tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88180694878416083572012-01-17T22:01:25.467-05:00Appreciating even the small things in life.Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.comBlogger2431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-31168780947602392052012-01-17T17:06:00.007-05:002012-01-17T19:38:15.976-05:00

I've signed on to the 365 Days project on Flickr. That means I've been taking (and posting) a self portrait every day. I started on January 1st, and I haven't missed a day so far. Each day, I take anywhere from three to thirty or more self portraits. (I don't take hundreds because I do not have that kind of time!) I then pare down the selection to one or two "best" images to post on Flickr.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-20124662193594048342012-01-12T21:23:00.006-05:002012-01-12T22:48:16.808-05:00

Hello, New Year! How is it going so far? I've been engrossed in everyday life and haven't been posting - sorry! And I got stuck in my other G00gle account and boy was that a pain. Excuses, excuses!Just before New Year's I found last year's "Life List" of things I wanted to do with my life. To my surprise, some of the things had been started or completed. I've been mentoring someone in a small

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-20957677946022284372011-12-01T17:39:00.005-05:002011-12-02T22:46:58.918-05:00

FlyLady likes to call Wednesday "Anti-Procrastination Day," and so this week I was pushing myself to take care of a few things. I cleaned out the fridge to some degree, especially the drawers. Wiped down the areas that I cleared out. I threw out a bunch of things I've been meaning to ditch. The exact items escape me!I called an estranged relative to wish them a happy birthday (they weren't in

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-91724718167933918322011-11-29T21:34:00.007-05:002011-11-29T23:32:28.302-05:00

Ten Good Things - Because I don't always have something elaborate to say. 1. My daughter putting herself to sleep.2. The little crock pot with removable crock that gives me incentive to work ahead.3. "Go Green" postal stamp designs. 4. Large copper frog sculptures - playing a fiddle on a bench, flashing a peace sign, hanging out. Made by multi-media artist Beau Smith, and featured on his

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-78467980230635639962011-11-21T23:42:00.004-05:002011-11-22T00:37:54.206-05:00

So we are in the middle of visiting, as usually happens in late November, and I'm catching up on my writing. Some of it may post a little out of order. We went to find a park this afternoon. The little girl is always happier when she can burn off some of her energy with active play, so we find parks and playgrounds along our route, and drop in for an hour or so. We make sandwiches or fire up the

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-88833889584541375842011-11-21T19:10:00.007-05:002011-11-22T01:41:19.796-05:00

The Christmas merchandise is already out in the shops. Perhaps you've noticed. This time of year, I always feel the urge to stock up on Christmas candy. Every year at my parent's house, we fill each others stockings. My speciality is usually chocolate truffles or other special candy. And of course, it's pricey candy, or becoming pricier. I remember when Lindt truffles ran about 25 cents each. I

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-67214264274924891662011-11-19T00:56:00.003-05:002011-11-22T00:07:53.923-05:00

I miss my Flickr friends. I used to spend a lot more time both posting and perusing. Life intervenes, of course. But I miss checking out what people are doing and commenting and observing. I miss the interchange of ideas and images. I was just doing a quick scan through my contacts, just some highlights. I've seen beautiful trees and new babies, Christmas applique and freaky scenes aboard ferries

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-21542981295604808662011-11-18T16:34:00.009-05:002011-11-18T21:04:40.669-05:00

I've been cooking, doing the daily jobs like laundry and dishes, doing my swish-n-swipe in the bathroom (well mostly), or at least cleaning up after the cats. I mopped the kitchen floor. I swept. I threw out an old chair I had hoped to renovate but has been rotting on my porch instead. Chair, begone! I recycled the box my cherry tree came in... last Spring. I raked leaves and mulched a

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-51304090341505579932011-11-17T22:56:00.011-05:002011-11-18T16:32:58.373-05:00

There are times I cannot go to sleep. It's late, but yet there are one or two more things I just have to do. Read a book, read a blog, write a blog, fold the laundry, sort the dishes, have a snack, write that email, write that book, think that thought, make a list. One more thing, one more thing. But it all comes back to me in the end. All those hours stolen from late at night must be repaid in

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-9453189202278897342011-11-16T19:05:00.005-05:002011-11-18T16:15:41.927-05:00

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-30789161614186523952011-11-15T22:08:00.004-05:002011-11-18T15:55:18.389-05:00

"Let's go take pictures of the trees," my daughter says. I know it's an excuse to extend our outside time before lunch, but I let her pull me back outside. I want to take pictures too.The brilliant glowing reds of the Japanese Maples are giving way to crumpled dull reds and wet leaves on the grass. Last year, I admired them, but failed to capture anything before the leaves were gone for the year.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-86214987136451851482011-11-14T11:39:00.005-05:002011-11-18T15:45:39.543-05:00

Ruh-Roh. I'm running behind on NaBloPoMo posts. I've been evoking my little blogger strategy of starting and saving a post on the appropriate day, then filling in later. Ooo, so I am catching up a little.Well, let's talk about the annoyance that is the G00gle world right now. what with geemail accounts and the super duper G+ thing, you'd think it would be even more fun to use. But noooo.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-47684987592585701642011-11-13T00:23:00.005-05:002011-11-13T00:54:50.424-05:00

There is so much to be done before the chaotic crush of Thanksgiving holiday week. Now is the perfect time to continue whipping the yard into shape so I'm not cursing myself in March. So I'm ripping up old vines and shrubs, discretely zapping certain persistent offenders, planting bulbs and digging vines and clearing and mulching and .... Yes, all of that. Haven't gotten to any reseeding or

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-19143030332308234812011-11-12T00:45:00.004-05:002011-11-13T00:22:43.980-05:00

A Song in My Heart, Silly Lyrics on My LipsHave I told you about my silly songwriting? While jollying my daughter along in the world, I frequently find myself coming up with songs about anything and everything in my path. It all started with:Oh, I like to change my diaperMoo moo moo the cow says. and has progressed through any number of songs about a variety of foods, things, and places to

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-17065520487380794162011-11-11T18:15:00.006-05:002011-11-11T18:41:57.878-05:00

I finally had had enough of my jeans sliding down my butt. I'm gradually slimming down again (post-nursing, post-workout), but I often find myself in an awkward in-between phase: either too plump for some pants or two slim for others. Every few months I try on my old jeans, or attempt to. Every so often I can fit into another one the next size down. Oo, a 14 now. But my belly pooch still gets

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-66086560035155378582011-11-10T23:20:00.008-05:002011-11-11T18:14:01.738-05:00

We climb up the long flight of wooden creaky stairs to the upstairs studio. Why are so many dance studios up flights of wooden stairs? Three women and their children are clustered in the small lobby, wrestling small ballet slippers and and tights onto pint-sized feet and legs. They hail me cheerily, and I greet them back. When I notice the preponderance of white leotards and pink tights,

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-8634035703554428432011-11-09T01:09:00.007-05:002011-11-10T23:20:21.866-05:00

A Few Artists I Admire Roz Chast Acid Logic has something interesting to say about Roz. K Beaton - artist of comic "Hark, a vagrant"Guy who sketched/live blogged the NYC marathonKathryn DemarcoMarjane Satrapi graphic novel artistMeredith Gran - artist of comic Octopus PieAndy Goldsworthy[image of the day] photographerSome of the characteristics they have in common is being wholey themselves, a

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-70756587079306834812011-11-08T23:04:00.014-05:002011-11-09T20:02:08.995-05:00

I am a new fan of Gretchen Rubin and her Happiness Project. Check it out - it's quite interesting and inspiring. She recently blogged about compiling a list of ones own personal 8 Auspicious Symbols, as in Buddhist philosophy. (Side note: Buddhism is filled with numbered lists, which I've always found reassuring and intriguing to my scattered head.) Gretchen invites us to create our own list

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-20845056147733595892011-11-07T00:01:00.005-05:002011-11-08T23:02:37.042-05:00

A couple days ago, I wrote a lot about saying "no" and feeling there were too many things crowding in. But what about saying yes? What do I say "yes" to?Writing - yes! I have a few projects that are grabbing me like nothing else. Write, write and write some more. Cooking - yes! I love cooking for my family and eating together. Healthy stuff, fun food, yummy and delicious food. I cook because I

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-37694290785857606762011-11-06T01:48:00.011-04:002011-11-06T23:38:00.505-05:00

My daughter has outgrown her tumbling class. Not that they do anything extraordinarily difficult there, much less real tumbling. Mostly, the children run circuits around the blocks and mats, and practice clambering over, around and under things. But there is an incline to practice rolling or somersaulting, a short wooden bar to hang or swing from, bridges to cross, arches to crawl under. The

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-82722033596092627042011-11-05T17:28:00.008-04:002011-11-05T19:25:49.057-04:00

As soon as we cleared Halloween, the busyness descended. A party here, a dance there, an appointment, two, three. A workshop, a potluck, a cookout, an obligation and responsibility, two, three, more. And then we'll travel. How much time is there left to breathe?So I whittle a few things away. I go late to the dance so that I can cook dinner. I skip a party to I can put the long-neglected house

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-63507629626010026072011-11-04T13:50:00.005-04:002011-11-05T17:28:00.855-04:00

Inside it's cool but warm enough, well-lit, cheerful. Outside it is cold and rainy, grey, windy, dreary. A sudden whump on the window alerts our attention. I'm quick enough to see a large winged body bouncing off the window. Was that a blinded owl? A hawk plucking a small bird off the eves? I peer outside, but I don't see anything on the ground. A hawk, I decide. Now only if the hawk would

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-46163176010709132802011-11-03T00:47:00.016-04:002011-11-04T01:11:12.965-04:00

I slap my alarm off and sit up with a sigh. It's not even a matter of debate. I pull on my workout clothes and flex my neck and spine in an attempt to limber up my creaking body. The cats try to sit near and underneath me in hopes of morning snuggles. I give them quick strokes, but I won't linger. I grab my water bottle and go.I rouse the little girl, hand her a cup of milk, diaper and dress

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-87455179375125191142011-11-02T23:21:00.006-04:002011-11-03T01:04:57.972-04:00

I witness the power and elasticity of imagination daily.The spent glow stick has been part of a necklace, a fishing pole, a fiddle bow sawing at her arm, a drumstick, a straw for her doll's juice, and more.The magnetic letters that I spent months tracking down are mostly played as "sandwiches" that the little girl stacks and leaves as offerings around the table. Sometimes she serves her animals

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-84614149787130707672011-11-01T02:29:00.005-04:002011-11-02T01:59:47.510-04:00

Life has been pulling me away from the digital world these last few months. An artist I know once ended a post on Facebook by exclaiming impatiently: "I'm wasting time here. I should be working on my art." She's too busy with doing to spend much time on observing or being entertained. These last few months, I've been focusing on the "doing" of my life and letting the swirl of the digital world

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-22042806115286006452011-07-17T23:48:00.003-04:002011-07-18T00:08:22.754-04:00

1. Tailored polo shirts in great colors.2. Building another kick-ass dance program, riding that wave of performance, and getting appreciated for it.3. Young friend learning German and inspiring me to revive my own knowledge. Die desutche Sprache habe ich sehr gern. Die italianisch, auch... :)4. Hanging out with new young friends who I've finally gotten to know.5. Deviously creative associations

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-3226957528551310072011-06-01T01:19:00.000-04:002011-06-01T01:20:25.828-04:00

I've been very engrossed in my yard and garden since Winter/early Spring when we've had some areas cleared out. I finally feel I can make a difference in the jungle that tries to creep up and swallow everything. I've been using my FlyLady techniques of working in small increments of time, and it's made a huge difference. Every week, I spend, say, five minutes weeding around the edge of the

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-67215599010562427342011-05-12T00:55:00.000-04:002011-05-13T16:42:01.920-04:00

Yes, it's May! Yippee! And I have at least ten good things to share, I'm sure of it.1. strawberry season Freshly picked, nom nom, piled with angle food cake, ice cream and whipped cream for dinner - need I say more?2. the little girl sleeping through the cats' nightly rackets3. friendly neighbors and their children4. snapdragons in rosy and pale colors5. regular rain! Drought, drought, go away.6

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-54522195554169870162011-05-06T00:33:00.008-04:002011-05-06T01:28:02.912-04:00

So I've been throwing myself at the yard this Winter and Spring. We had some people come and hack back limbs and brush on more than one occasion, and those portions are looking amazingly better. And as often happens, I'm inspired to tweak the upkeep. Most recently, we had the side yard and fence line hacked back. Wow! We actually have a back yard! And now we have space to plant more fruit trees

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-64971906092434815412011-04-26T01:39:00.004-04:002011-04-26T02:06:49.014-04:00

Hello, it's been too long. I've been engaging with the life in front of me. And I have ten good things to list. At least ten. 1. The little girl dancing and dancing and dancing to live, lively, exciting music, with the occasional little hop. "Oh! That's some good dancing!" she says.2. Sitting in the sunshine for an hour, talking to one of my original mentors and teachers.3. The little girl

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-11278003966431165932011-02-26T23:35:00.004-05:002011-02-27T01:06:07.178-05:00

Whoa, I have been too busy to keep up with the internet much. Sorry! But I have been throwing myself at numerous practical/fun projects, fed my numerous inspirations.I've been reading and enjoying all the breath-of-fresh-air inspirations on SouleMama's blog. I don't live on a homey homestead in Maine with a gaggle of kids, but I create my own version of that in urban/suburban North Carolina.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-88825900073908594562011-02-02T15:50:00.006-05:002011-02-02T23:02:12.335-05:00

I've been trying to do more crafting with the little girl these days. Not only has she been missing out on the wild and messy fun side of creativity, but she hasn't had as many opportunities to practice her important fine motor skills as I'd like.I'm finding it a little challenging. One is not born knowing how to swipe a glue stick, and I find myself being absurdly anxious about it. To which

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-46681831452927720812010-12-28T11:57:00.002-05:002010-12-28T13:32:55.635-05:00

Reverb10 has been prompting us to reflect on the past year. Here are some quick responses to prompts in the last week. December 21 – Future Self (Author: Jenny Blake)Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)Your daughter's childhood is going by so

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-29874922793378156662010-12-19T12:21:00.004-05:002010-12-19T12:46:57.819-05:00

Another reflective prompt from reverb10.December 15 – 5 MinutesImagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.Okay, timer started. I'd like to remember:My daughter going strawberry picking for the first time and devouring a huge berry fresh from the plant. Going camping with the

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-18611718974276050382010-12-17T02:07:00.005-05:002010-12-19T11:50:29.624-05:00

The tree glimmers in the dim room. I am up late drinking tea and nursing a head cold, but the sight of the tree lifts me past my discomfort.This must be the best tree I've ever decorated in my life. Shiny colored balls of every size and hue dot the branches, concentrated in the top half, while other ornaments dangle or nestle throughout. Strings of lights wind around from the top of the high

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-16332982750581723182010-12-10T16:28:00.006-05:002010-12-10T18:38:58.285-05:00

Reverb10 has a cool series of writing prompts to prompt reflection at the end of the year. I'm behind - this one is from two days ago. December 8 – Beautifully DifferentThink about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Karen Walrond)This is an especially interesting

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-80653339400580242692010-12-10T12:50:00.004-05:002010-12-10T13:22:59.927-05:00

'Tis the season for relentless ads and desperately enticing sales. 'Tis the season for tinny schlocky music drifting or blaring out of any sound system. 'Tis the season for expectations of gifts and I-Deserve-This and I've-Been-Very-Good. 'Tis the season for extra calories and red-and green-wrapped or candy-striped goodies of dubious merit. 'Tis the season of lights and candles. 'Tis the season

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-38894832191752701552010-11-19T21:17:00.009-05:002010-11-20T00:17:25.870-05:00

Yesterday the little girl and I went in to get her flu shot as scheduled. I tried to prep her early so that it wouldn't be an unpleasant surprise - if I wait too long, there's not time to give an unhurried explanation, and she always does better with an explanation. So I told her in the car that we were going to the doctor's office, and that she would have a quick flu shot, just like Mommy and

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-84720772228416503152010-11-18T23:42:00.003-05:002010-11-18T23:51:32.526-05:00

Oh, hi! Wasn't I supposed to post something here tonight?Alas, I'm feeling rather white-rabbit-ish about my time today. I'm late, I'm late... And there's much to do before we leave and before I sleep. Being poised halfway between panic and denial, I think I'll take a bath and catch up on sleep instead of fritter more time online. (Yeah, right!) No, no, really!I'll write more after I've survived

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-62386811903220714292010-11-17T20:33:00.007-05:002010-11-18T02:23:44.696-05:00

Oo, did you notice the new countertops? What? Did you not notice?You might have seen this:......They take pretty pictures indeed. They are a vast improvement on what was there before. Let me refresh the memory.At first, there was this:Actually, there was much less than this. See that strange grey board around the sink? That's the old countertop. With metal edging that you don't see around

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-59451814899771120052010-11-16T23:04:00.004-05:002010-11-16T23:22:14.776-05:00

I am on the fence about the whole daycare/pre-school thing. We found a pre-school that has a mom's morning out, with a once a week morning for kids younger than two. Oo! We said. And forgot about it. Saw it again at my church this fall. Oo! I said! Emailed about a visit to tour the program. It was fun. And there's a progressive series of pre-school programs as the children age up. Oo! I

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-58224403919155271002010-11-15T23:12:00.005-05:002010-11-15T23:42:41.261-05:00

I couldn't go to sleep last night, but still somehow never got around to writing anything. I had been busy all day catching up with lots of big and little jobs. Everything from mixing up yet another batch of cookie dough to cleaning out a box for craft supplies, to airing out the tent. To watering the plants, to cleaning out the cars, to putting away the little girls books and toys that pile up

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-11416406790591425252010-11-13T22:30:00.006-05:002010-11-14T00:07:52.410-05:00

On Saturdays, I like to cook. The day stretches out leisurely before me, with hours to spend. I neaten a table, put away stranded items, put in another load of laundry, polish the door, put away socks, papers, and junk mail, and think of food. Some weeks we go to the local Farmer's Market, with rows of stalls all selling something of specialty. Baked goods - bread, tarts, pies - and flowers,

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-80791767592684185932010-11-12T00:12:00.007-05:002010-11-12T02:21:22.176-05:00

It was a windy day, the sun flashing brilliantly from behind intermittent clouds that raced across the sky. Up on the Gap, day trippers roamed over the short-cropped grass, heaving themselves step over step up the slope, between scrubby shrubbery that clung to the steep hillside. And ponies! There were ponies up on the ridge. The appreciated the occasional carrot or apple. Our packs, a familiar

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-18055754282678713742010-11-11T19:27:00.006-05:002010-11-11T20:43:19.341-05:00

It's Veteran's Day here in the US, November eleventh. I don't know that I have anything profound to add. I've never served. I do know a few veterans, some with combat experience. My cousins, two uncles, a friend or several, one of my mother-in-law's grandsons, and men I see on the streets in desperate condition. Most of them don't talk about it much.From a distance, I wonder about how the armed

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-88755083194059618832010-11-10T23:39:00.002-05:002010-11-10T23:59:40.912-05:00

The little girl loves any button she can get her hands on. Buttons that make noise, trill, chime, scream, play music. The action that creates another action. So she's developed a vocabulary for expressing her fondness for pushing buttons. But'ons! Ah push it. Ah push but'on. Play 'sica. (That's music, she's talking about.) 'Sica on!She loves it. She's also become fond of finding new buttons to

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-22728225462352156722010-11-09T21:29:00.008-05:002010-11-09T23:52:43.417-05:00

I am feeling some pressure to get ahead on Christmas preparations because --- What's that you say? It's barely Thanksgiving and it's too early for Christmas? - True, true, but once we clear the end of November, all things Christmas will start bearing down on me, and I will suddenly find myself with no time to do some of the special things I wanted to do, and wailing and bitching, *ahem* I mean

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-11402388664266378862010-11-08T00:01:00.006-05:002010-11-08T00:53:12.132-05:00

I have been distracted all day, waiting for news, and engrossed in attempting to track my father's progress along his marathon. The NYCM servers were completely overwhelmed most of the day by people attempting to track their favorite runners. I did not ever get to see my father on the map of the route, which would have been very cool. (I did see the Chilean miner who was running the race, but who

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-53201327692198271012010-11-07T02:15:00.004-05:002010-11-07T02:43:35.121-05:00

The predawn awakening, the anticipation, the piles of gear. The last-minute potty run, the numbered bibs, the staggered start. Over the mat, the mass of the pack, finding the familiar rhythms. The first long hill, over the bridge, first second and third wind. Streets of spectators, tables of G@torade, cups slurped then tossed. The air in your face, the sweat, the shoes. The focus, the training,

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-6125908495306165972010-11-06T13:10:00.004-04:002010-11-06T15:42:16.764-04:00

The caller always sets the tone for the dance. I need to be dressed to both command attention, and appear as if I am ready to step out on the floor myself. A little dressy, a little festive, a little colorful. Eye-catching, but not scandalous (mileage varies depending on the venue).Which skirt? Short dark with teal swirls, long white with peachy roses, or colorful, 3-tiered? Three-tiered, short,

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-78361624446310665002010-11-05T02:00:00.003-04:002010-11-05T02:20:45.168-04:00

A few months ago, I was regaling some friends with a few of our perpetually undone house projects, such as the kitchen light that fell down several years ago. "And that was when I was talking to so-n-so on the phone, and you know, he's been dead for how many years?" My friend Brian (who makes a living fixing up and renting houses) said, "Whoa, that is a long time. And you haven't gotten it

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-22727649296643974572010-11-04T23:53:00.003-04:002010-11-05T00:46:06.729-04:00

So the little girl had a great Halloween out and about. She doesn't have a concept of candy yet, although she's learned that chocolate is "Mommy's snack." She might have a concept of dressing up; she does love wearing her bunny ears from the festival or the monkey suit I bought for her for the occasion. She really does NOT understand what we are doing shambling through the dusk and dark, knocking

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-52171188485167188692010-11-03T21:43:00.003-04:002010-11-03T22:14:53.760-04:00

"Hey, speak up!"socially awkward"Needs to participate more in class.""Too quiet."painfully shyThat was me."Excuse me. Where did you get those great leggings?""I just had to say, I like what the color of those earrings so with your eyes.""I couldn't help overhearing..."gregarious"That car was just tearing along without looking- are you okay?"sympathetic"Nice to see you!""Hi, are you all here for

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-23739093602804510072010-11-02T20:13:00.003-04:002010-11-02T20:21:41.294-04:00

Another November, another round of NaBloPoMo. This year, I think I'll tell stories. Have I told you about my kitchen/friends/child/happy/sad/irate/musings/inspirations/relationships/deep dark secrets/favorite comics recently? No? This month, I will. I have thirty days to fill. (I can do it, I can do it.)Whether you are new to this blog, or a regular visitor, welcome! I'm scrounging up some

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-50404280157164788712010-10-14T22:08:00.003-04:002010-10-14T22:39:19.823-04:00

This month has seen periods of great activity and periods of reasonable sloth. Here are some of my favorite things and moments so far:Gifts of the self. Hanging out with my Dad. A lovely Rosalind in a lovely play. It was just As I Like It. All the leads were good looking, all the dialogue was sparkling and freshly appreciated, the underlying themes were love love sex and love, the staging was

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-84918267285087261882010-09-03T21:58:00.004-04:002010-09-03T22:52:30.370-04:00

Well, in my last post I left out a little fact that I still do have a number of friends around. It's not like I am deserted in the world.I have a few college friends who I still get together with. Like the friend who I called up and said, "Hey, I have some fresh key lime pie. Can we come over and share for a while?" And the little girl got to hang out with their little boy, and we took

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-81256889468000276892010-09-02T16:19:00.004-04:002010-09-03T00:47:21.105-04:00

Where have all the friends gone?You hear about how children will change your life. True. They also change your body, outlook, sleep patterns and attention span. Nobody tells you that your friends will - in a seismic shift - disappear. It's as if a crack opened in the ground, swallowed scores of people, and then snapped shut, leaving me to wonder what the hell happened. Or maybe I am the one that

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-56520228175789254842010-08-21T11:30:00.004-04:002010-08-21T14:08:03.167-04:00

Baby, you gave me curves, I got 'em.Baby, I've got curves, top 'n' bottom. Baby, those curves are just hors d'oeuvresfor all I've got to give. So cozy up tight and give a squeeze. You've got to eat to live. --I thought the little girl was starting to wean herself. One day she nursed only once for a mere eight minutes, a minuscule amount compared to the 500+ minutes per day she was chugging at the

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-31430023527646442042010-08-03T00:35:00.004-04:002010-08-03T01:37:41.779-04:00

I've come up against perfectionism again recently. Not that I feel so beleagered by it myself, but I've been seeing it come up in discussions by leaders and performers. We want our work to be the best it can be. We don't want to fail our clients or our audience. We want them to have the ideal experience from our efforts as best we can envision it. We don't want to admit that some of that is

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-40841953734883483032010-07-26T01:40:00.002-04:002010-07-26T01:51:12.513-04:00

It took so long and so much effort and frustration to get this little girl nursing in the beginning. Weeks of tears and frustration. Months of tracking every ounce we could estimate. Hours of forcing her to learn how to lower her tongue and latch, how to suck, how to snuggle in and avoid distraction. How to figure out - hey! There's milk in them breasts! We watched her eyes get big over that one.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-3693432027130706462010-06-28T23:00:00.006-04:002010-06-29T00:41:08.651-04:00

The Unclutterer blog has a great post up contemplating a one-versus-many idea of possessions. "In theory," he writes, "we only need one pair of scissors." But in practice, we find that it's more convenient to have multiple pairs for multiple purposes and in multiple locations. The comments have lots of fun discussion about how people like to purpose their scissors. Yes, you can get by with only

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-5447331104248430152010-06-16T09:34:00.003-04:002010-06-16T11:21:44.135-04:00

We've spent the last couple of weeks on the road, visiting folks.We stayed in a hotel and several housefuls of children and dogs. We had visits with uncles and aunts and cousins and random relatives from several sides of our families, and an old college friend to top it all off. We went through seven-plus sleeping venue changes and forty-four people in less than fourteen days. That count

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-67073122640192440092010-05-28T00:51:00.006-04:002010-05-28T02:01:39.142-04:00

The little girl has a new pair of favorite toys, a mouse and a monkey.The little brown monkey is one of those beanie-baby types that I brought out from my stash of Toys People Have Passed On To Us. The little girl had been learning the names of animals, and as soon as she saw it, she recognized that it! was! a! Minkey! I remarked to my husband that I didn't know where she would have picked up

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-4327674228260045342010-05-26T23:36:00.007-04:002010-05-27T00:35:48.717-04:00

First, a little moment of silence and sympathy for the Chicago couple who was almost done in by their own garbage. (It's admittedly a big reminder that however daunting my clutter, my problems are piddling in comparison.) One of them fell through a pile, and the other also got stuck trying to rescue them. Weeks later, a neighbor got a little concerned. They were rescued, but in terrible

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-8648228688623497232010-05-23T21:47:00.009-04:002010-05-23T22:39:28.248-04:00

One of the effects of my digital detox week was that I realized that online communities like Facebook, while useful for keeping connected in some way, are in other ways counterproductive. Trying to have relationships by FB is like trying to eat a dinner of hors d'oeuvres. It may fill you up, but it can leave one feeling profoundly dissatisfied. And that feels so accurate, I want to say it again

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-9630192546276149232010-05-23T00:37:00.004-04:002010-05-23T01:17:13.539-04:00

Some of my small accomplishments today:Slept in a reasonable hour, but then got out of bed without audible whining. Emailed two of my cousins about when we might visit them next month. Clarified days and possible times.Looked at a friend's pictures. Read about the wreck/salvage story of the Steamboat Arabia.One of my historian friends made the trek to Kansas City, Missouri to view the site and

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-14943250901809179292010-05-20T13:28:00.005-04:002010-05-20T16:26:20.658-04:00

As I've been decluttering and slowly paring down my possessions, one maxim that I'm trying on for size is: For every item you bring home, get rid of another item. While I agree with the idea in a general sense, this month, I am trying that more literally. So I brought home some new jeans and flannel pajama pants from a clothing exchange. And a sweater or two. Before I agree to move them into

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-22339974397914733162010-04-15T19:32:00.008-04:002010-04-18T22:41:19.903-04:00

Just after writing about the Digital Detox Week, I came across this interesting article in the Unclutterer blog echoing some of the same ideas I have been thinking about managing ones focus and creative time. Organizing the Creative Mind by guest blogger and author Scott Belsky. I love the title, even. Doesn't it sound so warm and encouraging? Yes, it is possible to organize the creative mind

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-37762842531947247812010-04-12T22:20:00.008-04:002010-04-12T23:06:48.481-04:00

Ceasarinni bread, airy, chewy, eggy bread with a crust of seeds, like sitting down to breakfast in Italy.Taking the time to bask in bright dappled sunlight + a cool breeze off the river.Baby clothes neatly folded and organized.Online touch typing lessons.A freshly washed kitchen floor.The crunch of sugar in the crust of a dessert muffin.Snagging heirloom tomato seedlings, leading to high hopes

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-91453222107224756032010-04-09T00:47:00.006-04:002010-04-12T22:17:39.723-04:00

Last week I ran across a suggestion organized by AdBusters: Unplug yourself from all your digital and internet devices for a Digital Detox Week. Sounds like something I could use more/less of so of course I promptly went back to evil FaceBook and forgot about it. Luckily, I had written it down in my calendar. It starts Monday, April 19th, 2010. It's a "nice idea" but will it work? Is it

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-14974783167883695742010-03-27T01:46:00.005-04:002010-04-09T00:18:10.236-04:00

It's been a good week. It's been a good couple of weeks, even. Some things stand out.Things I am Loving This Week MonthDancing and moving within the dance/pattern of the community. Abandoning myself to the joy in the dance.Smiling so much my face muscles hurt almost as as my feet.Pale purple hyacinths, luxurious color, luxurious scent.Being reminded of Mary Oliver poems. A blustery hour when

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-7107522834202517402010-03-20T00:18:00.004-04:002010-03-20T00:31:07.652-04:00

We have squirt bottles stashed all around the house in case of cat misbehavior. Since the cats engage in all sorts of neurotic and passive-aggressive behavior when I am nursing or otherwise engaged with the little girl, she gets to see and hear a lot of cat chastisement. "Bacio, no!" "Stop, cat!" "Ouuut!" "Nooooo." Sometimes, "What a sweet boy he is, yes he is." but more often, "Stop, you

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-3903703501431490632010-03-17T01:54:00.005-04:002010-03-17T02:29:09.334-04:00

Peculiar Momma aka Shaletann wrote an especially pertinent post about perfectionism recently, and boy, did I really need to read it today. She gave me much to think about. Sometimes I get so jealous of people who accomplish great & beautiful things. Sometimes I'm more sad than jealous because I am not accomplishing those things. I'm not as wonderful/confident/accomplished... blahblahblah. I "

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-2975652168346789162010-03-07T01:06:00.002-05:002010-03-07T01:40:32.381-05:00

Several jars of homemade lentil stew all put away in the fridge.Freshly washed hair in a loosely confined tousle at my neck.A brisk sunny evening walk down the street.Shalet's blog Peculiar Momma and her "for the love of color" posts. Writing down all expenditures in approximately neat categories in the budget book.Smells like Spring, somehow. Mud, mud, glorious mud!Incremental kitchen

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-75508201122688461832010-03-04T00:06:00.002-05:002010-03-04T01:24:01.328-05:00

Sometimes things change, and it may be so gradual and subtle that it takes a while for the shift to register. Maybe they are not so much changes as shifts. It's a good word. A few new shifts becoming apparent recently:My pants are getting a little looser. I know there is something going on when I'm constantly having to hitch up my best reliable pair of jeans. Not so reliable now. I think this

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-71092773055911352282010-02-06T01:12:00.002-05:002010-02-27T00:13:40.691-05:00

I started writing this weeks ago, early in the month. We are used to operating our living expenses with a certain amount of cushion, but since the little girl arrived, our budget has been thrown all out of whack. In addition, December and January are always hard months financially. Not only do we have to get through the shopping and gift-giving season intact, but January slams us hard with

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-20246176920734587732010-02-03T19:54:00.006-05:002010-02-04T13:52:32.578-05:00

Where do quality and thrift collide, you ask? For me, it's at green peas and toasters. Let me tell you this saga.I love green peas, frozen, not canned. I have fond childhood memories of simmering them in water until their skins puff up and they are just tender, neither too hard nor at all mushy, then sprinkled with a grind of black pepper. Even now, I can eat a huge plate of them in one sitting.

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-27394033159134662442010-02-01T00:47:00.006-05:002010-02-01T01:44:24.248-05:00

Hiya, People. Long time no write. So let me get to it. Here's another *8 Things* theme from Magpie Girl. *8 Things on My Bedside Table1. Alarm clock. I live with a compact travel alarm. Very light, very cleanly designed. The next thing about it is that it has a graduated alarm. It starts out softly peeping. Peep-peep, peep-peep. Then it gets a little louder. Bee-beep! Bee-beep! Then it

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-90275683365039510892010-01-14T22:03:00.003-05:002010-01-14T22:50:21.236-05:00

So I hear that it's delurk day, but apparently I've been too busy running mell pell about to notice. So here on my blog, it's de-lurk week and weekend.If you read here and have never commented, whether you've always wanted to or not, please stop and say hi! Taking a page from Cecily, I'll also invite my readers to ask any burning questions you'd like me to take a stab at. I'm looking forward

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-80063022342250091152010-01-09T21:05:00.003-05:002010-01-09T22:20:02.537-05:00

After nearly ten years in this house, we and our stuff have gotten rather set in our ways. If you've spent a length of time in one location, you can guess how it goes. Things pile up, and after the initial arrangements, one rearranges every so often. Sometimes one has had to rig up temporary solutions to permanent problems or rearrange a new version of what we think we want and can get away

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-47987143676978039512010-01-03T00:56:00.006-05:002010-01-03T01:53:17.504-05:00

I survived Christmas and the rest of the holiday with sanity intact, and I even enjoyed myself. We went, we shopped, we managed a few potentially stressful interactions, we enjoyed small but meaningful moments. Christmas Eve we made it to the early service with the childrens' pageant and stayed for a communal meal between services, meeting lots of people we hadn't seen in months or longer. It

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-50321560848801872822009-12-13T00:15:00.006-05:002009-12-13T01:03:26.767-05:00

Chipping Away at the excess in my life. Yesterday I was thinking about how sometimes it doesn't feel like what I do is enough. Today I was noticing again how I sometimes have too much in my life. This week, it's too much to do, almost too many social events (too many if we want to keep up with the little girl), too many emails. Oh My. The emails. I belong to several listservs and

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-51771620921291122132009-12-12T00:26:00.003-05:002009-12-12T01:13:09.006-05:00

So yesterday's post got me thinking again about how I tend to approach gift giving. I find it often very difficult to buy, or rather, choose, gifts. Whether it's for my husband or my sister or a friend, it's rarely easy. Sometimes I am lucky and the perfect idea will come to me in time to find and acquire an item. More often, I am undecided about what I should choose. And here is where I run

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-9129421666255043942009-12-10T23:28:00.005-05:002009-12-11T00:26:44.581-05:00

Oo, Sweet n Salty has another thoughtful quality-over-quantity The Good Grinch post up. Reminds me of when I recently escaped for a couple of hours of shopping at Micheal's, that craft store with more Than You Possibly Want. I was looking for picture frames (on sale) for my in-law's recent family portrait. I was looking for attractive yet inexpensive cookie tins. I was looking for a stocking (

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-1853509017234303932009-12-02T00:43:00.003-05:002009-12-10T07:48:11.447-05:00

"Hell doesn't want you and heaven is full." Who said that? It doesn't matter; it's an elegant expression, isn't it?I used to work with someone named Kathryn. I still know her, and even run into her sometimes while out and about. She's an artist and a collector of quotes that she uses in her work. I'm always fascinated to search for the snippets of text that show up, and I often find myself

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-91236578642672022042009-11-23T01:14:00.002-05:002009-11-23T01:33:54.730-05:00

Cows grazing on rollingly flat fields. Black and white, brown and white. A stream bed meanders through the landscape. Crows take flight in small flocks.The sun slowly setting behind hills topped with winter-bare trees. Photographing knobby branches outlined by pale golden sunlight. Catching sight of the river. Weathered out buildings. A barn with Mail Pouch Tobacco advertizement painted on. Old

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-80842425653823432522009-11-22T23:22:00.004-05:002009-11-23T01:10:29.787-05:00

So we survived the first night of our trip to enjoy the second. The Sleepless:Stayed up until nearly five am to prepare photographs of the baby for the grandparents photochip. Then after hours of singing to a non-sleeping baby in the car, found myself the following morning at four am, stepping in to put my daughter to sleep *again* after my husband had exhausted and exasperated himself on the

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-66093962349981956222009-11-20T11:59:00.002-05:002009-11-21T00:02:11.816-05:00

When I was a youngster, all of our relatives lived between two to sixteen hours drive away, so we were always going on long car trips. And since we were five people in one car, and often camped to save money on hotels, this came to a lot of stuff to pack. My father would start early that morning and spend several hours collecting all of our packed items, carefully assessing the relative volume

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-50208160835990381462009-11-19T23:46:00.005-05:002009-11-20T01:17:40.004-05:00

I know I am trying to simplify my life and declutter and live in a financially responsibly manner, and all that, but still, sometimes, I just like acquiring things. I admit it; acquiring new stuff is fun. Don't hate me because I tell the truth.There is the fun of browsing (as long as it doesn't go on too long). There is the delight of having found a really cute or practical thing (as long as it's

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-73181656300616755362009-11-18T01:39:00.005-05:002009-11-19T13:14:47.125-05:00

In the beginning, I didn't worry too much about how quickly or slowly our child was progressing. She had been born early enough that most things took more time. Meanwhile, the doctors assured us that when she was developmentally ready, she would accomplish those milestones. This was vividly brought into illustrated relief as we tried to coax her into latching and nursing. After weeks of trying

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-67768379033527363222009-11-17T18:11:00.004-05:002009-11-17T18:56:04.207-05:00

Now is the 52 Weeks self-portraits equivelant of photographing oneself making bored or silly faces. I've exhausted my original favorite topics and energy for NaBloPoMo. The barrel of inspiration is low, so I am scraping the bottom of it. *kkrrittchh! kkrrittchh!*Here are some things I deal with while writing:The cats being annoying. They go into the corner to find some plastic to chew or

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-7211702387410383222009-11-16T15:16:00.003-05:002009-11-17T00:51:36.063-05:00

I once heard a friend at church jokingly exhort his daughter, Remember Rachel, we want to use our powers for good and not for evil!This phrase has stuck with me ever since. It's a delightful expression. It can be said seriously, it can be said facetiously. At the core of it is the idea that we can choose what to do with our talents, and that we can decide on the side of "Good" just as easily

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-46329333757398309752009-11-15T01:41:00.004-05:002009-11-15T21:27:37.624-05:00

Just do it, the slogan says. So simple, it's a cliche. So simple, it's annoying. However, sometimes one does not need to worry about "being" something as much as "doing" that thing. In Buddhist thought, it does not matter what one professes or claims. There are no creeds to recite. Well, there are precepts, but my understanding is that if you follow Buddhist practice, that's all you need to do to

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-68841939740044957792009-11-14T22:00:00.003-05:002009-11-15T01:41:08.107-05:00

No, no, I totally had an excellent topic to write about. Alas, it has flown from my head, along with time to do anything about it. Tomorrow.--

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-71116194207116633682009-11-13T23:46:00.005-05:002009-11-14T01:17:45.896-05:00

As I talk and sing to my daughter, bits of rhyme and song rise to the surface like long-buried treasure. Walking rhymes: I left my wife and forty-eight children alone in the kitchen in starving condition without any gingerbread left! left! left! And walking songs: Sing your way home at the close of the day/sing your way, home drive the shadows away... Hand games: Johnny johnny johnny johnny

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-34390125777683192242009-11-12T21:08:00.005-05:002009-11-12T23:01:29.994-05:00

It's been raining for about three days straight now. The first day, I didn't have anywhere to go, so we stayed in and stayed cozy. The next day, though, I was scheduled to meet one of my friends for lunch. She called me that morning and asked it I wanted to reschedule because "the rain was really coming down." It's true that I don't often take the baby out in wet weather, and it's windy too. I

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-44289336429030820812009-11-11T21:05:00.004-05:002009-11-11T23:40:36.073-05:00

Hi, I'm erthsister, and I'm a judgmental driver. Yes, I am, and so what? Is it too much to ask to keeping your attention on what you are doing?You, the Packers fan in the small red Mercedes, did you think I didn't notice that you pulled right through that stop sign without stopping? Hello, honey, you in that grey SUV, you are being an idiot tailgating. I'm sure they'll move soooo much faster

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-23112467021123042542009-11-10T14:52:00.004-05:002009-11-10T22:52:48.517-05:00

The rain patters, drips, drops, runs down the gutters with gurgles and rattling, flows shushingly down the streets, hissed by passing tires, roars through leaves and branches, sweeps across the landscape in waves of wind gusts, flurries and taps across the roof tiles, splats on the pavement, rustles the grass, slaps against other wet, streams and pours and sluices and dapples.The leaves of green

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-66025998388490110052009-11-09T13:38:00.007-05:002009-11-09T21:33:00.185-05:00

I saw the Wall some twenty-four years ago, riding on the train between Frankfurt and Goettingen, en route to a Summer spent soaking up German culture and language. Off in the distance, I saw the pale gray line, peeking in and out of the hills. I didn't have to ask anybody; I knew it had to be the Wall. I wondered what it was like, living near the Wall. And how the forest felt with the Wall

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8818069487841608357.post-23604850952829447752009-11-08T22:19:00.008-05:002009-11-09T02:15:14.031-05:00

Lately we've been taking excursions in the afternoon. Sometimes it's grocery shopping, or to the library and then grocery shopping. Or a walk in the neighborhood. Last week we managed to combine several things by taking a walk down the road to go shopping. That day, the air was perfect - a slight nip in the late afternoon - and the sun was shining golden and warm as we set out. Down the street,

Joy!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16872212751941027675noreply@blogger.com1