Dappled and Drowsy and Ready to Sleep...

I realized quite suddenly this week that I am getting older. I am approaching that age that is crudely known as 'mature adulthood'. The realization hit me as I was looking in the mirror. I stared at myself for a very long time just to see if I could get a better understanding of what others saw when they looked at me. It was a moment of vanity, I know, but it provided me w/ an interesting thought. And the longer I looked the more deformed my face became until I was a complete stranger 'unto myself'. I am of the opinion that Van Gough became crazy from looking at himself. Really. He stared at himself so long that he got tired of what he saw and decided to vary the reflection by lopping an ear off. Doesnt that make sense? Well, it did last night when I was thinking it.

So even though an honest physical reflection of ourselves may be difficult to comeby, here are the signs that led me to this simple conclusion: I'm a grown up.

1.'going out' gets old real fast-In May, my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. Such a monumental turning point was noteworthy so we made a plan to celebrate in Memphis, where there are a number of more-than-willing babysitters available. We stayed at a four star hotel, bought a bottle of champagne, went to several restaurants, saw a band play, and after the first day were wholly bored. Don't get me wrong, we love each other magnificently. But we realized rather quickly that our relationship has evolved into a parental one and that without our children, we feel a little empty. Since then, we've only been able to go on one other date. Last month we went out to see a band play and stayed out til (gasp!) 3am. We made a joint decision after that to enjoy the late evening hours sparingly and have more daytime dates. We are WIPED OUT otherwise...ha. Which leads me to my next point:

2. A 9pm bedtime doesnt seem all that wierd- When I was in my teens, the thought of a nine o'clock bedtime would have been ludicrous to say the least. Since I've been married, I've adapted to the fact that my early rising husband likes to bed-down early but I've enjoyed having the time after he dozes off to watch whatever I want on the telly. Now, since we live in one room and the children are 9' o clock-ers, we all have the same bed time. And, you know what? It's not impossible for me after all. I'm asleep almost immediately and bright-eyed by 6am. Wierd.

3. Fads are for kids- Trends were always my downfall. I had the hardest time developing a style because as soon as something looked cool, I was buying into it. At my moving sale this year I sold almost everything I owned when I realized that it just looked 'too young'. Since then, I've invested in almost all tailored pieces spiced up w/ a few fun t shirts and fifties style items. I realize that even though I finally look 'my age', I also look a lot more comfortable.

4. Travel is a luxury; moving is NOT- It was this year that my husband and I decided it was time for us thirty year olds to settle down for good. We called the bank, bought 20 acres of land, a houseplan, and breathed a contented sigh. We are here for good. This is our home. Our children can grow up here, spread roots if they want, or visit forever if they don't. I still have a strong urge to travel but a once or twice a year vacation sounds just fine to me.

5. Arguing is a waste of time-Now I don't know if that is a 'mature' decision or just a tired one but it certainly saves time. I just don't have the desire or the energy to argue (debates are different, Barbie!). If you are going to put so much effort into being right, then you deserve to be! I've had to bite my lip a few times but have decided the non confrontational me is a better person, altogether.

6. Ponds and Bag Balm- And here it is. The final sign that I am definitely getting 'up there'. Ever since I was little, I've always equated the smell of Pond's Cold Cream w/ my mother. Coffee and terpentine were my grandfather's smells. Suddenly, my normal/ combination skin has become redicuously dry and I am able to see why so many women have sworn by the greasy white stuff. It works! So at night, I go to bed w/ my nose full of Ponds and bag balm (an ancient remedy for dry hands that smells like medicine...my husband's cure of choice). And in the morning, I wake up to the smell of Ponds and coffee.

Now, if I could just find some turpentine....

Right Turn, Clyde

Confrontation. It seems that most of America thrives on it.

I told a friend one time that I was very passive and avoided confrontation at almost any cost. Just a 'peacemaker', I. She laughed and said if someone came up and hit me in the face, I'd definitely retaliate. Well, through personal experience (another story, another time) I can say that just isnt the case. I'm of the 'make' that sees laughter as a more fitting solution to being attacked, not that everyone should be that way.

And evidently, not everyone is. I found a couple of very funny and interesting entries of that nature on foundmagazine last night. The one here to the right seems to be just a warning written to no one in particular. I wonder if Christine lived in an apartment complex and the note was posted on the bulletin board. Or maybe this could have been found on a telephone pole along w/ some outdated band flyers? It's fun guessing. I like the small addition of a 'baby fact' at the end. I know we were all concerned about that. Ha.

The one to the left is more direct and has obvious connotations. One can't help but wonder how old this girl was. Also, the choice of stationary is odd, as it makes the message seem a little less severe; but perhaps that was intentional.

The thing is, I envy these people somewhat. They are obviously overflowing w/ confidence to be so vocal about their feelings and that is something. I tend to want to say much more than I have the gall to, and then am left feeling oh so empty inside. Sigh.

But no negativity here. Enjoy the above notes and all of the fun presumptions involved!

Cockle-Warmers

Yesterday was a fun day for the tadpoles and me. Of course any day I don't have to work is fun but yesterday seemed very relaxed in comparison to our normal outings of late. We usually seem to have more things on our plate than we can possibly deal with and yesterday was a day that we just kind of 'let it lie'.

We made a trip to Lebanon (much farther than it used to be) to see a movie and meander around. I don't know what made me decide I would go buy a pair of jeans on the weekend of Christmas but being an 'non-observer', I simply forgot what day it was...categorically, that is. Anyway, to 'The Gap' outlet I did go and luckily was able to fight my way to the cash register w/ both kids intact and a couple of items I was lucky enough to secure. The lady at the register fell in love w/the littlest one, as most people do, and immediately crooned,
' what is Santa bringing YOU this year, precious'? Before I even had a chance to respond, the fiver gave her a withering glance (which we discourage but oh well) and said 'We don't believe in Santa Claus. Christmas is a pagan holiday'. Of course I was full of pride but a bit nonplussed at the same time. I smiled my warmest smile and left the building in a hurry. I swear I didnt feed him the answer, just explained what pagan means and if you ask him he says 'false gods'. His ability to 'get' stuff thrills me to my toes.

Our next stop was the absolute armpit of holiday shopping, Wal Mart, and if I had the ability to spell that out in squirmy horror font I would. The people were literally wal to wal ( ha). I was able to purchase three items and only had to wait in the express line for about thirty minutes, all the while dealing w/ the innappropriate comments and baby hand grabbing of the people behind me...ugh.

So the theater was a haven by then, believe me. It is a new theater w/ a pleasant atmosphere that is somewhat darker than is typical and the cozy smell of popcorn and new paint throughout. They have a bunch of video games by the entrance and the absolute highlight of the day was watching litt'lun climb up on the Star Wars game and carry on: 'eee-daaaaa, eeeee-daaaa'. ( No idea what that means but it means he's happy so that's what counts, right?)

We saw 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.' I read these books religiously as a child and was really looking forward to it. I was a bit distracted at first; the baby was continually dropping his milk duds and one of them landed squarely in my hair. I was back and forth for some time replacing straws and such. But when he finally went to sleep, I was soooo happy. It was wonderful to see the characters and story so faithfully brought to life. It warmed me especially to see Aslan so lovingly portrayed w/ the voice of Liam Neeson and the White Witch kept as abstract as possible-in keeping w/ the book. She was kind of the personification of all that is evil, not as three dimensional as other famous villains. Tilda Swinton looked chillingly (no pun intended) statuesque throughout. Of the children, Edmund was my favorite; true to the book, he was the most 'human'. The battle sequence was thrilling, especially during the violent clash of the Narnia 'wildlife'. And Jim Broadbent gave a wonderful and surprisingly unrecognizable performance as the Professor. I am imediately possessed w/ a strong desire to re-read the books, hopefully aloud to my oldest son. I think he'll apppreciate it much more now that he's seen the movie.


When I got home I found that trusty ol' Netflix had sent me the military comedy 'Mr Roberts', so I gave it a watch also. Mr Roberts, played by Henry Fonda, is a military commander onboard the 'bucket', one of the only American vessels yet to see any action. His ennui is further enhanced by his aversion to his crusty Captain, James Cagney. The clash of these two characters drives the movie along at a brisk pace but it's the comedy relief of Jack Lemon, as Ensign Pulver, that makes the movie. The final scene made me want to stand up and cheer....
'...now what's this crud about no movie tonight?'

'Cockle-warmers' indeed.

Bake Sale of the Year

Two entries in one day, my oh my.

So, my admiration for singer/songwriter (not a typical term used in this genre, but there it is) Neil Fallon grows w/ each passing album. Clutch's most recent entry to their impressive catalogue, Robot Hive Exodus, is no exception. While the music always offers innovative rhythyms and driving hooks, it's the lyrics that keep me amazed. Just when I think that he's reached his peak, he shells out more...and pretty quickly this time. Blast Tyrant just came out a year or so ago and it was my favorite to date. The theme seemed more exact for some reason and the songs were all excellent examples of imagery and delivery. I love the riddles and the literary references. I probably hit wikipedia more when scanning his lyrics than any other time...ha.

I like a lyricist that can go from light-hearted quips like-'I've got your number/ I steal your thunder/ I've got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm' to ' Don't worry. It's just stigmata. Pass me a napkin and don't you dare tell my mother.' There is something very refreshing about that kind of expression.

But now theres' this whole Robot Hive thing and the song Burning Beard (which has a great video incidentally). I mean, 'Ockam's Razor makes the cutting clean?'. That is great stuff, by any standard.

I encourange any who care to, even if meaty Rock n Roll isnt your thing, to check out the lyrics to this great new album and then to give them a listen if you want to hear those lyrics delivered the way they were meant to be.

My five year old can't get enough, by the way. It's hilarious hearing him sing..'yeah that's the ticket now kick out the jams!'

Yuk Yuk Yuk

That's a Pretty Big Matzo Ball...

Last night, when I couldnt sleep, my thoughts turned to my girl-friends. Most women my age probably have a number of them but I, actually, haven't had all that many. I think this is mainly due to the fact that I am one of those sad/happy/nonchalant females that keep other women at arm's length. I'm sure it's probably because of my talent for saying the wrong thing and not realizing it until years later or maybe because of bad experiences in the past, where I've put my trust in the wrong people and only discovered through the feminine 'grapevine' that my confidence was sadly misplaced. That being said, I do have a few women friends that mean alot to me and as I lay there last night in my nyquil-enhanced reverie I found myself wishing I could say a few things to all of them.

So here it is:
I'm going to list them in the order of their entrance into my life, starting with-

H.C-J: You are THE happy memory I have of my two years at Kingsbury Middle School. I cannot remember a single teacher's name or a lick of pre-algebra but I can still remember how to fold a note into a perfect little house. We were going to walk around school singing The Monkees Theme Song and wear matching outfits every day of the year (thank God we didnt). The lives of Lisa and Brendan will forever be a secret only we two can know. Thank you so much for letting me back in (albeit via email) after all these years. Now that I'm getting to know you again, I could kick myself for letting this much time pass.

R.Q.-I would never have thought as we lay awake in your room discussing the accountability of The Cure that someday our children would be living in the same 'holler', much less terrorizing the same teacher. It's a great thing and even though you will probably be moving on soon, situating yourself as an urban independant elsewhere, I want you to know that I plan to take advantage of the close proximity I have now to one of my oldest friends. A midnight to four a.m. game of spades would not be amiss.

S.S-G: During the early nineties when my family was altering forever, you were no less than a sister to me. Singing by the ocean was and is one of the highlights of my life. I will never forget how comfortable we were in those days, and how close. Unfortunately, life keeps altering and that's ok. The country mouse and the city mouse may not have agreed on everything but they remained as close as they could and they never forgot that they were both still mice. We come from a line of strong women and I am confident that if neither of us 'give up in doing what is fine', we will always maintain a healthy bond. I'm looking forward to keeping it healthy so that our children can have one too.

M.N-Even though your no-nonsense approach to life intimidates me at times, it is also the thing that makes me respect you the most. You share my love of games, disney, and all things that involve planning. When I think of that crazy thing they call 'natural' childbirth, I always think of how calm and steady you were for the duration. Both times. You're always available to help when I need you and yet, you keep your distance just long enough to make me miss you terribly.

D.P-You and your family are like a little mirror of mine. We have flip-flop personalities though. You and my husband are very similar and me and yours I think. Plus you've got two boys. I guess that's why I feel so comfortable around you. When we finally get together, it's like we've always been around each other and the conversation is forever stimulating. I love it when I see that you're online just so we can swap emoticons and funny links. I just want you to know how much I treasure the time I've spent w/ you and yours. The trip to the mountains when we were both pregnant still remains one of my favorites....the gameshows, the gorgeous leaves, the cabin, the deer, the 'piernt' in the caverns....ahhhh.

N.N.-I think you have had a few more troubles than the average person and yet you've managed to keep strong and balenced regardless. You are one of the most loyal, endearing, and funniest people I know, something that can never be overstated. As a mother, you are astonishing. I've told you before; I should have a woven bracelet reading WWND considering the number of times I've thought just that in dealing w/ my own kids. You are patient, considerate, and beautiful. Any of your friends would do anything for you, as I'm sure you know.

B.Q-L. : More than just about anyone else I know, I want you to be happy. When I hear Art Garfunkel's song 'Disney Girls', it's you I think of. I'm thrilled by your fiery loyalty and shocked (and sometimes amused) by how tenacious you can be. You've debated w/ me for hours, sang disney songs w/ me until both our throats were sore, and held my hair back when I threw up during labor. I can't tell you how much you've meant to me and still do. I need my disney girl to always be around. Ok?

To ADW-D, BS, AP, and any others I've forgotten here (you know who you are)-Even though our paths and priorities may have diverged over time, I don't want you to think I'm ignorant of how knowing you has shaped my life. I'll always be aware of that and I wish all of you happiness.

And last of all, To the angels of the congregation of Smyrna, write: All of you are so dear and beautiful and I love all of you so equally that I wasnt sure how to include you in this post. You were there when I gave my very best to Jehovah (75 a month to be exact) and for that reason all of you are like family. It has been wonderful to hear about your growth; how some of you are now mothers, some of you have unselfishly relocated, and some of you have undergone more serious changes to strengthen your faith. There is, sadly, even a new widow among you now. My heart goes out to all of you.

That's it. That's all I've got. After re-reading this I've realized it sounds a little like a farewell note...ha. Rest assured, it's just the thoughts that went through my head on a sleepless, hazy night in December.

...Of Dogs and Deer

Nature provides us w/ all types of stories.

DOGS

My dog, Helen Roper, has been a mystery to us since we moved. The night before we relocated to this little den, her mother was savagely attacked by a neighborhood German Shepherd. She wasnt tied up and it was partly our fault, I guess. She just wouldnt be tied and what do you do in that case, I ask you? Anyway, she was frolicking about loose for the last couple of weeks at our former residence and evidently she frolicked in the wrong direction. The night we were packing up our last posessions and whistling for poor old Gladdice Presley, a strange truck pulled into our drive and a forlorn looking neighbor (the owner of the Shepherd and a person we'd never met) approached. He explained that Gladdice was currently at the vet and would have to be 'put down' as there was nothing they could do for her. Of course he offered to pay the expenses and was very contrite.
We have never been the kind of people to adopt our pets like humans. They are dogs to us...pleasant but not necessary to our family unit. We thanked him and moved on. Helen, however was another story...or so we thought.
She was very forlorn for a few days. We had her tied underneath the porch here and she whined and cried so much that we had to move her after a couple of sleepless nights. She shivered always, complained endlessly, and began to look thin and wormy. Her poor ribs showed and even though she ate, it hardly seemed to help. Eventually, the howling moved us to take her a street over to our property where she wouldnt affect our sleep (like I said, not part of the family unit and not necessarily pleasant right now).
I was worried about her and told the man but he said she was just grieving probably and would get over it. Yesterday he comes in and says, 'Helen is getting really sweet and really FAT.' I smiled. ' She won't leave me alone when I'm feeding her, she's eating a ton, and now she's got these little titties.'
So, grieving Helen Roper was actually pregnant Helen. We are very curious if a German Shepherd is capable of impregnanting a beagle and if so, what is the product to be? A German Beagle? A Shegle?

DEER

Deer are such a novelty to me but I can see why the people in these parts so look forward to hunting them. They simply TAKE OVER around here. You can literally drive down any given road and see them scatter like pigeons. They are not quite as smart as you'd think either, seeing as deer season finds the woods chock-full of orange clad brethren and their weapons of choice. When it's daylight, they tend to play chicken in the roads, and at night they just stare. Occasionally, they will dare you to come any closer, moving only when your bumper says they must.
Yesterday, bringing my son home from school, I came very close to making my first kill as a group of them bounded across the road. The smallest of the little gals ran right alongside my car for a good hundred paces before finally realizing she might better skedaddle. As her white tail flipped me the bird, I couldnt help but wonder....'was bambi's mother this impetuous?'
Had she been a little smarter than the average deer, little Bambi's first winter might have ended quite differently. But such is the lay of the land.

It's a Capra kind of day!

Whenever it's wintertime, the thoughts of our nation turn to Christmas. My thoughts, however, turn to Frank Capra.

As it turns out, the media has instilled in us the idea that 'It's a Wonderful Life' can only be shown a Christmastime. This being, I suppose, because there is a Christmas tree present during the final scene. Whatever. Capra movies should be enjoyed at all times of the year but since they are excessively 'warm' in nature, I suppose it's natural that the cold weather seems conducive to enjoyment of them.

My favorite of Capra's creations will aways be 'You Can't Take it With You', quite possibly the happiest movie of all time and definitely a 'pick me up' for any ill. It is from this joyful film that my little blog has taken it's name. There is an endearing scene in which some neighborhood youngn's are teaching a dance called 'the big apple' for a nickel. Jean Arthur and James Stewart take a lesson with hilarious results. It's a fascinating and fun movie, all about the futility of ill-gotten gains. Everyone who reads this should go and watch it now.

For morbid humor and biting sarcasm, watch Arsenic and Old Lace which provides Cary Grant at his zany best. For endless refrains of "the Flying Trapeze" and excellent witicisms , watch It Happened One Night. On snowy evenings, It's a Wonderful Life never fails to serve. And then there are the three 'musketeers' of American film: 'Meet John Doe', 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington', and 'Mr Deeds Goes to Town' which provided their three lead actors when some of the best performances of their career. James Stewart's 'Mr Smith' is still my favorite of all time.

Capra's films are largely responsible for the fact that I prefer the pure and unsullied to the crass and debased in entertainment. I'm proud of that.

I think I'll put one on now.

Poor Ol' Sam

I've been asked by a few people what the frightening creature is that I have pictured by my user name. I will dedicate a post especially for him.

The image is of Sam, The World's Ugliest dog, that passed away just a few short weeks ago. Poor Sam is a full bred chinese hairless that obviously has some genetic issues. He is pitifully horrendous and was loved dearly.

You may visit his website and purchase memorabilia here http://www.samugliestdog.com/

Just so that his beauty is truly appreciated, I will post another larger image of him in this post. RIP Sam...

Odds and Ends

I have recently discovered a wonderful site called foundmagazine.com. It is probably the most interesting one I've seen in a while, mainly because it is a little look into others' lives, my guilty pleasure. The site consists of notes, photos, to-do lists, etc that have been found all over the US as well as a story behind the finding of each item.

Some items are sad...some are sweet...some, like this one, are hysterically funny. Not because of what it says but the hilarious and incorrect usage of quotation marks which renders the message entirely incoherent.

Anyway, it's a great site. Worth checking out.

One room fosters closeness...yeah that's it.

So here we are. We are living in one room. We have a kitchen, three bedrooms and a full bath all in 400 cozy sq. feet! I've been told this is a good thing and that it will floster 'closeness' in the family unit. I'm so happy to hear that because the 1300 sq feet we had before was driving us apart for sure. (snicker).

Our new house should be ready shortly. Please let it be ready shortly! All our furniture is being stored in the basement and I'm so afraid of mice getting into it.

But, right now I'm warm. I've a baby on my lap, one that just started Kindergarten (sp) in a country school of fifty five students, and a gorgeous view of a hill w/ some black and white cows perched on the side.

Life is great.