[Brought to you by the weekly SS blog challenge.]
I LOVE ...
... the SIGHT of my freshly-mown lawn. Mostly because that means I won't have to do it again for at least a few days.
... the SMELL of my freshly-mown lawn. [See reason above.]
... the TASTE of a really great latte. [Brief related hate - I hate the fact that living in a really small town means that there is no place to get a really great latte.]
... the SOUND of silence. It means the guys are all gone and I have the house, and the computer, all to myself.
... the FEEL of that first warm spring breeze on bare skin. No, you perverts. I'm not running around outside naked. I'm talking about bare arms, those first sweet days when you can go outside in short sleeves.
I HATE...
... the SIGHT of long grass in my lawn. It means I need to get my butt out there and mow it.
... the SMELL popcorn. There, I said it. Flog me if you will all you popcorn lovers. It makes going to the movies much less pleasant than it otherwise would be.
... the TASTE popcorn. [Ditto above.]
... the SOUND my dog barking, because she Won't. Freaking. Stop!
... the FEEL you get after you spot a spider near you and get that creepy-crawly feeling like one of them is on you.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hmmm, maybe I should re-think that?
Lane is a typical teenager. IE: Anything Mom says, does or thinks is lame. I don't mind. That's his job. That was my job when I was a teenager. However, when I told him what my retirement plan is, he actually said that sounded cool.
To fully understand (or probably completely NOT understand it), you have to know me now. Nice, middle-class Mom. Nice, middle-class home and minivan. Doesn't work outside the home in order to do the kid and family thing. In the PTO. Attends every concert, soccer game, track meet, etc. snapping photos all the way. Volunteers. Fund raises.
So what does that have to do with my retirement plan?
My plan is this ... when my hair starts getting grey, or at least a lot greyer than it is now, I'm going to start growing it long. By the time it's completely grey, I want it to be really long. I'm going to wear it loose, or maybe in two braids. I'm going to start wearing those long, flowy peasant skirts and sandals. I'm going to move to Colorado Springs and open a little shop in that totally hippy area of Old Manitou Springs and sell beaded jewelry to the tourists. Heck, I might even start smoking pot. This has been my plan for a good long time.
And when I told Lane my plan, he thought it sounded really cool. In light of that, I'm wondering if I should re-think the whole thing?
To fully understand (or probably completely NOT understand it), you have to know me now. Nice, middle-class Mom. Nice, middle-class home and minivan. Doesn't work outside the home in order to do the kid and family thing. In the PTO. Attends every concert, soccer game, track meet, etc. snapping photos all the way. Volunteers. Fund raises.
So what does that have to do with my retirement plan?
My plan is this ... when my hair starts getting grey, or at least a lot greyer than it is now, I'm going to start growing it long. By the time it's completely grey, I want it to be really long. I'm going to wear it loose, or maybe in two braids. I'm going to start wearing those long, flowy peasant skirts and sandals. I'm going to move to Colorado Springs and open a little shop in that totally hippy area of Old Manitou Springs and sell beaded jewelry to the tourists. Heck, I might even start smoking pot. This has been my plan for a good long time.
And when I told Lane my plan, he thought it sounded really cool. In light of that, I'm wondering if I should re-think the whole thing?
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
The Power of Words
[Brought to you by the weekly SS Blog Challenge:
Words can be powerful. Think of an occasion when someone blessed you with their words. (Conversely, words can be powerfully hurtful, too. Write about one of those instances if you must, but try to think of a positive memory instead.) Describe the circumstances surrounding the words that were powerful to you. Who said it? How did you react? How does it affect you today?]
Words are powerful things. They can boost, they can crush. They can titillate, stimulate, irritate, motivate and a multitude of other 'ates'. This challenge reminds me of a poem I once read.
Some of the words that have had the most impact on my life were bits of advice given to me in my younger years by older, and infinitely wiser, friends.
The first ...
Buddy Deane once told me there are two things a person should never, ever say unless they truly mean them. 1) I love you. 2) I want a divorce. I've had men tell me the former when I knew it wasn't true and it deflated my opinion of them. My Mom was married before my Dad and her husband told her the latter every time they argued. She finally got tired of hearing it and agreed. I agree with Bud. Never say either of these unless they are meant.
The second ...
When I was debating leaving my job at the bank to become a stay-at-home Mom. I wanted to do it, but giving up the security and seniority of that job was daunting. I was talking this over with Mabel, one of our CSRs. She told me, "You are a very valued employee of this bank. They trust you, they rely on you, they need you. But they can replace you. And, if you leave here, in five years half the people here won't even remember who you were. But you will be known the rest of your life for the kind of kids that you raise." And she was right. I go in the place now and don't know most of the employees I meet. And the ones that matter to me, I still see. But every day now I am doing a job that's more rewarding and has more long-term benefits than anything I could have done there, even if I had been the president of the place. And I love it.
Words can be powerful. Think of an occasion when someone blessed you with their words. (Conversely, words can be powerfully hurtful, too. Write about one of those instances if you must, but try to think of a positive memory instead.) Describe the circumstances surrounding the words that were powerful to you. Who said it? How did you react? How does it affect you today?]
Words are powerful things. They can boost, they can crush. They can titillate, stimulate, irritate, motivate and a multitude of other 'ates'. This challenge reminds me of a poem I once read.
A Choice of Weapons
(Phyllis McGinley)
Sticks and stones
Are hard on bones,
Armed with angry art,
Words can sting
Like anything,
But silence breaks the heart.
Some of the words that have had the most impact on my life were bits of advice given to me in my younger years by older, and infinitely wiser, friends.
The first ...
Buddy Deane once told me there are two things a person should never, ever say unless they truly mean them. 1) I love you. 2) I want a divorce. I've had men tell me the former when I knew it wasn't true and it deflated my opinion of them. My Mom was married before my Dad and her husband told her the latter every time they argued. She finally got tired of hearing it and agreed. I agree with Bud. Never say either of these unless they are meant.
The second ...
When I was debating leaving my job at the bank to become a stay-at-home Mom. I wanted to do it, but giving up the security and seniority of that job was daunting. I was talking this over with Mabel, one of our CSRs. She told me, "You are a very valued employee of this bank. They trust you, they rely on you, they need you. But they can replace you. And, if you leave here, in five years half the people here won't even remember who you were. But you will be known the rest of your life for the kind of kids that you raise." And she was right. I go in the place now and don't know most of the employees I meet. And the ones that matter to me, I still see. But every day now I am doing a job that's more rewarding and has more long-term benefits than anything I could have done there, even if I had been the president of the place. And I love it.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Things I don’t get …
Not things I don’t know. That list would be unfathomably endless. And, let’s face it, for the most part I won’t know that I don’t know them until the occasion arises that I need to know them and then realize that I don’t. So, in the meantime, here are a few things that I don’t “get”:
• The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Look at those people. They’re gorgeous. How hard is it to get them paired off?
• Flip-flops anywhere outside of the beach. Especially in the winter.
• Pretty much anything my sister-in-law says, thinks or does
• Nascar
• Thongs that show above your pants
• Flesh that shows above your pants if it’s not completely firm and pudge-free.
• Being more concerned about the quality of your house than the quality of your life (no shoes, no food, no pets, no fun!)
• Not attending your child’s events if you’re able at all
• Not taking photos of your child’s events even if you do attend
• The fuss over Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve watched it. Seems like just another medical show to me. I've obviously missed something.
• Why my dog barks at those of us who live in the same house she does. Every. Single. Time. We. Come. In. Sometimes even when we just come out of the bathroom.
• People who don’t read books. And are perversely proud of that.
• Why the 15-pound, fully-clawed cat allows the 8-pound, de-clawed cat to torture her. Why doesn’t she just kick his ass?
• Why I’m always amazingly productive on Tuesday mornings. Oh, wait. That one I DO get. That’s the morning Warcraft is down for maintenance.
• How otherwise rational adults can become utterly hooked on a computer game. Wait. I actually get that one, too.
• Purse pooches. WTF? Oh, I know who started that ridiculous trend. But even more unfathomable to me is why anyone would want to emulate her.
• Women, or men for that matter, who love shoes. I know I’m in the minority here, but I still don’t get it.
And that, really, is just the tip of the Things I Don't Get iceberg.
• The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Look at those people. They’re gorgeous. How hard is it to get them paired off?
• Flip-flops anywhere outside of the beach. Especially in the winter.
• Pretty much anything my sister-in-law says, thinks or does
• Nascar
• Thongs that show above your pants
• Flesh that shows above your pants if it’s not completely firm and pudge-free.
• Being more concerned about the quality of your house than the quality of your life (no shoes, no food, no pets, no fun!)
• Not attending your child’s events if you’re able at all
• Not taking photos of your child’s events even if you do attend
• The fuss over Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve watched it. Seems like just another medical show to me. I've obviously missed something.
• Why my dog barks at those of us who live in the same house she does. Every. Single. Time. We. Come. In. Sometimes even when we just come out of the bathroom.
• People who don’t read books. And are perversely proud of that.
• Why the 15-pound, fully-clawed cat allows the 8-pound, de-clawed cat to torture her. Why doesn’t she just kick his ass?
• Why I’m always amazingly productive on Tuesday mornings. Oh, wait. That one I DO get. That’s the morning Warcraft is down for maintenance.
• How otherwise rational adults can become utterly hooked on a computer game. Wait. I actually get that one, too.
• Purse pooches. WTF? Oh, I know who started that ridiculous trend. But even more unfathomable to me is why anyone would want to emulate her.
• Women, or men for that matter, who love shoes. I know I’m in the minority here, but I still don’t get it.
And that, really, is just the tip of the Things I Don't Get iceberg.
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