Day 9, February staycation, 2013. What better way to pass the time than to make a music video? Now you all can have this song stuck in your heads like I have for the past nine days.
You're welcome.
Showing posts with label just for fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label just for fun. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Peek
It's a quiet Sunday night; we're sitting in front of a roaring fire, watching the Patriots in the playoffs. My mind keeps drifting away, thinking about how quickly the days pass.
I feel a rush of gratitude every time my muscles burn.
The kids sputter in and out of the room, blurting out non-sequiturs: Mom, I Googled 'what is Greta's future' and it said 'no responses found!'. I am imagining what it would be like if dogs could play soccer. How many seconds in a whole day?
This afternoon I took the kids to the movies. Finn is still young enough that he wanted to snuggle in my lap. Greta even rested her head on my shoulder. Bliss.
As we left the theater, we ran into some boys from her class. "Hi Greta!" one yelled enthusiastically. "You're so TALL!" She blushed, uncertain whether she's been complimented or not. As we walk through the drizzling rain in the parking lot, the boys' voices echoed behind us: Bye, Greta! Bye Grrrrrrrrrrreta! See you tomorrow in class!
Her cheeks blushed a fierce reddish pink, but she was smiling. I knew better than to say anything about it all.
As we clamber into the car, Finn asked me, for the thousandth time, 'how many days away is Tuesday?' He has a play date with two classmates - girls - and he is beyond excited. He seems to be a girl magnet, probably because of his gentle manner and easy smile.
Yesterday he told me he likes play dates with girls because "they don't try to make me feel badly, like they are better than me at everything."
I didn't really have a response to that, so I hugged him.
I am ramping up my yoga practice, trying more challenging classes. Today my body is achy all over; I'm feeling muscles I never knew I had. It's a good hurt, though, because it reminds me I'm getting stronger. This time last year I was growing weaker and weaker as radiation and chemotherapy started to take their toll.
I feel a rush of gratitude every time my muscles burn.
The other day Finn said to me, out of the blue: I'm glad you're here, Momma.
I don't know if he knows exactly what he meant by that, but it doesn't matter. My heart soared and I blinked back tears as I said "Me too, buddy. Me too".
The Patriots are winning. The fire is warm, and the kids are laughing.
Life is good.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Seven - A Birthday Video for Finn
He came running up the driveway yesterday, after getting off the bus, his backpack bouncing behind him.
"MOMMA!" he yells, a big grin on his face. "I GROWED!"
I embraced him as he chattered on excitedly, "I used to be the second tallest in the class, and now suddenly today I'm TALLEST!"
This doesn't surprise me. At 6 years and 364 days old, he weighs over 50 pounds and is over 4 feet tall. He wears a size 3 shoe.
Long gone are the days of his cute little accent, where Rs were Ws. We called it his Boston accent. I miss it.
He is quick with a smile and a joke, and seems to make friends wherever he goes. It doesn't matter if we're at church, the supermarket, the playground or just any old store, he always whispers to me "look over there, Momma, I know her!" For all of his gregariousness, he's shy. Kids rush up to give him a hug, or a hello, and he giggles and hides behind my legs.
Despite his size, he's still a snuggle-bug. He manages to curl up all 50" of himself into my lap and rest his head on my shoulder with regularity.
He inherited his impishness from his Dad, and his love for shortcuts from his Mom. He is the King of "it wasn't me!". I can literally catch him in the act of doing something wrong, like putting his feet on the dinner table, and he'll peer at me over his grimy bare toes and say with as much innocence as he can muster, "I'm NOT doing it, Momma!"
He has a huge heart, always looking out for a kid who seems nervous, shy or anxious. He's loyal and reliable, always quick to give people the benefit of the doubt.
He loves to laugh. This morning I wished him a Happy Birthday, and he told me about a dream he had last night where he opened a huge present and it was a box full of gold. Then he threw his head back, laughed and said, "but that's not likely to happen, is it?"
Yesterday he said, with a sly grin on his face, "There's some sort of smell situation going on in this house, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it."
I wondered, when he was born, if I'd be able to raise a boy with as much confidence as I raise Greta. Well, at least I got her, even when my parenting skills feel rusty.
But it turns out I get him, too. He wears his heart on his sleeve, so quick to love and laugh, and I feel like he's the one teaching me, most of the time. How to take things in stride, not make more of anything than I need to.
He loves to rub my arm and say, "Everything's okay, Momma. I promise." I look into his big, grinning face and I know he's right.
Everything is just the way it's supposed to be.
Happy 7th Birthday, Finn. We love you to pieces:
"MOMMA!" he yells, a big grin on his face. "I GROWED!"
I embraced him as he chattered on excitedly, "I used to be the second tallest in the class, and now suddenly today I'm TALLEST!"
This doesn't surprise me. At 6 years and 364 days old, he weighs over 50 pounds and is over 4 feet tall. He wears a size 3 shoe.
Long gone are the days of his cute little accent, where Rs were Ws. We called it his Boston accent. I miss it.
He is quick with a smile and a joke, and seems to make friends wherever he goes. It doesn't matter if we're at church, the supermarket, the playground or just any old store, he always whispers to me "look over there, Momma, I know her!" For all of his gregariousness, he's shy. Kids rush up to give him a hug, or a hello, and he giggles and hides behind my legs.
Despite his size, he's still a snuggle-bug. He manages to curl up all 50" of himself into my lap and rest his head on my shoulder with regularity.
He inherited his impishness from his Dad, and his love for shortcuts from his Mom. He is the King of "it wasn't me!". I can literally catch him in the act of doing something wrong, like putting his feet on the dinner table, and he'll peer at me over his grimy bare toes and say with as much innocence as he can muster, "I'm NOT doing it, Momma!"
He has a huge heart, always looking out for a kid who seems nervous, shy or anxious. He's loyal and reliable, always quick to give people the benefit of the doubt.
He loves to laugh. This morning I wished him a Happy Birthday, and he told me about a dream he had last night where he opened a huge present and it was a box full of gold. Then he threw his head back, laughed and said, "but that's not likely to happen, is it?"
Yesterday he said, with a sly grin on his face, "There's some sort of smell situation going on in this house, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it."
I wondered, when he was born, if I'd be able to raise a boy with as much confidence as I raise Greta. Well, at least I got her, even when my parenting skills feel rusty.
But it turns out I get him, too. He wears his heart on his sleeve, so quick to love and laugh, and I feel like he's the one teaching me, most of the time. How to take things in stride, not make more of anything than I need to.
He loves to rub my arm and say, "Everything's okay, Momma. I promise." I look into his big, grinning face and I know he's right.
Everything is just the way it's supposed to be.
Happy 7th Birthday, Finn. We love you to pieces:
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Storytellers
In the midst of all the new, scary things that are going on in our family these days, nothing makes me smile like my kids' made up stories.
Finn, in particular, is quite the storyteller these days. Sometimes he recounts his dreams (most of them involving the Elf on the Shelf lately), sometimes straight from his imagination, and lately he has been making picture book stories .... they tend to run on the long side, so I've spared you about a ten minute chunk and showed you two short highlights from the beginning and the end of the "Apple Spaceship Story".
Here's Finn:
Now imagine this goes on for about ten minutes longer, before we move into the big finish:
Greta has a new story, too - narrated (in her jammies) here for your viewing pleasure. A very short tale of jellybeans run amok:
It's the simple things that matter most - simple moments, simple stories, simple smiles. These are the gifts my kids give me, every day.
Finn, in particular, is quite the storyteller these days. Sometimes he recounts his dreams (most of them involving the Elf on the Shelf lately), sometimes straight from his imagination, and lately he has been making picture book stories .... they tend to run on the long side, so I've spared you about a ten minute chunk and showed you two short highlights from the beginning and the end of the "Apple Spaceship Story".
Here's Finn:
Now imagine this goes on for about ten minutes longer, before we move into the big finish:
Greta has a new story, too - narrated (in her jammies) here for your viewing pleasure. A very short tale of jellybeans run amok:
It's the simple things that matter most - simple moments, simple stories, simple smiles. These are the gifts my kids give me, every day.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Doppelganger
I've gone quiet, and I have gotten lots of emails from people asking if I'm okay. Thank you for checking in; I will never cease to be in awe of the power of the connections I've made through this blog.
I am okay. I'm doing better than last week, and each day brings a little more healing, a little more perspective. I haven't been posting because I don't have much to say, and writing about smaller, everyday things feels odd to me.
I keep waiting to want to post about something else: family, recovery, life. There is certainly a lot to say. But just like there are moments where I can't understand how the world just keeps on going without my Dad in it, I have a hard time finding the right time to switch gears, stop writing about grief and loss when those two things are dominating my world at the moment.
Not writing about it feels like saying good-bye, and I don't want to say good-bye, even though I know I have to.
So I will start with something small. A silly thing.
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I am okay. I'm doing better than last week, and each day brings a little more healing, a little more perspective. I haven't been posting because I don't have much to say, and writing about smaller, everyday things feels odd to me.
I keep waiting to want to post about something else: family, recovery, life. There is certainly a lot to say. But just like there are moments where I can't understand how the world just keeps on going without my Dad in it, I have a hard time finding the right time to switch gears, stop writing about grief and loss when those two things are dominating my world at the moment.
Not writing about it feels like saying good-bye, and I don't want to say good-bye, even though I know I have to.
So I will start with something small. A silly thing.
Who is who? One is me at eight years old, and the other is Greta, yesterday:
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Rules According to Greta
Ah, the world of an 8 year old girl. Here are the rules if you want entry into her room. Can you tell she lives with a 5 year old boy?
1) NO eating.
2) NO picking your nose.
3) NO farting.
4) Don't be mean to anyone.
5) You have to like penguins and pie.
6) No parents and boys.
7) No burping.
8) Don't put Finn's BeBe (his saliva-covered blanket) on my bed.
9) No peeing and pooing.
10) No sitting in the little chair.
11) Don't say bad words.
12) If you break three rules you can never come in my room again.
13) Have Fun!
1) NO eating.
2) NO picking your nose.
3) NO farting.
4) Don't be mean to anyone.
5) You have to like penguins and pie.
6) No parents and boys.
7) No burping.
8) Don't put Finn's BeBe (his saliva-covered blanket) on my bed.
9) No peeing and pooing.
10) No sitting in the little chair.
11) Don't say bad words.
12) If you break three rules you can never come in my room again.
13) Have Fun!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A Day In My Life, The Movie
I was away all day on Saturday, spending time with a good friend, taking a day off after a long school vacation week.
When I walked in the door late that afternoon the kids were beaming from ear to ear.
"We made you something, Momma," they smiled.
They ran up to the DVD player, hit play, and settled in on the couch to watch a movie. A movie they made. Starring themselves. About a Day In The Life. Of me.
I burst out laughing as soon as I saw the first scene, where Greta tries to act exasperated and breaks out in giggles.
I love it.
The editing is wacky (one scene repeats twice... my apologies; I've tried everything and I can't fix it). And there is something screwy with the last scene, too - there was a better ending but for some reason it won't upload.
But hey - we're not trying to win an Oscar here.
Greta plays me. Finn plays, well, himself. They set out to capture a day in the life of Momma and Finn, and they did a really good job (even down to the detail of fishing through the clean pile of laundry in my laundry room to find Finn clothes in the morning).
It's long-ish - about 13 minutes, I think? So I totally understand if you don't watch it, or don't watch it all the way through. But if you've ever wanted a good look at my kitchen, my playroom, my beading studio or my upstairs bathroom, then this is your lucky day.....
Here's the part where I offer an excuse about the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of my house, but I won't. Let's just say only a husband could have filmed this; I couldn't have resisted the urge to pick up first. I will say, though, that my jewelry studio is more chaotic than usual - we're storing some furniture we're going to give away, so that explains at least part of the mess. The rest is just life, warts and all.
It is what is is, you know?
And so without any further caveats, I bring you A Day In The Life:
When I walked in the door late that afternoon the kids were beaming from ear to ear.
"We made you something, Momma," they smiled.
They ran up to the DVD player, hit play, and settled in on the couch to watch a movie. A movie they made. Starring themselves. About a Day In The Life. Of me.
I burst out laughing as soon as I saw the first scene, where Greta tries to act exasperated and breaks out in giggles.
I love it.
The editing is wacky (one scene repeats twice... my apologies; I've tried everything and I can't fix it). And there is something screwy with the last scene, too - there was a better ending but for some reason it won't upload.
But hey - we're not trying to win an Oscar here.
Greta plays me. Finn plays, well, himself. They set out to capture a day in the life of Momma and Finn, and they did a really good job (even down to the detail of fishing through the clean pile of laundry in my laundry room to find Finn clothes in the morning).
It's long-ish - about 13 minutes, I think? So I totally understand if you don't watch it, or don't watch it all the way through. But if you've ever wanted a good look at my kitchen, my playroom, my beading studio or my upstairs bathroom, then this is your lucky day.....
Here's the part where I offer an excuse about the cleanliness (or lack thereof) of my house, but I won't. Let's just say only a husband could have filmed this; I couldn't have resisted the urge to pick up first. I will say, though, that my jewelry studio is more chaotic than usual - we're storing some furniture we're going to give away, so that explains at least part of the mess. The rest is just life, warts and all.
It is what is is, you know?
And so without any further caveats, I bring you A Day In The Life:
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Little Gems - It's All About the Awesome
There are little gems in my life - places I go on the internet to recharge my spirit, have a good laugh or marvel at someone's unique brand of creativity. These are places of innovation, humor, grace and beauty. Please take a moment to check them out; you won't be disappointed.
Hyperbole and A Half is the blog of an amazing woman named Allie. I go here when I want a belly laugh - you know the kind that makes tears stream down your face and call to someone in the next room to say "You HAVE to come see this!!" Yeah, that kind.
I don't know how to describe Allie's blog, other than to say she uses Paintbrush to create cartoon images that boggle my mind, she is one of the funniest women on the internet, and I think she's a genius. My favorite post of hers is this one, so if you're not going to go to her blog and check it out, at least click on that link. If you don't start reading her, though, you're simply not laughing enough.
~~~~
Storybleed is an online magazine (it is also printed quarterly) that combines images and words in a way I've never seen before. It shouldn't surprise me that Storybleed is all sorts of awesome, because many of my favorite women in all the land are editors and writers. Founded and published by the amazing Megan Jordan, this is how Storybleed describes itself:
~~~~
EllisLynnStudio is the shiny brand new Etsy shop of my friend, Catherine. While I love doing nice things for friends and promoting their businesses and stuff, I'm here posting about Catherine's shop because I love her creativity. Where the rest of us see an ordinary household object, Catherine sees art. She even makes her own handmade paper, creating stunning colors and textures that display her own unique style.
My new favorite pieces of Catherine's are her Let Go/God Boxes. When I'm struggling with something in my life that I just can't seem to let go of, I write it on a piece of paper and put it into my Let Go Box, close the lid, and walk away. I have a little ritual around how I do this - you can discover your own - and all I can say is it really helps me stop ruminating cycles, negative or corrosive thinking and reminds me that I don't have as much control as I'd like to think I do.
I also use it to store my recovery medallions - each box has a heart inside, as well as an inspirational message:
~~~~
I was recently introduced to another wonderful Etsy shop, LadyBird Land. I love her folk art, with its vibrant colors and powerful, oftentimes funny, messages. She sells magnets, prints and pendants and I love how she arranges her shop not by the type of piece, but by categories like: For the FUR LOVING Girl, For the CREATIVE Girl, for the FAITHFUL, etc. My favorite? For the SASSY Girl. I have this magnet on my fridge:
If you follow Brene Brown's blog, Ordinary Courage (and if you're not, shame on you) she's hosting a giveaway RIGHT NOW for LadyBird Land. Run, don't walk, to check out her amazing store.
~~~~
So, that's my list for today. Please tell me about the awesome places you go, too.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I wasn't compensated or even prompted to talk about anything in this post. I did this all on my own because I'm all about spreading the AWESOME around.
Hyperbole and A Half is the blog of an amazing woman named Allie. I go here when I want a belly laugh - you know the kind that makes tears stream down your face and call to someone in the next room to say "You HAVE to come see this!!" Yeah, that kind.
I don't know how to describe Allie's blog, other than to say she uses Paintbrush to create cartoon images that boggle my mind, she is one of the funniest women on the internet, and I think she's a genius. My favorite post of hers is this one, so if you're not going to go to her blog and check it out, at least click on that link. If you don't start reading her, though, you're simply not laughing enough.
~~~~
Storybleed is an online magazine (it is also printed quarterly) that combines images and words in a way I've never seen before. It shouldn't surprise me that Storybleed is all sorts of awesome, because many of my favorite women in all the land are editors and writers. Founded and published by the amazing Megan Jordan, this is how Storybleed describes itself:
"Find yourself where stories blur the lines. Story Bleed aches for you to discover yourself where the lines between our stories bleed together, unexpectedly resonating. Lines smeared by the eager hand. A literary magazine celebrating essays and art that move and enlighten."Do yourself a favor: find a few quiet moments, a steaming cup of hot coffee and lose yourself to the beauty that is Storybleed.
~~~~
EllisLynnStudio is the shiny brand new Etsy shop of my friend, Catherine. While I love doing nice things for friends and promoting their businesses and stuff, I'm here posting about Catherine's shop because I love her creativity. Where the rest of us see an ordinary household object, Catherine sees art. She even makes her own handmade paper, creating stunning colors and textures that display her own unique style.
My new favorite pieces of Catherine's are her Let Go/God Boxes. When I'm struggling with something in my life that I just can't seem to let go of, I write it on a piece of paper and put it into my Let Go Box, close the lid, and walk away. I have a little ritual around how I do this - you can discover your own - and all I can say is it really helps me stop ruminating cycles, negative or corrosive thinking and reminds me that I don't have as much control as I'd like to think I do.
I also use it to store my recovery medallions - each box has a heart inside, as well as an inspirational message:
Each box comes with a beautifully crafted message, too:
These boxes are the perfect gift for any friend or loved one, someone going through a difficult time, or someone in recovery.
~~~~
I was recently introduced to another wonderful Etsy shop, LadyBird Land. I love her folk art, with its vibrant colors and powerful, oftentimes funny, messages. She sells magnets, prints and pendants and I love how she arranges her shop not by the type of piece, but by categories like: For the FUR LOVING Girl, For the CREATIVE Girl, for the FAITHFUL, etc. My favorite? For the SASSY Girl. I have this magnet on my fridge:
And this Print is a favorite, too:
"She's Sassy, Classy and a Little Bad-Assey"
If you follow Brene Brown's blog, Ordinary Courage (and if you're not, shame on you) she's hosting a giveaway RIGHT NOW for LadyBird Land. Run, don't walk, to check out her amazing store.
~~~~
So, that's my list for today. Please tell me about the awesome places you go, too.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I wasn't compensated or even prompted to talk about anything in this post. I did this all on my own because I'm all about spreading the AWESOME around.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Becky's Bloggy Bridesmaid's Video - In Which I Live Out A Fantasy
So, Becky is getting married.
Who is Becky, you ask? If you don't already know her, you should. She's a bloggy friend of mine, and she is funny and smart and pretty and talented and ... well, you get the idea. Becky is a bright light -- when I need a lift I go to her blog, or read her tweets, and she is always good for a laugh and a smile.
Ann, of Ann's Rants, got the idea to throw Becky a surprise Bloggy Bridesmaids' shower. It wasn't a hard sell; this is not a group of introverts. We jumped at the chance to do a post in honor of her upcoming nuptials.
I don't know what my fellow bridesmaids are going to do, but I couldn't resist the urge to live out a fantasy of mine: spend the day with Becky. Wearing sequins.
C'mon, you can't tell me you don't have a fantasy involving sequins... I know you do.
And so, I bring you this:
** Special thanks to my daughter Greta and her friend Caroline, the best 8 year old videographers money can buy. Also to Tamara and Steve; you find out who your friends are when you ask them to film you in sequins on a treadmill. In public.
Congratulations, Becky. I'm so grateful to call you a friend.
And please be sure to check out her other Bloggy Bridesmaids' posts, listed below. These are some of the funniest women on the internet ... so if you're not reading these blogs, you're not laughing enough. Trust me:
Ann at Ann's Rants
Suzy at Hollywood: Where Hot Comes to Die
Wendi and Kelcey at The Mouthy Housewives
Jessica at BernThis
Amy at I Have More Rocks
Lisa at Smacksy
Who is Becky, you ask? If you don't already know her, you should. She's a bloggy friend of mine, and she is funny and smart and pretty and talented and ... well, you get the idea. Becky is a bright light -- when I need a lift I go to her blog, or read her tweets, and she is always good for a laugh and a smile.
Ann, of Ann's Rants, got the idea to throw Becky a surprise Bloggy Bridesmaids' shower. It wasn't a hard sell; this is not a group of introverts. We jumped at the chance to do a post in honor of her upcoming nuptials.
I don't know what my fellow bridesmaids are going to do, but I couldn't resist the urge to live out a fantasy of mine: spend the day with Becky. Wearing sequins.
C'mon, you can't tell me you don't have a fantasy involving sequins... I know you do.
And so, I bring you this:
** Special thanks to my daughter Greta and her friend Caroline, the best 8 year old videographers money can buy. Also to Tamara and Steve; you find out who your friends are when you ask them to film you in sequins on a treadmill. In public.
Congratulations, Becky. I'm so grateful to call you a friend.
And please be sure to check out her other Bloggy Bridesmaids' posts, listed below. These are some of the funniest women on the internet ... so if you're not reading these blogs, you're not laughing enough. Trust me:
Ann at Ann's Rants
Suzy at Hollywood: Where Hot Comes to Die
Wendi and Kelcey at The Mouthy Housewives
Jessica at BernThis
Amy at I Have More Rocks
Lisa at Smacksy
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Who's There?
We're on day three of chilly, wind-blown, rainy days.
In this space between the explosive beauty of the fall and the frenzied madness of the holidays, the world seems to hold its breath.
November in New England is when everything winds down, tucks into itself. The days are stark and cold; the color bleeds from the sky, and the earth is swathed in shades of grey and brown:
We've been rushing around, barely stopping for a moment.
Today is a stay-at-home day.. one of sniffles, mild fevers and warm blankets.
And, of course, knock knock jokes.
Endless knock knock jokes:
In this space between the explosive beauty of the fall and the frenzied madness of the holidays, the world seems to hold its breath.
November in New England is when everything winds down, tucks into itself. The days are stark and cold; the color bleeds from the sky, and the earth is swathed in shades of grey and brown:
We've been rushing around, barely stopping for a moment.
Today is a stay-at-home day.. one of sniffles, mild fevers and warm blankets.
And, of course, knock knock jokes.
Endless knock knock jokes:
Friday, November 5, 2010
Happy Birthday, Finn - A Video for You
My baby is five on Tuesday.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart.
Words aren't big enough to describe how much you are loved, so I made you this:
Love,
Mom, Dad & Greta
Happy Birthday, sweetheart.
Words aren't big enough to describe how much you are loved, so I made you this:
Love,
Mom, Dad & Greta
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Thank You - And A Way To Get Free Jewelry
For me, creating jewelry is more than a way to make a little money on the side, pay for Finn's school, or a hobby. It's a passion that sustains me; it fuels my creative and entrepreneurial spirit. Before sobriety, I never had a hobby, or a passion, and the only entrepreneurial spirit I possessed was being really good at climbing the corporate ladder.
Making jewelry is an unexpected gift, and I'm so very grateful. Creating pieces for people in recovery, or people who are going through some private struggle and need a little something to give them strength, is one way I try to spread a little light and love in the world.
Most of the business at my Etsy shop, Shining Stones, comes from referrals, either through the blog or from friends.
I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who help to spread the word about my jewelry. It's really starting to go somewhere, and I'm excited. What started as a way to keep the wolf away from the door in early sobriety has blossomed into something bigger - more substantial and meaningful - than I ever could have hoped for.
In the spirit of saying thank you, I'm running a special in October and November.
I want to offer something to those of you who will be purchasing jewelry as gifts this year (or a little treat for yourself, perhaps?). December can get a little crazy, so I wanted to run a special in October and November to provide a little incentive to get a jump on your holiday shopping (OH how ironic this is, coming from the world's biggest procrastinator).
Starting now, and running through the end of November, if you purchase two or more items from Shining Stones, you can pick out any ring or pair of earrings for FREE.
So if you've had your eye on something but haven't bought it yet -- and you need to be doing some holiday shopping anyway -- now is the perfect time to get that little something for yourself, too.
To redeem this offer, simply place your order like you normally would at Shining Stones - be sure to include the ring or earrings you would like as a free gift in your order - and then in the message to seller at checkout, please put the following promotional code: BLOGSPECIAL11. Click on "Other" as method of payment, and you will get a message saying "Contact Seller to Arrange Payment". You can ignore this -- I will be in touch with you to direct bill you over paypal, check or money order, less the amount for your free item. Remember - if you're ordering ring(s) to please put the size(s) you need in the message to seller as well.
If you're looking for more ways to save money, and get more free stuff, you can subscribe to my Newsletter (there is a BIG discount offered through November). Simply add your email into the widget in the lower right-hand corner of my blog (the one that says 'Subscribe to Shining Stones' Newsletter'). I promise your email is NEVER shared with any third parties, and I only send out newsletters every 4-6 weeks, unless I have a special promotion or sale to announce. Once you have added your email I will forward the most recent newsletter to you and you can see how to save even MORE.
And now - some NEW ITEMS! These are just a few examples of some new pieces:
Making jewelry is an unexpected gift, and I'm so very grateful. Creating pieces for people in recovery, or people who are going through some private struggle and need a little something to give them strength, is one way I try to spread a little light and love in the world.
Most of the business at my Etsy shop, Shining Stones, comes from referrals, either through the blog or from friends.
I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who help to spread the word about my jewelry. It's really starting to go somewhere, and I'm excited. What started as a way to keep the wolf away from the door in early sobriety has blossomed into something bigger - more substantial and meaningful - than I ever could have hoped for.
In the spirit of saying thank you, I'm running a special in October and November.
I want to offer something to those of you who will be purchasing jewelry as gifts this year (or a little treat for yourself, perhaps?). December can get a little crazy, so I wanted to run a special in October and November to provide a little incentive to get a jump on your holiday shopping (OH how ironic this is, coming from the world's biggest procrastinator).
Starting now, and running through the end of November, if you purchase two or more items from Shining Stones, you can pick out any ring or pair of earrings for FREE.
So if you've had your eye on something but haven't bought it yet -- and you need to be doing some holiday shopping anyway -- now is the perfect time to get that little something for yourself, too.
To redeem this offer, simply place your order like you normally would at Shining Stones - be sure to include the ring or earrings you would like as a free gift in your order - and then in the message to seller at checkout, please put the following promotional code: BLOGSPECIAL11. Click on "Other" as method of payment, and you will get a message saying "Contact Seller to Arrange Payment". You can ignore this -- I will be in touch with you to direct bill you over paypal, check or money order, less the amount for your free item. Remember - if you're ordering ring(s) to please put the size(s) you need in the message to seller as well.
If you're looking for more ways to save money, and get more free stuff, you can subscribe to my Newsletter (there is a BIG discount offered through November). Simply add your email into the widget in the lower right-hand corner of my blog (the one that says 'Subscribe to Shining Stones' Newsletter'). I promise your email is NEVER shared with any third parties, and I only send out newsletters every 4-6 weeks, unless I have a special promotion or sale to announce. Once you have added your email I will forward the most recent newsletter to you and you can see how to save even MORE.
And now - some NEW ITEMS! These are just a few examples of some new pieces:
Thank you again to all you faithful readers, customers and friends who add so much to my life.
I treasure all of you. Truly.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Pieces of Life. In Pictures
There are little pockets of my life that become so ordinary to me that I forget to remember how much they mean to me. Every day, ordinary things that bring me pleasure, simplicity, peace, or companionship.
I can't describe these things easily, so I thought I'd show them instead. Pieces of life. In pictures.
This is Coffee Corner. Because one coffee maker simply won't do, I have two. Because sometimes you want just one cup, a little pick-me-up - hence the Keurig. But some mornings high octane coffee, and large amounts of it, are necessary. Hence the 12 cup coffee maker. And tucked on the left there are Tension Tamer and Sleepytime teas, to bring my frazzled nerves back to baseline in the evenings. Heaven.
This is the Whiteboard of Certainty. It is my new best friend. I've complained on this blog several times that I have trouble with organization, but this little $12 purchase from Target has plugged most of the holes for me. Each week, I write what I need to remember (where the heck are the kids? who are we picking up? when is soccer/girl scouts/basketball? who is coming over?) on the Whiteboard of Certainty, smack dab in the middle of my fridge where I can't miss it. If it needs to be done, it's there. And I just swipe a paper towel across it when it's completed, giving me the sense that I do, in fact, accomplish something on occasion.
My husband found this at a local consignment shop; it's an old typesetter's cabinet. There are about thirty drawers, each with dozens of little compartments. Each compartment is filled with semi-precious stones, pearls, crystals and charms, sorted by color. It is my own personal paradise.
A bunch of books at my bedside. I'm always reading three or four books at once. One can never have too many books. Ever.
Our dog, Casper. She's a nine year old Slovensky Cuvac (pronounced "chew-vatch"). Steve and I got her before children, the first year we were married. She's getting on in years, now, and is most likely to be found snoozing in a sunny corner, sighing happily. She is such an important part of our family, but all too often she gets forgotten in the hustle-bustle of life. So these days we're trying to give her extra hugs, to remind her that we love her.
Has there ever been a sweeter sight than your own sleeping children? I love that even though Finn could have his own room, they still want to be together. It won't be for much longer now, I don't think, so I'm soaking it in while I can.
And every night, without fail, I tiptoe into their room and give a prayer of thanks. For everything, big and small, for all the richness in my life.
Because it's important to remember.
I can't describe these things easily, so I thought I'd show them instead. Pieces of life. In pictures.
I love it when my fridge is full. When the shopping and the schlepping are done, and each shelf is chock full of healthy (er, just ignore the Redi-Whip... and the chocolate sauce) fresh foods. And that little container on the second shelf down, on the right? Those are fresh eggs. From our chickens. I love that.
This is Coffee Corner. Because one coffee maker simply won't do, I have two. Because sometimes you want just one cup, a little pick-me-up - hence the Keurig. But some mornings high octane coffee, and large amounts of it, are necessary. Hence the 12 cup coffee maker. And tucked on the left there are Tension Tamer and Sleepytime teas, to bring my frazzled nerves back to baseline in the evenings. Heaven.
Why does this jumbled mess make me happy? Because it's the Everything Drawer. It never lets me down. Where else can I put my hand on three different kinds of ointments or cold remedies, a plethora of hair implements, toothpaste, tape, thermometers, extension cords, light bulbs, missing lego pieces, chap sticks, pens ... well, you get the idea. MacGyver ain't got nothing on me.
This is the Whiteboard of Certainty. It is my new best friend. I've complained on this blog several times that I have trouble with organization, but this little $12 purchase from Target has plugged most of the holes for me. Each week, I write what I need to remember (where the heck are the kids? who are we picking up? when is soccer/girl scouts/basketball? who is coming over?) on the Whiteboard of Certainty, smack dab in the middle of my fridge where I can't miss it. If it needs to be done, it's there. And I just swipe a paper towel across it when it's completed, giving me the sense that I do, in fact, accomplish something on occasion.
This is Buddha corner. No matter how crazy or messy the rest of our bedroom gets, Buddha corner always looks just like this - serene, simple, peaceful. In the morning, the sunlight streams in through the window just right, creating the perfect spot for some quiet reflection before I start my day.
My husband found this at a local consignment shop; it's an old typesetter's cabinet. There are about thirty drawers, each with dozens of little compartments. Each compartment is filled with semi-precious stones, pearls, crystals and charms, sorted by color. It is my own personal paradise.
A bunch of books at my bedside. I'm always reading three or four books at once. One can never have too many books. Ever.
Our dog, Casper. She's a nine year old Slovensky Cuvac (pronounced "chew-vatch"). Steve and I got her before children, the first year we were married. She's getting on in years, now, and is most likely to be found snoozing in a sunny corner, sighing happily. She is such an important part of our family, but all too often she gets forgotten in the hustle-bustle of life. So these days we're trying to give her extra hugs, to remind her that we love her.
Has there ever been a sweeter sight than your own sleeping children? I love that even though Finn could have his own room, they still want to be together. It won't be for much longer now, I don't think, so I'm soaking it in while I can.
And every night, without fail, I tiptoe into their room and give a prayer of thanks. For everything, big and small, for all the richness in my life.
Because it's important to remember.
Monday, September 13, 2010
New Items and a HUGE Sale!
Now that the kids are back to school I'm refocusing on my jewelry business, and I'm excited to kick-off Fall with some new items, and a HUGE Sale!
I'm going to be all mysterious about the sale, because in order to take advantage of it you need to be a Newsletter Subscriber. The good news is ..... it's quick and easy to subscribe and I PROMISE I only send emails out about every 4-6 weeks and your information is never, ever shared with any third party.
To subscribe to the Newsletter, look on my right-hand sidebar (almost all the way down near the bottom), and enter your email address. That's it! Painless. The newsletter will be sent to your Inbox, where you can read how to take advantage of the sale I'm having through October 1st.
And, a little preview of some new Fall items!
Love Pandora Style, but don't love the cost?!?! I'm now making beautiful, affordable, Pandora (large hole) Style Bracelets! Pictured above (click here to see it in my Etsy shop) is the Luscious Lavender Bracelet.
And here is one of my favorites, made with pretty floral polymer clay beads:
Thanks, everyone!
I'm going to be all mysterious about the sale, because in order to take advantage of it you need to be a Newsletter Subscriber. The good news is ..... it's quick and easy to subscribe and I PROMISE I only send emails out about every 4-6 weeks and your information is never, ever shared with any third party.
To subscribe to the Newsletter, look on my right-hand sidebar (almost all the way down near the bottom), and enter your email address. That's it! Painless. The newsletter will be sent to your Inbox, where you can read how to take advantage of the sale I'm having through October 1st.
And, a little preview of some new Fall items!
Love Pandora Style, but don't love the cost?!?! I'm now making beautiful, affordable, Pandora (large hole) Style Bracelets! Pictured above (click here to see it in my Etsy shop) is the Luscious Lavender Bracelet.
And here is one of my favorites, made with pretty floral polymer clay beads:
Click here to see this item in my Etsy shop.
Many other styles and colors are available, so if you have a color scheme or style in mind, just email me at ellieandsteve@verizon.net and run your ideas and inspirations by me!
Thanks, everyone!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Celebrity Hero Worship
When I was in New York for the BlogHer conference, I was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion about celebrity hero worship with three other bloggers: Laura from The Hollywood Housewife, Jessica from The Mom Creative and Susan from GetGood.com.
The Roundtable was hosted by the beautiful and gracious Dr. Janet Taylor, and filmed to be put on Liberty Mutual's Responbility Project's website. I love the way it turned out, (but, seriously? Do I really sound like that?) and it was a pleasure to be in the company of such engaging, creative and intelligent women.
So, take a look if you'd like - and I'd love to hear from all of you on your thoughts about celebrity worship. Is it something you think about? How does it impact the way you parent? Do you worry about how our children are inundated with celebrity culture through television, movies and social media? What do YOU do about it?
The Roundtable was hosted by the beautiful and gracious Dr. Janet Taylor, and filmed to be put on Liberty Mutual's Responbility Project's website. I love the way it turned out, (but, seriously? Do I really sound like that?) and it was a pleasure to be in the company of such engaging, creative and intelligent women.
So, take a look if you'd like - and I'd love to hear from all of you on your thoughts about celebrity worship. Is it something you think about? How does it impact the way you parent? Do you worry about how our children are inundated with celebrity culture through television, movies and social media? What do YOU do about it?
Sunday, August 15, 2010
These Are Merely Helpful Suggestions...
{This post was written in the spirit of Letters From a Nut by Ted L. Nancy. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, there's a small chance this could still be funny. This was written one night in the hotel room while at BlogHer, when Heather and I were at our giddiest. You're welcome.}
Dear Blogging Conference,
We wanted to write to you today to express some gratitude, opinions, questions and ideas. As your conference comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on our weekend and we are filled with many over-flowing emotions.
Please give this letter to the highest of higher ups, so they can know about these emotions. We are the people. We are the bloggers. We are tired, and even so, we deserve to be heard, we the people-bloggers.
As a side note, please be sure to consider our status in this subculture. We are known. No less than one to five people rushed up to us and wanted to say hello in the last few days. If you think about how there are millions and millions of blogs out there, one to five admirers is really a lot.
Of course we want to thank you. We bet this whole event-planning thing is terribly difficult and even tricky. Thank you for making a way for us to have this precious time together in person:
We admit it's a little awkward for bloggers to communicate in person, but as you can see, that can be remedied. So we share this picture with you as a suggestion for future attendees. Side-by-side tweeting gets all that strange eye contact and body language stuff out of the picture. It's more comfortable, you know? Especially if you can swing it on a plush hotel bed--make it a double!
@onecraftyellie - I M tired.
@HeatheroftheEO - Me 2
@onecraftyellie - remember that one time when I danced at the sparklecorn party?
@HeatheroftheEO - I wasn't there.
@onecraftyellie - Oh. Just a second. I'm going to tweet @maggiedammit & @annsrants to see if they remember
@HeatheroftheEO - OK. I'm going to pull the covers up higher now. am a bit chilly.
@onecraftyellie - stop tweeting me. I'm trying to tweet @maggiedammit & @annsrants to see if they liked my dancing.
@HeatheroftheEO - Jerk. End tweet.
There you have it. 140 characters or less of complete comfort.
Anyway. We would also like to apologize on behalf of ourselves and all the other attendees. We realize that our feet bled all over the hotel sheets while we were sleeping and you probably had to pay for that. But it was inevitable really. I mean, if you pack 7 pairs of high heels and put them on feet that don't recognize such shoes, you get what you asked for--goiter blisters within 5 minutes. So about those stains--may we suggest those wipes that are supposed to remove stains, the ones that were in a swag bag? Maybe those will work on the sheets? Just a thought.
Speaking of thoughts. We have some really good ones! We love community keynotes. There's nothing like hearing the actual voice (as in audible, not figurative) of our fellow bloggers. The posts that were read were moving and sometimes heart-wrenching and then sometimes funny. So we thought it might be cool if the blogger's name and their blog and twitter handle could be written up on the screen the whole time they talk. We are bloggers. We are somewhat creative. Which means we are scattered and we forget things like names really quickly, especially when overstimulated. Thank you.
(To clarify--we don't mean that you should write on the big screens with a sharpie or something. We mean you could project the words to the screen from an overhead or something of that nature.)
Also. Could you tell the hotel employee who was checking badges at lunch on Saturday that I (Heather) should not have had to take my name badge out of my lanyard thingy to prove I could eat there? He had me take my attendee name badge out from behind the CLEAR plastic, and then he inspected it like an airport security person does. Do I look threatening? It got wrinkled from trying to get it out and I don't like wrinkled things (especially noses, for the record). Thanks!
Next up: Let's talk elevators. There was something terribly frustrating about the elevator system. Tell the hotel we don't know why the elevators hated us. I'm pretty sure we could have gotten more swag had we not spent half the day waiting for elevators and then being surprised to find ourselves in the opposite corner of the hotel when we would step off, far away from our intended destination, in chafing heels.
(Just so you know the truth, we almost never wore heels, actually. Only for those first five minutes. I'm guessing this is the case for many attendees. Maybe you can tell the hotel people that if they're mad about the sheets.) (And maybe you should tell next years attendees not to bring any heels. If we all went heel-less no one would care or compare. You know how women are about comparing their shoes. It will be The Great Heel Ban of BlogHer '11--so exciting!)
We have another idea. Maybe next year you could create some kind of really large sign (this time, with a sharpie!) that explains what blogging is to all the other hotel guests. It's terribly exhausting to feel so misunderstood while explaining over and over.
Like this:
Stranger: Why are there so many of you with those name badges on?
Blogger: It's a blogging conference.
Stranger: Blank stare (almost as bad as a wrinkled nose) or a confused expression or a "what does that mean?" Or a, "What do you do at a blogging conference?"
Awkward. We've seen sharpies change the course of history before. We're pretty sure it can happen again. You're welcome.
One last thing. Can you let everyone from the change agents session know that when Maggie said (from the panel and into a microphone) -"Oh, I don't know. I can't speak to alcoholism...," she was being sarcastic. You see, when the topic of alcoholism was approached, she was simply using her sense of humor to disarm the listeners...but no one laughed. This leads me to believe they did not get the joke. So we think people should know that her alcoholism has not gone away.
Oh. One more last thing. When blogging events are in big cities (and they usually are, let's just be honest) every attendee should be given some sort of portable GPS, maybe as swag?!? We saw many bloggers standing on street corners looking up and around with confused expressions while wearing little black dresses and heels...you can see where we're going with this. Getting lost=walking a long ways=bloody heels and toes=stained sheets.
Sincerely,
Ellie and Heather (room 620) (with Alexis) (she's the pretty one)
P.S. Wait. We just had the best idea ever. Next year, we should all wear lanyard HATS!!! Fashionable hats, of course...with our name and blog name in very big red Sharpie letters. That way, we won't have to stare down at one another's chests or navels as discreetly as possible to see if we're matching the in real life face with the online avatar/profile pictures correctly. (Awkward.) If we had this information on hats, well, I'm sure you could imagine how that would be easier. When glancing at names, we could all just act like we're looking around, high up. Again, you are welcome.
Dear Blogging Conference,
We wanted to write to you today to express some gratitude, opinions, questions and ideas. As your conference comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on our weekend and we are filled with many over-flowing emotions.
Please give this letter to the highest of higher ups, so they can know about these emotions. We are the people. We are the bloggers. We are tired, and even so, we deserve to be heard, we the people-bloggers.
As a side note, please be sure to consider our status in this subculture. We are known. No less than one to five people rushed up to us and wanted to say hello in the last few days. If you think about how there are millions and millions of blogs out there, one to five admirers is really a lot.
Of course we want to thank you. We bet this whole event-planning thing is terribly difficult and even tricky. Thank you for making a way for us to have this precious time together in person:
Tandem Tweeting:
We admit it's a little awkward for bloggers to communicate in person, but as you can see, that can be remedied. So we share this picture with you as a suggestion for future attendees. Side-by-side tweeting gets all that strange eye contact and body language stuff out of the picture. It's more comfortable, you know? Especially if you can swing it on a plush hotel bed--make it a double!
@onecraftyellie - I M tired.
@HeatheroftheEO - Me 2
@onecraftyellie - remember that one time when I danced at the sparklecorn party?
@HeatheroftheEO - I wasn't there.
@onecraftyellie - Oh. Just a second. I'm going to tweet @maggiedammit & @annsrants to see if they remember
@HeatheroftheEO - OK. I'm going to pull the covers up higher now. am a bit chilly.
@onecraftyellie - stop tweeting me. I'm trying to tweet @maggiedammit & @annsrants to see if they liked my dancing.
@HeatheroftheEO - Jerk. End tweet.
There you have it. 140 characters or less of complete comfort.
Anyway. We would also like to apologize on behalf of ourselves and all the other attendees. We realize that our feet bled all over the hotel sheets while we were sleeping and you probably had to pay for that. But it was inevitable really. I mean, if you pack 7 pairs of high heels and put them on feet that don't recognize such shoes, you get what you asked for--goiter blisters within 5 minutes. So about those stains--may we suggest those wipes that are supposed to remove stains, the ones that were in a swag bag? Maybe those will work on the sheets? Just a thought.
Speaking of thoughts. We have some really good ones! We love community keynotes. There's nothing like hearing the actual voice (as in audible, not figurative) of our fellow bloggers. The posts that were read were moving and sometimes heart-wrenching and then sometimes funny. So we thought it might be cool if the blogger's name and their blog and twitter handle could be written up on the screen the whole time they talk. We are bloggers. We are somewhat creative. Which means we are scattered and we forget things like names really quickly, especially when overstimulated. Thank you.
(To clarify--we don't mean that you should write on the big screens with a sharpie or something. We mean you could project the words to the screen from an overhead or something of that nature.)
Also. Could you tell the hotel employee who was checking badges at lunch on Saturday that I (Heather) should not have had to take my name badge out of my lanyard thingy to prove I could eat there? He had me take my attendee name badge out from behind the CLEAR plastic, and then he inspected it like an airport security person does. Do I look threatening? It got wrinkled from trying to get it out and I don't like wrinkled things (especially noses, for the record). Thanks!
Next up: Let's talk elevators. There was something terribly frustrating about the elevator system. Tell the hotel we don't know why the elevators hated us. I'm pretty sure we could have gotten more swag had we not spent half the day waiting for elevators and then being surprised to find ourselves in the opposite corner of the hotel when we would step off, far away from our intended destination, in chafing heels.
(Just so you know the truth, we almost never wore heels, actually. Only for those first five minutes. I'm guessing this is the case for many attendees. Maybe you can tell the hotel people that if they're mad about the sheets.) (And maybe you should tell next years attendees not to bring any heels. If we all went heel-less no one would care or compare. You know how women are about comparing their shoes. It will be The Great Heel Ban of BlogHer '11--so exciting!)
We have another idea. Maybe next year you could create some kind of really large sign (this time, with a sharpie!) that explains what blogging is to all the other hotel guests. It's terribly exhausting to feel so misunderstood while explaining over and over.
Like this:
Stranger: Why are there so many of you with those name badges on?
Blogger: It's a blogging conference.
Stranger: Blank stare (almost as bad as a wrinkled nose) or a confused expression or a "what does that mean?" Or a, "What do you do at a blogging conference?"
Awkward. We've seen sharpies change the course of history before. We're pretty sure it can happen again. You're welcome.
One last thing. Can you let everyone from the change agents session know that when Maggie said (from the panel and into a microphone) -"Oh, I don't know. I can't speak to alcoholism...," she was being sarcastic. You see, when the topic of alcoholism was approached, she was simply using her sense of humor to disarm the listeners...but no one laughed. This leads me to believe they did not get the joke. So we think people should know that her alcoholism has not gone away.
Oh. One more last thing. When blogging events are in big cities (and they usually are, let's just be honest) every attendee should be given some sort of portable GPS, maybe as swag?!? We saw many bloggers standing on street corners looking up and around with confused expressions while wearing little black dresses and heels...you can see where we're going with this. Getting lost=walking a long ways=bloody heels and toes=stained sheets.
Sincerely,
Ellie and Heather (room 620) (with Alexis) (she's the pretty one)
P.S. Wait. We just had the best idea ever. Next year, we should all wear lanyard HATS!!! Fashionable hats, of course...with our name and blog name in very big red Sharpie letters. That way, we won't have to stare down at one another's chests or navels as discreetly as possible to see if we're matching the in real life face with the online avatar/profile pictures correctly. (Awkward.) If we had this information on hats, well, I'm sure you could imagine how that would be easier. When glancing at names, we could all just act like we're looking around, high up. Again, you are welcome.
Friday, August 13, 2010
New Worlds. And A Question
One of the things I love the most about the blogging is that it expands my world. Surfing through other peoples' blogs, opening myself up to new thoughts and perspectives, is one of my favorite things to do.
I met a lot of people at BlogHer, and I wish I could have spent more time talking with each of them. One of the biggest gifts of attending was walking away with new connections.
On my blogroll (to the right) I link to my daily reads. I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to some new people - talented, warm, lovely women. Take a moment to check them out, you won't be disappointed:
Alex, from Late Enough
Sarah and Jen from Momalom
Laura from The Hollywood Housewife
Jessica from The Mom Creative
Cheryl from Mommypants
Lora from A Fever (words) and The Urbanity (photos)
Christine from Coffees and Commutes
Kim from Prairie Mama
Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan
Esther from She Posts
Kalisa from The One In Heels
Lisa from Smacksy
Ann from Ann's Rants
Lindsey from A Design So Vast
And I have a question - what are your favorite blogs, and why? I'm always looking for new worlds to explore.
I met a lot of people at BlogHer, and I wish I could have spent more time talking with each of them. One of the biggest gifts of attending was walking away with new connections.
On my blogroll (to the right) I link to my daily reads. I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to some new people - talented, warm, lovely women. Take a moment to check them out, you won't be disappointed:
Alex, from Late Enough
Sarah and Jen from Momalom
Laura from The Hollywood Housewife
Jessica from The Mom Creative
Cheryl from Mommypants
Lora from A Fever (words) and The Urbanity (photos)
Christine from Coffees and Commutes
Kim from Prairie Mama
Kristen from Rage Against the Minivan
Esther from She Posts
Kalisa from The One In Heels
Lisa from Smacksy
Ann from Ann's Rants
Lindsey from A Design So Vast
And I have a question - what are your favorite blogs, and why? I'm always looking for new worlds to explore.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chicks In The Mail
We have chickens.
It was my husband's idea. Two years ago he came home from work with a big ole smile on his face. "Kids!" he shouted. "I have a surprise for you in the car!"
Greta and Finn ran gleefully to the car, and he pulled out a shoebox with holes in the side. Inside were - get this - SIX baby chicks. Turns out there is a little farm store in the neighboring town, where one can purchase baby chickens if one is so inclined.
I knew he was thinking about getting chickens, and while I thought he was a little nuts, I wasn't going to get in the way. But I didn't realize at the time he meant he was going to get chickens, like, that week.
While Steve and the kids giggled and played with the newest members of our family, I peppered him with questions like: where the heck are these critters going to live, sweetheart? He had it all planned out. The chicks spent the first two months living in increasingly large boxes in our basement, while he built a gorgeous A-Frame chicken coop. I call it the Chicken Condo. It's practically nicer than my living room.
About ten months later we started getting eggs. If you are an egg person, there is nothing more delicious than a farm fresh egg. Although the idea does take some getting used to. I was accustomed to purchasing my eggs in a nice brightly lit supermarket. Now we could get an egg that was still warm from the, er, source. One of the chickens lays light green eggs. That took some getting used to as well.
Turns out chickens are pretty low maintenance. We've had the occasional mass break-out. I can picture them there, late at night, pecking out their escape route in the dirt. One day they all figured out a way over the chicken wire surrounding their coop and fled, en masse, to the neighbor's yard. This prompted a little visit from the Chicken Police, politely asking us to keep them contained. Yes, there is such a thing as the Chicken Police.
Talk about a learning curve.
We've had a few losses, and we're down to three chickens. Yellowy passed due to natural causes, PeePee was lost due to the proverbial Fox in the Henhouse, and most recently Blackie had an unfortunate encounter with a Chickenhawk. Such is life. My husband started making noises that three chickens isn't enough. Maybe we should get some more?
So yesterday as he was heading out the door to work, he shouts over his shoulder, "the new chicks should be arriving today. Have a good day!"
I was rushing around getting the kids ready for school, so he had already pulled down the driveway when I thought: Wait? What? What does he mean arriving? This question was answered a few hours later with a voice mail message from the post office. "This is Sue from the post office. Your express package from, er, 'My Chicken' is here, and we need you to come pick it up as quickly as possible."
Yes. It turns out you can order baby chicks by mail*.
The kids and I piled in the car and drove to the post office. We walk in, wait in line, and then we hear it: cheeping. It is so loud the post office worker has to raise his voice a little. It gets to be our turn at the counter, and I sheepishly say, "We're here to pick up an Express Delivery. The, um, cheeping one."
We take the chicks home, and carefully open the box. There they are: nestled comfortably in straw over two warming pads: three baby chicks. Meet Curious, Fluffles and Joe:
It was my husband's idea. Two years ago he came home from work with a big ole smile on his face. "Kids!" he shouted. "I have a surprise for you in the car!"
Greta and Finn ran gleefully to the car, and he pulled out a shoebox with holes in the side. Inside were - get this - SIX baby chicks. Turns out there is a little farm store in the neighboring town, where one can purchase baby chickens if one is so inclined.
I knew he was thinking about getting chickens, and while I thought he was a little nuts, I wasn't going to get in the way. But I didn't realize at the time he meant he was going to get chickens, like, that week.
While Steve and the kids giggled and played with the newest members of our family, I peppered him with questions like: where the heck are these critters going to live, sweetheart? He had it all planned out. The chicks spent the first two months living in increasingly large boxes in our basement, while he built a gorgeous A-Frame chicken coop. I call it the Chicken Condo. It's practically nicer than my living room.Turns out chickens are pretty low maintenance. We've had the occasional mass break-out. I can picture them there, late at night, pecking out their escape route in the dirt. One day they all figured out a way over the chicken wire surrounding their coop and fled, en masse, to the neighbor's yard. This prompted a little visit from the Chicken Police, politely asking us to keep them contained. Yes, there is such a thing as the Chicken Police.
Talk about a learning curve.
We've had a few losses, and we're down to three chickens. Yellowy passed due to natural causes, PeePee was lost due to the proverbial Fox in the Henhouse, and most recently Blackie had an unfortunate encounter with a Chickenhawk. Such is life. My husband started making noises that three chickens isn't enough. Maybe we should get some more?
So yesterday as he was heading out the door to work, he shouts over his shoulder, "the new chicks should be arriving today. Have a good day!"
I was rushing around getting the kids ready for school, so he had already pulled down the driveway when I thought: Wait? What? What does he mean arriving? This question was answered a few hours later with a voice mail message from the post office. "This is Sue from the post office. Your express package from, er, 'My Chicken' is here, and we need you to come pick it up as quickly as possible."
Yes. It turns out you can order baby chicks by mail*.
The kids and I piled in the car and drove to the post office. We walk in, wait in line, and then we hear it: cheeping. It is so loud the post office worker has to raise his voice a little. It gets to be our turn at the counter, and I sheepishly say, "We're here to pick up an Express Delivery. The, um, cheeping one."
We take the chicks home, and carefully open the box. There they are: nestled comfortably in straw over two warming pads: three baby chicks. Meet Curious, Fluffles and Joe:
*I was worried about this practice, too, but it's done all the time, and the chicks are safely and comfortably transported through a special delivery service. So it's all good.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Because Its All About Me
I love me some Celebrity Rehab. I need to make that clear up front. It's voyeuristic reality TV at its worst: watching people play out their lowest moments while I'm sitting comfortably on my couch munching popcorn. What is the fascination with watching train wrecks? Am I the only one who finds this compulsively entertaining? And it is a stretch to call these people Celebrities - okay, maybe Dennis Rodman and Heidi Fleiss were once household names, but I've never heard of most of these people .. Joey Kovar? Lisa D'Amato? I guess I don't watch enough reality TV, which is where several of these people get their dubious starts in the public eye.Perhaps it is because I've been a train wreck, too, that I can't peel my eyes away from this show. And when the dramatic soundtracks and replays are stripped away, they are just regular people caught up in the web of addiction. The cast members (just the fact that they are considered a cast should be a tip off that there is something askew here) are at various stages with their ability to look objectively at their addictive behavior - some are firmly in Denial, while others are praying they are at Rock Bottom.
My own brief experience on camera was enough to convince me that it is very, very difficult to be yourself with cameramen and producers hovering about. Five complete strangers came to my house, the week before we taped the Oprah show, to interview me in my 'natural' environment. A sound guy, three camera men and one producer followed me around for hours, asking me question after question about some of the most painful moments of my life. "Act natural," the producer kept suggesting. "Pretend we aren't here," she says, while there is a camera lens eight inches from my face and a large microphone dangling in front of my nose. It was terrifying and alluring at the same time. I didn't feel anything like myself, not even close. The urge to edit my life, to project the right image (am I interesting enough? entertaining enough?) was nearly overwhelming. I told my truth, as best I could, and if I hadn't been talking about things that already happened to me, I don't know that I could have done it. If they were asking me about how I feel right now, in this moment, I wouldn't have known how to be truthful. My mind would have been casting about for the most interesting thing to say. Celebrity Rehab is damaging, I think, to the public's perception of recovery, because it isn't really real. Heidi Fleiss asks a nurse, on the first show, whether o
r not this is "pretend rehab". The fact that the question has to be asked provides the answer. We, the public, may have become somewhat anesthetized to Reality TV, to watching people play out their lives on camera, thinking the subjects of our voyeurism are barely aware that we're there. But I know the subjects we're watching aren't anesthetized to it - quite the contrary, in fact. I know from my own experience it is impossible to ride out in front on a white horse and think objectively about yourself. I'm reminded of how my 4 year old seems to view the world: any attention is good attention. It doesn't matter to him that he's behaving badly; he just wants me to Look. At. Him. Better that people are watching, than that nobody seems to care. And, just like with my 4 year old, it works.
I look.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
I'm Too Sexy for The Holidays
We're coming up on a time of year that can be difficult for people like me - holiday parties and gatherings of friends celebrating the season is fun, but I'm forced to take a look at my situation in ways I studiously avoid during the year. I have to tell myself the truth: oh dear God I have nothing to wear. I will never be mistaken for a fashionista, and most of the year this doesn't bother me at all. My middle-aged suburban Mom uniform rarely varies - the daily fashion questions I ask myself are which color sweater to wear: black, off-black or charcoal? And which pair of jeans: my oh-my-God-I've-lost-a-few-pounds jeans, my I'll-just-buy-these-until-I-lose-a-few-pounds jeans, or my I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it jeans (otherwise known as my it's-just-the-baby-weight jeans ... I'll milk that one until my youngest gets his learner's permit, thank you very much). Sometimes I'll get all crazy and crack out the eggplant sweater.
I rather enjoy the simplicity of my wardrobe. After spending years in Corporate America pouring myself into nylon stockings and high heels, now I prefer to wallow in the most comfortable clothing I can get away with wearing in public. The other day I was waiting in line at the post office and realized I was wearing my slippers. I wasn't embarrassed in the slightest; I'd rather be thought of as the town kook than have to wear uncomfortable shoes.
I can shuffle along like this for weeks, but on occasion I have to look more presentable. Thankfully, I don't run with a set of friends who like to get dressed in spangly outfits and go clubbing. When I'm invited to the odd dinner party, I exchange the jeans for a pair of black slacks, and the black sweater for one with a hint of color, and I'm good to go. I have made a sacred vow with myself that if I can live out my years without ever putting on a pair of nylon stockings again I will be a happy woman indeed.
There was one terrifying moment a couple of months ago when I realized I was going on national television. "Wear something with color!" the producer chirped into the phone the day before we were to leave to tape the show, sending me into a complete panic. She may as well have asked me speak swahili or play the mandolin. I don't DO color. But I did wear a lavender shirt with my black pantsuit. It even had a collar.
Every year, though, I decide this is going to be the year I bust out of my fashion rut and go a little crazy for the holidays. My closet stands in silent testimony to my folly - outfits purchased in a fit of mad determination. There was the year of the Shiniest Shirt on Earth , followed by the year of what I can only describe as Balloon Pants. The Christmas after Finn was born I was only one month post-partum and the jacket I purchased defies explanation entirely, but it can probably be seen from space. There is one little strappy dress better worn prowling the streets looking for a John. It is as if I'm trying to make up for my lack of flair the other eleven months of the year by wearing every color known to man during the holidays.
This year I'm going the safe route, something elegant and understated. I found the perfect thing:
It will look terrific with my Balloon Pants and Shiny Shirt.
Look out, Holidays, here I come.
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