just have it ready for him when he gets home!
Last night Isaac got his instrument. His teacher says he's a natural. He can blow those notes out clear and strong.
I'm now wondering why I didn't consider the acoustical qualities of our home when this decision was being made. Hardwood floors, high ceilings, and an open floor plan all make it feel like we're in a concert hall.
I was blinded by fond memories of Mark, Dean, and Germaine. How could I forget that a trumpet is a HORN? If nothing else, the shape should have tipped me off. It's made to project sounds to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, so it easily permeates each and every corner of our home, no matter how many walls or pillows are between my ears and the melodic notes.
Is it too late to convince Ike that flutes are girl magnets, and with all those keys, it's really much easier to play than the trumpet with its three valves?
Tonight we're going to get some exciting accessories for Isaacc's instrument. Heck, I might just have it ready for him when he gets home!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Penguins and Pigs (Revisited)
A few weeks ago Isaac (my eleven year old) was reading aloud the book "Goodnight Opus" by Berkeley Breathed. It is a take-off of Margaret Wise Brown's children's book, "Goodnight Moon." The book begins with the penguin, Opus', grandmother trying to get him ready for bed:
"Which book, dear Opus, may I read you tonight?"
asked Grandma with love at the start of that night.
"Why, my favorite," I said, "the one with the rhymes,
the same one you've read me two hundred nine times."
And just as it is with all proper grannies,
she ordered me into my pink bunny jammies.
Then she sat and said, "Hush," and her voice filled the room.
"Goodnight," she read softly,
"goodnight to the moon..."
She continues reading, but then Opus gets an idea:
I can't really say how this happened next:
After two hundred ten times,
I departed the text...
"Goodnight," I yelled, jumping, "goodnight far away.
Goodnight to you all in my Milky Way!"
Opus' grandmother then scoldes him, and says:
"When your sight surpasses what's plainly in view,
pull your head from the clouds, keep the ground to your shoes.
"Now let's finish the story with no Milky Way.
It's improper that folks get so carried away."
Luckily for Opus, and us, his grandmother drifts off to sleep. He decides to continue the story, departing the text and wishing the Milky Way goodnight by going there himself to "wish it right to their kissers!"
He signs up the monster under his bed and a pillow with a balloon for a head to go on his journey with him. On their way, they encounter the Tooth Fairy sitting on mountains of old teeth, almost collide with a passenger plane, and skinny dip in the reflection pool at the Lincoln Memorial with Abraham Lincoln, himself (the statue).
I love the book, for many reasons, but the whole point of me telling this is because of Isaac's reaction to it. He accepted the Tooth Fairy trying to sell "an old Elvis molar," and the statue of a dead president stripping down to his union suit without batting an eye, but the next page gave him pause:
We flew past the sailors of Blue Mist Lagoon,
where for ten thousand years they've fished for the moon.
They've seen it up there and they just want to hook it.
They dream that one day they might baste it and cook it.
"Which book, dear Opus, may I read you tonight?"
asked Grandma with love at the start of that night.
"Why, my favorite," I said, "the one with the rhymes,
the same one you've read me two hundred nine times."
And just as it is with all proper grannies,
she ordered me into my pink bunny jammies.
Then she sat and said, "Hush," and her voice filled the room.
"Goodnight," she read softly,
"goodnight to the moon..."
She continues reading, but then Opus gets an idea:
I can't really say how this happened next:
After two hundred ten times,
I departed the text...
"Goodnight," I yelled, jumping, "goodnight far away.
Goodnight to you all in my Milky Way!"
Opus' grandmother then scoldes him, and says:
"When your sight surpasses what's plainly in view,
pull your head from the clouds, keep the ground to your shoes.
"Now let's finish the story with no Milky Way.
It's improper that folks get so carried away."
Luckily for Opus, and us, his grandmother drifts off to sleep. He decides to continue the story, departing the text and wishing the Milky Way goodnight by going there himself to "wish it right to their kissers!"
He signs up the monster under his bed and a pillow with a balloon for a head to go on his journey with him. On their way, they encounter the Tooth Fairy sitting on mountains of old teeth, almost collide with a passenger plane, and skinny dip in the reflection pool at the Lincoln Memorial with Abraham Lincoln, himself (the statue).
I love the book, for many reasons, but the whole point of me telling this is because of Isaac's reaction to it. He accepted the Tooth Fairy trying to sell "an old Elvis molar," and the statue of a dead president stripping down to his union suit without batting an eye, but the next page gave him pause:
We flew past the sailors of Blue Mist Lagoon,
where for ten thousand years they've fished for the moon.
They've seen it up there and they just want to hook it.
They dream that one day they might baste it and cook it.
In the illustration, some of the sailboats are in the water, and others are floating up into the air. For whatever reason, Isaac just could not wrap his brain around that page. I guess a funny looking penguin using a bicycle to fly to the Milky Way makes sense, but flying boats don't.
It reminded me of when I was a little older than him, maybe 12 or 13. "The Muppet Show" was a favorite of mine, and I loved Miss Piggy. I remember reading an interview of Miss Piggy in a magazine and it was just so confusing to me! Miss Piggy was asked questions and she answered them in the self-centered, egotistical way that only Miss Piggy can, but it didn't make sense to me. She was only a puppet, how could she possibly answer what her favorite food was, or what she did in her down time? She wasn't real, so did the answers apply to the Muppeteer? I don't know if I'm explaining it very well. I knew she wasn't real, so how could she be the one answering the questions? It completely boggled my mind. When I thought about that with Isaac, it made me realize how literal I was, even back then.
Because I'm so literal, sometimes it's difficult for me to see a bigger picture, I tend to focus on the details, or even "the text." In some ways that's really good, but it can also limit my view and make me fearful. I'm working on seeing the big picture and looking into the future, realizing that even when I'm doing things right, I might not get the expected result right then. There are always things that you don't expect and maybe can't even understand at the moment, like flying sailboats and talking pigs. I've been holding on to false ideas and fears for far too long. In the words of Opus:
I told [Granny] all of what happened that night --
that I stepped out for once and followed my sight.
And that sometimes it's good that we look for a way
to depart from our text and get carried away.
It reminded me of when I was a little older than him, maybe 12 or 13. "The Muppet Show" was a favorite of mine, and I loved Miss Piggy. I remember reading an interview of Miss Piggy in a magazine and it was just so confusing to me! Miss Piggy was asked questions and she answered them in the self-centered, egotistical way that only Miss Piggy can, but it didn't make sense to me. She was only a puppet, how could she possibly answer what her favorite food was, or what she did in her down time? She wasn't real, so did the answers apply to the Muppeteer? I don't know if I'm explaining it very well. I knew she wasn't real, so how could she be the one answering the questions? It completely boggled my mind. When I thought about that with Isaac, it made me realize how literal I was, even back then.
Because I'm so literal, sometimes it's difficult for me to see a bigger picture, I tend to focus on the details, or even "the text." In some ways that's really good, but it can also limit my view and make me fearful. I'm working on seeing the big picture and looking into the future, realizing that even when I'm doing things right, I might not get the expected result right then. There are always things that you don't expect and maybe can't even understand at the moment, like flying sailboats and talking pigs. I've been holding on to false ideas and fears for far too long. In the words of Opus:
I told [Granny] all of what happened that night --
that I stepped out for once and followed my sight.
And that sometimes it's good that we look for a way
to depart from our text and get carried away.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tootsie Roll Poker
Yesterday, Labor Day, our friends invited us to their home for a barbecue. The food was good and the company was great. In my opinion, our friends are pretty darn brave. There were 23 people, 12 of which are young men between the ages of 11-22. I've seen what my three boys can eat, it must have taken a whole cow, and then some, to feed all those boys.
As a little bit of a side note, there were three girls, 3, 7, and 16. Wanna guess which girl was surrounded by boys most of the day? She's a beauty too, I don't blame them one bit.
The best part of the day, for me, was when the party was winding down. A few people had left, a handful of boys were in the swimming pool, the adults were cooling off in the house, and the 7 year old girl, Laney, and I were on the patio playing Go Fish, with Clark and Jordan (17) sitting and chatting with us. Part way through the game, Jordan pulled up a chair and said, "Deal us in."
Incredulously I ask, "Really? You want to play Go Fish with us?"
"Yeah. Don't start a new game, just deal us in. Get over here, Clark."
Still not sure I understand, "You know we're playing GO FISH, right?"
"It will be fun."
Wondering what the catch is, I deal both Jordan and Clark their cards.
Laney is a little confused on the rules of the game. I'm not sure she's played Go Fish with a full deck of face cards. I keep explaining that she has to have four cards to make a set.
"Laney, do you have any kings?"
After handing Jordan a card, she said, "Dang it! Now I only have one left!"
We all teased her about trying to cheat, then Jordan took her cards. Looking at me, he asked, "Do you have any kings?"
"You don't know my name, do you?"
Red faced, "Umm....Clark's mom?"
"I'll tell you if I have any kings if you can come up with my name."
Whispering across the table, "Clark, help me out here, dude." After procuring my name...."Denise, do you have any kings?"
"Go fish!"
Clark's turn. In his most mobster sounding voice, "Jordan, give me all your kings." And that's a set!
After Go Fish, we played four-handed War. Clark went out first, but made sure he heckled the rest of us. At one point we figured out that Laney was automatically memorizing the cards that were played and what order they were in when she picked hers up. Essentially, she was counting cards without even knowing what she was doing. Jordan and Clark determined that she's the girl they'll be taking to the casino, as soon as she turns 21, that is.
I was the second to go out. It was turning into the 100 Years War between Laney and Jordan, so I suggested that the next hand should be an "all in." I could see that Laney had an ace on the bottom of her stack, and Jordan was riffling through his cards, looking for an ace, so I told Laney to pull her card from the bottom of her pile. She obeyed my suggestion, after first cutting her stack and putting the top half on the bottom. Laney's seven of spades couldn't stand up to Jordan's ace of diamonds.
After Jordan won both Go Fish and War, I challenged him to play some poker at our house. I'm not proud of the fact that I might have made some unfavorable remarks about his momma (who I truly like).
"Bring it on," said he.
Jordan helped Clark with his physics homework, then the two of them, Davis, and I commenced playing Texas Hold'em. (Brian was busy grading homework).
Those boys made me laugh so hard, somewhere between a hyena and a witch cackle, I'm told. We played for Tootsie Rolls and Double Bubble. Clark and Jordan cleaned up. That was my ploy...lure them into a false sense of security. I'm just waiting for the rematch!
As a little bit of a side note, there were three girls, 3, 7, and 16. Wanna guess which girl was surrounded by boys most of the day? She's a beauty too, I don't blame them one bit.
The best part of the day, for me, was when the party was winding down. A few people had left, a handful of boys were in the swimming pool, the adults were cooling off in the house, and the 7 year old girl, Laney, and I were on the patio playing Go Fish, with Clark and Jordan (17) sitting and chatting with us. Part way through the game, Jordan pulled up a chair and said, "Deal us in."
Incredulously I ask, "Really? You want to play Go Fish with us?"
"Yeah. Don't start a new game, just deal us in. Get over here, Clark."
Still not sure I understand, "You know we're playing GO FISH, right?"
"It will be fun."
Wondering what the catch is, I deal both Jordan and Clark their cards.
Laney is a little confused on the rules of the game. I'm not sure she's played Go Fish with a full deck of face cards. I keep explaining that she has to have four cards to make a set.
"Laney, do you have any kings?"
After handing Jordan a card, she said, "Dang it! Now I only have one left!"
We all teased her about trying to cheat, then Jordan took her cards. Looking at me, he asked, "Do you have any kings?"
"You don't know my name, do you?"
Red faced, "Umm....Clark's mom?"
"I'll tell you if I have any kings if you can come up with my name."
Whispering across the table, "Clark, help me out here, dude." After procuring my name...."Denise, do you have any kings?"
"Go fish!"
Clark's turn. In his most mobster sounding voice, "Jordan, give me all your kings." And that's a set!
After Go Fish, we played four-handed War. Clark went out first, but made sure he heckled the rest of us. At one point we figured out that Laney was automatically memorizing the cards that were played and what order they were in when she picked hers up. Essentially, she was counting cards without even knowing what she was doing. Jordan and Clark determined that she's the girl they'll be taking to the casino, as soon as she turns 21, that is.
I was the second to go out. It was turning into the 100 Years War between Laney and Jordan, so I suggested that the next hand should be an "all in." I could see that Laney had an ace on the bottom of her stack, and Jordan was riffling through his cards, looking for an ace, so I told Laney to pull her card from the bottom of her pile. She obeyed my suggestion, after first cutting her stack and putting the top half on the bottom. Laney's seven of spades couldn't stand up to Jordan's ace of diamonds.
After Jordan won both Go Fish and War, I challenged him to play some poker at our house. I'm not proud of the fact that I might have made some unfavorable remarks about his momma (who I truly like).
"Bring it on," said he.
Jordan helped Clark with his physics homework, then the two of them, Davis, and I commenced playing Texas Hold'em. (Brian was busy grading homework).
Those boys made me laugh so hard, somewhere between a hyena and a witch cackle, I'm told. We played for Tootsie Rolls and Double Bubble. Clark and Jordan cleaned up. That was my ploy...lure them into a false sense of security. I'm just waiting for the rematch!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Brooke Shields v. Jennifer Aniston
My husband is watching a show called, "Who Do You Think You Are?" It is apparently a show which chronicles celebrities as they search their ancestry. This week Brooke Shields found out that she is a direct descendant of French royalty. In my normal, cynical way I said, "They wouldn't televise it if she found out she had nothing more than poor farmer stock in her pedigree."
Brian (who can be even more cynical than me....shocking, I know) said, "They wouldn't be showing it if it wasn't Brooke Shields."
"You wouldn't be watching it if it wasn't Brooke Shields."
"True. She's even hotter than Jennifer Aniston."
"Really?! Jennifer Aniston?! But she's at the center of all your fantasies! You honestly would take Brooke Shields over Jennifer Aniston?"
"Absolutely, but Jennifer Aniston has self-esteem issues. I have a better chance with her."
"Sweetheart, I'll give you a free pass. If you are ever in a position that you can have sex with either one of them, I say go for it."
I'm not too worried.
*********
P.S. I just read the above to Brian. He said, "Thanks. Now I have self-esteem issues."
Anything I can do to help him feel good about himself.
Brian (who can be even more cynical than me....shocking, I know) said, "They wouldn't be showing it if it wasn't Brooke Shields."
"You wouldn't be watching it if it wasn't Brooke Shields."
"True. She's even hotter than Jennifer Aniston."
"Really?! Jennifer Aniston?! But she's at the center of all your fantasies! You honestly would take Brooke Shields over Jennifer Aniston?"
"Absolutely, but Jennifer Aniston has self-esteem issues. I have a better chance with her."
"Sweetheart, I'll give you a free pass. If you are ever in a position that you can have sex with either one of them, I say go for it."
I'm not too worried.
*********
P.S. I just read the above to Brian. He said, "Thanks. Now I have self-esteem issues."
Anything I can do to help him feel good about himself.
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